This white Steam Deck OLED is testing our self-control

Thursday at 09:07 AM

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Valve

It’s not a Steam Deck 2, but Valve announced that you can soon buy a new Steam Deck. The company is releasing a limited-edition white Steam Deck OLED just ahead of the holidays.

Valve revealed the new $679 handheld Monday night. Sure, it’s a bit pricey, but it only costs $30 more than the equivalent Steam Deck OLED 1TB model. Valve says it’ll have all the same specs as the top-tier 1TB version, with up to a 90Hz refresh rate, an HDR OLED display, and a 50 watt-hour battery. The only difference is that it comes in a new color. It even comes with its own white carrying case and white microfiber cloth.

The Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White will go on sale at 3 p.m. PT on November 18 in all regions where the Steam Deck currently ships. The only restrictions will be that you can only buy one per account and you need to have made a Steam purchase with your account before November. Valve will only be manufacturing limited quantities, so this buying period will be the only chance to get the Steam Deck OLED in white. If it sells out, it’s gone forever.

Valve told Eurogamer, however, that depending on feedback, this experiment might “inform future decisions about any potential new color variants down the line.”

This marks the second time that Valve has strayed beyond the Steam Deck’s original design. It’s good for what it is — large, but surprisingly practical with a decently sized screen — but the black color is bland. There are skins out there and even a couple cases you can use to change things up, but in the end, you’re just playing PC games with a clunky black box.

The white is just nice too. It has this gray tint that keeps things subtle, but also evokes a more nostalgic console design, like the recent PlayStation 5 Pro.

Valve also released a limited-edition translucent 1TB Steam Deck OLED last year (almost exactly a year ago, actually) that also sells for $679.