Refurbished Steam Deck OLED models are now available (in select regions)

Valve’s Steam Deck is easily the most popular modern PC gaming handheld, and that’s for good reason. Sure, it’s not the most performant of the bunch, but it’s got excellent software and community, and a relatively low asking price. The latter is now better still, with refurbished OLED Steam Decks.

That’s right: whereas Valve’s official Deck refurbishment program only stocked the original LCD Steam Deck models, it has now been expanded to support the superior OLED models as well. This is an entirely new development that wasn’t previously announced in any meaningful capacity, but calling this move welcome would be a severe understatement. The price drop on refurbished models is steep, and if you’re in the market for a Steam Deck, I genuinely believe there’s no reason to purchase an LCD model off of Valve any longer.

Get a Steam Deck OLED on the cheap via the official Valve refurbishment program

As per Valve’s latest announcement, you can now purchase a refurbished Steam Deck OLED directly off of Steam without any need for third-party suppliers/retrofitters. This offer is only valid for US, Canada, UK, and European Union markets, but it’s a phenomenal deal regardless.

All Steam Deck models available via Valve’s official refurbishment hug page come with a special “Valve Certified Refurbished” tag that means you’re getting a working unit no matter what. “Each Certified Refurbished Steam Deck has been thoroughly tested to the same high standards as our retail units,” says Valve. “Every device goes through a complete factory reset, software update, and an extensive examination involving over 100 tests at one of Valve’s facilities. Among the tests are all controller inputs, the audio system, the screen, and the internals. Battery health is also assessed to ensure proper functionality and longevity.”

Now, the obvious caveat is that VCR Steam Decks “may have minor cosmetic blemishes,” but Valve guarantees a “reliable, high-quality gaming experience,” at a lower cost.

And this is where the crucial kicker lies: the cost is substantially lower. The factory-new 512 GB OLED Steam Deck will set you back a substantial 569,00€ in the EU, for example, whereas the same VCR model will only cost 459,00€. That’s right, we’re looking at a drop of over 100 euro per unit. The 1 TB OLED Steam Deck, on the other hand, costs 679,00€ factory-new, while the refurbished model comes in at a lovely 549,00€. Talk about savings!

And if you’re worried about losing out on goodies that you get with a brand-spanking-new Steam Deck, don’t be. Every single Valve Certified Refurbished device comes with:

• A full one-year warranty package (equivalent to that of a factory-new Steam Deck)
• A refurbished power supply that’s been fully tested, but may have cosmetic blemishes.
• The usual carrying case and quick-start guide package.

It’s an excellent deal, in other words. You only have to be okay with getting a potentially slightly scuffed Deck, though I’d like to point out that this doesn’t seem to be a huge concern. Users have reported getting devices that look essentially brand new, so you should be good to go, too.

One thing worth pointing out is that refurbished LCD Steam Decks are fully out of stock as it stands, and it’ll be curious to see if they do get re-stocked in the end. Remember: only the 256 GB LCD model is now sold, with the rest of the spectrum covered by the higher-grade OLED Decks.

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