Forget Nintendo Switch 2 — get the LCD Steam Deck for $80 off right now

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This sale slashes 20% off one of the best gaming handhelds

Steam Deck
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The best handheld gaming consoles are very popular with gamers, but these machines have become more expensive over the past year. Thankfully, the device that kicked off the current handheld craze is currently on sale for a nice discount.

Right now, you can buy the LCD Steam Deck for $319 on Steam. This model usually sells for $399, which is itself a great price, but getting it for $80 off just makes it more enticing. I’ve been championing the Steam Deck since it launched, so this is an easy recommendation for me to make. Here’s why you should buy the LCD Steam Deck.

Valve Steam Deck
Valve Steam Deck: was $399 now $319

The Valve Steam Deck mostly delivers on its promise of allowing you to play PC games on the go. While it has been outclassed by some of its rivals, it's still a great system for this price. This entry-level model packs a 7-inch LDC screen, a custom AMD APU, 16GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage.

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The LCD Steam Deck used to be the middle-tier model when the handheld launched, but it’s now the entry-level system. This is the same version I originally purchased, and despite its older components, it’s still a solid device for playing the best PC games.

Like I said in my Steam Deck review, this handheld feels great to play thanks to its balanced weight and comfortable controller layout. Games look fantastic on its 7-inch LCD screen and sound equally as good thanks to the surprisingly punchy speakers.

Inside, this Steam Deck packs an older AMD Zen 2 “Van Gogh” APU, 16GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. This can’t compete with the best gaming laptops or best gaming PCs, but it’s enough to play many games at decent frame rates, especially if they’re optimized for SteamOS.

The only downside of the Steam Deck is that it’s not compatible with every single PC game you might own. Sure, there are hundreds of compatible titles for you to enjoy, but there are also many that aren’t optimized or cannot run on the handheld. Thankfully, there are a greater number of Steam Deck-verified games now than at launch.

I’m a big fan of the Steam Deck, and this LCD model is a fine choice if you’re looking to get into handheld gaming without destroying your bank account. I’m not sure how long this deal will last, so I urge you to act now before it ends.

Tony Polanco
Tony Polanco
Senior Computing Writer

Tony is a computing writer at Tom’s Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending too much time on X/Twitter. His non-nerdy pursuits involve attending Hard Rock/Heavy Metal concerts and going to NYC bars with friends and colleagues. His work has appeared in publications such as Laptop Mag, PC Mag, and various independent gaming sites.

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