Valve has now started offering what it calls “Certified Refurbished” Steam Decks on its official site.
We will defer to Valve themselves to explain what Certified Refurbished Steam Decks are, as they have described it on their own website:
“Each Certified Refurbished Steam Deck has been thoroughly tested to the same high standards as our retail units. Every device goes through a complete factory reset, software update, and an extensive examination involving over 100 tests at one of Valve’s facilities. Among the tests are all controller inputs, the audio system, the screen, and internals. Battery health is also assessed to ensure proper functionality and longevity.
All refurbished units meet or even exceed the performance standards of new retail units. Although they may have minor cosmetic blemishes, they provide a reliable, high-quality gaming experience at a lower cost.”
On the FAQ, however, Valve dispels any possible questions about what these units are:
“Certified Refurbished units are returned customer units that have been thoroughly cleaned and tested following the same testing process used for new units. There are no differences in technical or functional specifications between refurbished and new units, but there may be minor cosmetic defects.”
Valve has no doubt already seen a number of returns for their Steam Decks, and left them with consoles that they would prefer to resell again.
And so, as Valve claims, these refurbished Steam Decks straight from the manufacturer are practically the same as brand new Steam Decks in every way. The only difference is there could be blemishes and scratches on the casing, and they are selling them at considerably lower prices.
Valve did make it clear that they won’t be shipping Certified Refurbished Steam Deck units with any issues to the screen, and that they will offer the same warranties as those that brand new units will get.
There isn’t much else that we know about these units for now, as they have immediately sold out at the point Valve started offering them. There were clearly some Steam fans who were there to pounce on these deals the moment Valve offered them.
According to Video Games Chronicle, these were the prices offered for the Refurbished Steam Decks compared to brand new units:
64 GB model – $319 / was $399
256 GB model – $419 / was $529
512 GB model – $519 / was $649
You read that right. Those Certified Refurbished Steam Decks were as cheap or cheaper than Nintendo Switch SKUs. It’s as good a deal as you could get. Fans who can’t quite afford Steam Decks will want to check their website for when they gather enough returned units to sell these Certified Refurbished Steam Decks again.
