.png)
Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech.
Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he has been working with it and its sister website, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity topics.
Despite there being a ton of Steam Deck alternatives on the market now, the original PC gaming handheld from Valve is still very much worth a look. Sure, it may have a few more years on it than its competitors, but that doesn't mean it's useless. In fact, if you want to give handheld PC gaming a try but don't want to shell out a ton of money for a console, the LCD Steam Deck is a great first pick-up. Granted, it's not the most powerful or stylish handheld on the market, but at $399, it's one of the most affordable units out there.
At least, it's usually $399. If you grab it right now, you can score a cool 20% off, bringing the price all the way down to $319. However, you'll have to be quick, as the price reduction will go away in early October.
The Steam Deck is currently $319 as part of a Steam Sale
Over on the Steam store, the original Steam Deck LCD is currently 20% off for a limited time. It's worth noting that this discount does not apply to the OLED models, which are still quite a bit pricier than its older LCD brother. Regardless, it's still worth a look if you're interested in bringing your PC games wherever you go.
Here's how Valve describes the Steam Deck LCD on its store page:
- 1280 x 800 LCD display
- 7" Diagonal display size
- up to 60Hz refresh rate
- Wi-Fi 5
- 40Whr battery; 2-8 hours of gameplay (content-dependent)
- 45W Power supply with 1.5m cable
- Carrying case
- Steam profile bundle
The system specs also list out a Zen 2 4c/8t CPU, 8 RDNA 2 CUs for the GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. So, it's not the mightiest device on the market, but at this price, I'd say it's welll worth the cash. Just be sure you grab it before October 6th, when it'll return to its normal price once again.
Dimensions 11.7 x 4.6 x 1.9 inches (298 x 117 x 49mm)
Brand Valve
Weight 1.48 pounds (669 grams)
Chipset Custom AMD Zen 2-based processor (4 cores, 8 threads, up to 3.5GHz)
RAM 16GB LPDDR5 5600MHz
Storage Up to 512GB M.2 2230 SSD
Valve's first portable gaming PC, the Steam Deck, is one of the coolest handheld gaming consoles on the market, with a huge library of games to play and the ability to take them on the go.
English (US) ·