Summary

  • Valve is discontinuing the Steam Deck LCD; current stock is the final run.
  • The $399 LCD was the budget entry vs $549 OLED, making handheld gaming more accessible.
  • A sad loss for beginner-friendly handhelds - hope Valve offers a new affordable model.

While the original LCD Steam Deck may not have been the best handheld console on the market, it was a very affordable choice for people who couldn't shell out for the OLED ones. While the Steam Deck LCD sits at $399, the cheapest OLED model is $549. That's a good chunk of change that may decide whether someone can or cannot afford one.

Unfortunately, it seems that Valve is no longer interested in keeping the LCD version around. The company has announced that the LCD models that it has in stock right now are the last that it will ever sell, so if you want one, now's the time to grab it.

Valve is discontinuing the Steam Deck LCD, but there are still some more in stock

Once they're gone, they're gone

The Steam Deck with Tunic on it

If you head over to the official Steam Deck page, you'll see the 256GB LCD model sitting alongside the two OLED versions. Right now, they're all in stock, but underneath the listings is this ominous message:

Note: We are no longer producing the Steam Deck LCD 256GB model. Once sold out, it will no longer be available.

So, why is Valve scrapping its cheaper entry into the Steam Deck family? Valve doesn't explain, but there could be a few different reasons. There's a chance that the LCD tech is beginning to peter out, meaning that Valve is essentially cleaning out the last of its LCD screen stock before it continues with its OLED offerings. There's also a chance that the recent RAM shortage has something to do with it, albeit I'm not sure why Valve would cancel the LCD instead of just labelling it out of stock until it gets more in.

Regardless of Valve's reasonings, it's a sad day for handheld gaming enthusiasts. The Steam Deck LCD was the perfect recommendation for people who wanted to give handheld gaming a shot, but weren't sure if they wanted to go all-in. It was cheap, it officially supported Steam, and it came with the excellent SteamOS all set up and ready to go. Here's hoping Valve finds a way to introduce a new beginner-friendly model, potentially with an OLED screen.