Apparently the new annual tradition from Valve is to release a limited edition Steam Deck OLED just in time for the holidays.
Last year it was a transparent handheld console. This year one of the best handheld gaming consoles is getting a white variant. The pale new deck will cost you $679, $30 more than the 1TB version of the normal Steam Deck. It features the same specs as the 1TB version, including the 7.4-inch OLED display, though this version will arrive with a couple of different accessories.
The white version gets its own white accessories, including a white carrying case and a white microfiber cleaning cloth, which is good since white consoles tend to truly show the grime as you use them.
Valve does say that the console will be limited to one per account. "These accounts must have made a Steam purchase before November 2024 and be in good standing to be eligible," Valve stipulated. The company announced that the limited-edition white variant will get worldwide shipping anywhere that Steam Decks are already available to be purchased.
It appears that Valve is using the response to the white Steam Deck as an experiment to see how people react to different colors. Valve called it the company's "second experiment along those lines" referring to last year's transparent deck.
"We're curious to see what the response is, and will use what we learn to inform future decisions about any potential new color variants down the line," Valve said.
The company added that it was "super happy" with the reception of the handheld console since the LCD version was released in 2022.
"We've always said our intent is to continually work on improving Steam Deck, and that's true from both a software perspective (continuing to ship improvements) and a hardware one (Steam Deck OLED, as well as ongoing work toward the future of Steam Deck and other hardware plans)," the press release went on.
As we noted in our review of the Steam Deck OLED, "The Steam Deck impresses thanks to its vibrant display, lighter design, faster Wi-Fi and improved cooling. The original model was great, but this latest iteration demonstrates that Valve can improve on perfection."
The new Steam Deck colorway will be available for purchase starting November 18 at 3 p.m. Pacific.
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