Considering the higher cost comes with better specifications at least makes this different from the usual arbitrary price hike we see these days, but it's not not pleasant to see a mandatory $150 increase.
this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2025
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And the $550 is the same price that model already was. That price has not changed since it launched.
Right, yeah. Seems more like they're just not making the older model at all, probably haven't been for a while, and now the stock has run out.
The OG Steam Deck 256GB launched at a price of US$529 so it was clearance pricing, more or less. (The 64GB launched at $399).
$399 was a sale price....
The $399 model was a steal especially if you swapped out the 64GB eMMC with a 1TB NVMe yourself. Shame the price point couldn't last.
The 399 model has been 256 GB NVMe since the OLED version launched.
I bought my model before the OLEDs came out 3 years ago. Should've waited a little longer to get one with the nicer screen but I don't regret it.
Hmph, I assumed a cheaper oled model would be introduced, or maybe hold off until whatever new version they release
until whatever new version they release
I suspect it will be a while before we see Steam Deck 2.0. The Steam Deck is plenty strong for what it needs to be, and the AI bubble means components are not inexpensive.
Also, for anyone who doesn’t know, if you have a gaming PC you can install Moonlight on your Deck and Apollo (or Sunshine) on your PC and stream the PC to the Deck. As long as you have WiFi 6 or 6e you should have minimal latency, and you can get significantly better graphics and battery life on the Deck. Really makes gaming in bed or on the couch even better!
Steam also has a built-in streaming feature that doesn't require any additional software.
Yep! And Steam Link is fine, but Moonlight/Apollo gives you more options and, in my experience, better quality.
So for example I can tell Moonlight to have Apollo send 1440p to the Steam Deck, so that after chroma subsampling I still end up with an entirely unique pixel for each on the Deck. That alone makes things look more crisp. I can also have Apollo set up such that my PC uses Moonlight as the only display when I’m using it.
(There are far more options I haven’t really dug into.)
Does that cause problems with rendering small text?
I haven’t noticed any, but maybe? Very fine details can get combined, so it’s possible. But I’ve been playing Diablo 4 that way recently and haven’t complained.
after chroma subsampling
Cool info, but I'm not sure about this part. Do you mean downsampling instead? Because chroma subsampling doesn't make sense in this context.
In 4:2:2 subsampling (or lower), information is lost. It’s not much information, but if I’m streaming 1280x800 or 1280x720, each pixel is partial defined by the ones around it.
If I stream 2560x1440, when reduced to 1280x720 each pixel is the combination of those 4 subsampled pixels. Meaning each individual pixel is independent from its neighbors.
It doesn’t sound like it should mean much, and maybe I’m wrong entirely about the reason for the lower detail when streaming 1280x800, but the difference was apparent to me (at least when I tested it with Cyberpunk 2077). I could very well be wrong, I’m not an expert. There could be other causes. But either way streaming at 1440p looks better on the 1280x800 screen than streaming 1280x800. (Except with 1440p the aspect ratio means small black bars at top and bottom).
Now that I think about it, I might be able to turn off the subsampling in the stream. Might be a good way to test it if I can.
The new generation of consoles is probably coming in the next 2 years or so, I imagine that they will refresh soon after that since new consoles tend to bump up minimum game specs.
And if you DON'T have a steam deck but have a decent smartphone, a razer kishi or similar provides a great comparable budget setup. I use moonlight and a Kishi 2 with my Pixel 6 and it's a great couch/bed experience over wifi.
I use it with my Xbox to have 4K PC gaming on my TV downstairs. Ethernet means lower latency between the Xbox and PC than between the Xbox and its own controller. 🤣 It’s pretty remarkable.
IMO next major sale they do a decent discount on the low end OLED and even if they sell at minimal profits that's ecosystem lock-in and a boost for Linux in the household.
By the sound of it, it was minimal profit at base price, and while things should get cheaper to manufacture and sell over time, hardware prices are rapidly increasing. I wouldn't be suprised if they need to increase their prices to break even, going forward - esspecially given that if its too cheap, buisness or industry customers might start buying it.
Question to those that use it: Don't you get your arms and/or neck tired playing? I only used smaller handheld consoles in the past and I can't imagine myself holding this around for an hour.
No, it's very comfortable to hold actually. My Switch Lite feels cramped by comparison.
Its harder on the back-neck than something like a GBA, but compared to the switch, it isn't night-and-day. With basically anything larger than a phone, you're probably going to be resting it on your knees or a table anyway.
No more than when using any other handheld device. It's more comfortable than the switch because the joycon button layout is too compact.
I plop on my couch and put a throw pillow on my lap and put the Steam Deck on the pillow. So I'm not really holding it. My arms do still get tired, but only after playing for hours at which point I should probably take a break anyway.
Definitely much heavier than something like a Switch. It's not something I would use while standing on a train like I would with the Switch. I only ever play with it seated and have it laying on top of my bag on my lap.
I would love it if they had one similar to the Switch Lite's size but that seems pretty impossible with the current chipset.
I am almost always resting my arms when I'm playing on the steam deck. It's not mandatory but it's just more comfortable in general.
They don't get tired but I have inadvertently given myself Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. Numb Pinky, and Ring Finger from leaning too much on my elbows playing. Think Funny Bone except it happens without an injury, and it doesn't go away immediately.
No
Huh. Guess I'm not getting a steam deck. Bummer.
This has been out for years at that price. I understand you might have been saving to buy one but otherwise there been plenty of time to get one.
You should be able to find secondhand LCD models for less than retail price.
If you haven't bought one yet you wouldn't. They were on clearance for a while.