Steam Deck returns to $359 price
Steam is celebrating its 20th anniversary by offering their first handheld at a reduced price.
The Steam Deck has undergone multiple price adjustments this year. It was previously available for just $359 on two occasions, in both March and June during the Summer Sales event. Now, almost three months later, Valve is once again reducing the price of their AMD-powered console to the same enticing figure.
Initially, the Steam Deck was launched with three different price points: $399 for the 64GB model, $529 for the 256GB variant, and $649 for the 512GB version. In celebration of Steam’s 20th anniversary, the Deck’s price is being slashed to $359.10, $449.96, and $519.20, respectively, representing discounts of 10%, 15%, and 20%.
One might argue that it would seem logical to either permanently reduce the price or at least the same percentage-based discounts across the entire lineup during promotional events, but this isn’t the current approach.
Steam Deck price as of September 14, 2023; Source: Steam
It’s worth noting that the Steam Deck faces minimal competition in the $300-$400 handheld gaming space. While devices like the ROG Ally and the upcoming Lenovo Legion are premium Windows-based handhelds boasting more powerful AMD hardware, they are priced significantly higher. Although the appeal of the Steam Deck’s 512GB variant may have diminished somewhat, the $359 option is likely to remain popular. There may be some changes on the horizon when ASUS releases its Ryzen Z1 non-Extreme model, expected to be priced at $599. However, this is still notably more expensive than the Steam Deck.
Nonetheless, the Steam Deck is expected to remain a top choice for handheld gaming, especially given its regular promotions on the Steam platform, which occur every 3–4 months.
Source: Steam
