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Valve just officially kicked off Black Friday Steam Deck deals, as the 256GB LCD model is now 20% cheaper. Naturally, that's great news for anyone looking to scoop a handheld gaming PC for less than every current-gen console, but I'd personally use the discount to conjure up my own Steam Machine for under $400.
Okay, a big hear me out on this one, as I'm obviously aware that the Steam Deck LCD isn't on par with Valve's upcoming Steam Machine. The latter is a fully-fledged console alternative with 4K 60fps capabilities. But, if you're not too fussed about performance beyond 1080p on your TV and really just need a console alternative to plough through your Steam backlog and some indies, grabbing the gaming handheld while it's going for $319.20 makes complete sense.
If you buy the Steam Deck LCD on its own, you'll naturally have something that isn't very console-like. To transform it into what I'll call a DIY Steam Machine, all you really need to do is grab the right Steam Deck dock and a PC controller, as using the 20% off deal alongside other discounts will let you do just that for under $400.
Sounds like too much work? Oh, darling, I already have some picks for you with Black Friday discounts. I've tested these accessories with the Steam Deck OLED and LCD versions, so I'd say they're the cream of the crop:
I want to point out a few natural caveats to using a Steam Deck as a DIY Steam Machine, as they're not all related to raw performance. Yes, you'll be lucky if you hit 1080p 60fps in new games with a setup like this, never mind 4K like Valve's new box, but you'll also have half the storage by default since the handheld has 256GB. That's easily remedied by picking up a microSD card or even modding the portable with a SSD like the WD Black SN770M (it happens to be $79.99 at Amazon right now), but that will take you well over the $500 mark.
The other drawback ties to using most PC controllers out there with the Steam Deck, as you'll be missing out on the new Steam Controller's trackpads and gyro. You could pick up the HORIPAD for Steam and gain back the latter perk, but I'd probably just wait for the real deal if you really need handheld gamepad features.
Those aside, I'd say putting your own Steam Machine together using the handheld makes for a nice way to try Valve's living room console experience. If you find that you love the features and functionality of SteamOS, but need a bit more horsepower, it means the black box will be for you when it arrives. Keep in mind that we have no idea how much it will cost yet, and if it's pretty expensive, I'd absolutely explore alternatives before eventually splurging.
- More Steam Deck accessories at Amazon
- More gaming handhelds at Best Buy
Still got savings on your mind? Swing by Black Friday Retro deals for classic consoles, handhelds, and accessories. Or, if you're in the market for a screen, check out Black Friday gaming monitor deals and Black Friday 120Hz 4K TV deals for excellent panel price cuts.
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