Valve starts selling certified refurbished Steam Deck for just $279

Even though the market has many powerful gaming handhelds, the Valve Steam Deck is still good for what it brings to the table. Of course, when considering the current starting price of $349, the little expensive Ryzen Z1 Asus ROG Ally with discounts stands as a much better purchase, at least on paper. But now that Valve has slashed the prices of the certified refurbished options, the handheld is worth a second look.

The good part about this is that you can score it directly from Valve. That also means you will be getting a reliable one-year warranty, just like what you would get if you were to purchase the handheld gaming PC in its pristine form. As for the prices, they are much better than what you would need to pay for a new unit.

To be specific, the base model of a refurbished Valve Steam Deck starts at $279, a generous $70 discount from what the new unit goes for. However, the biggest saving is on the refurbished 512 GB model, which you can grab for just $359. To compare, a new 512 GB model would cost you $449, so it's a whopping $90 savings for the refurbished unit.

Now, it's normal to be skeptical about a refurbished device. But Valve has assured that the company has thoroughly tested each Steam Deck model. The company also says that they all meet the same performance standards as their new counterparts. Even the battery's health is checked to ensure "proper functionality and longevity."

However, note that the refurbished gaming handhelds could have small cosmetic blemishes. But that's an easy fix, as you can easily hide them with a wrap or a protective case (such as this one from Amazon that's curr. $18.99). Yet, if you want a new gaming handheld that won't break the bank, you should consider the Asus ROG Ally with Ryzen Z1 when it's discounted below the regular price, as it has a little better specs than the base Steam Deck. Speaking of it going on sale, it's currently available on Best Buy for $399.99.

Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.