To make its Steam Deck more accessible, Valve has aligned itself with certain players in the high-tech market and now offers refurbished and certified devices. This initiative brings down the price of the three models.
More than 100 tests would be performed to ensure that the Steam Deck works properly.
Valve bets on durability and opts for refurbished
The Steam Deck has managed to carve out a place for itself in the still under construction market of PCs with the ergonomics of a portable console. Valve presented its machine as easily repairable thanks to a partnership with iFixit, but the company is now taking the idea a step further.
Without telling anyone, Valve announced and made available fully refurbished Steam Decks. These PCs/consoles have been returned by some buyers and have been tested before being relisted. The company claims to pass copies of a hundred exams, and ensures that it only puts Steam Decks back on sale that have passed all the tests, and whose problems have been corrected.
” Any Certified Refurbished Steam Deck has been duly reviewed and meets the same quality standards as any new Steam Deck. […]. Every device goes through a full factory reset, software update, and a thorough review that includes over 100 tests. »
Significant price drops
This reconditioning certainly makes it possible to reduce Valve’s carbon footprint, but also to considerably lower the acquisition price. The model with 64 GB (eMMC) of memory goes from 419 to 339 euros (SSD NVMe), the 256 GB version (SSD NVme) goes from 549 to 439 euros, while the most expensive version, with 512 GB from memory, sees its price drop from 679 euros to 539 euros.
Valve specifies that any Certified Refurbished Steam Deck comes with a one-year warranty, a refurbished and tested power supply, and a carrying case along with the Quick Start Guide. Anyway, the initiative is applauded, and we imagine that some people interested in the device will take the plunge.
Officially launched in February 2022, the Steam Deck allows classic users to enjoy their PC toy library everywhere (provided they have enough to recharge the battery) and hackers to have a little fun. Its success is significant, since estimates point to more than a million copies sold. Updates are regular, and we can hope that new models will be offered in the future.
Source : Engadget
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