Valve just made the Steam Deck OLED a much harder sell, thanks to its updated pricing. The hardest part to ignore is that the hardware itself has not changed. This is still the same Steam Deck OLED, only now it comes with a much higher price tag.
That does not suddenly make the Steam Deck OLED a bad handheld. Far from it. SteamOS is still fantastic, suspend and resume is still one of the best features on any gaming handheld, and the overall experience remains much cleaner than most Windows-based handheld PCs.
But price changes the conversation.
At $549 and $649, the Steam Deck OLED was easy to recommend. At $789 and $949, buyers have every reason to start looking elsewhere, especially when the goal is saving money.
So instead of throwing every expensive handheld PC into the mix, let’s keep this simple. For those looking for a SteamOS alternative, there is one device that makes the most sense. For those looking for a cheaper Windows alternative, there is also a clear pick that can save a lot of money compared to Valve’s new pricing. And for players who want something with a much bigger screen, there is another...
