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Valve slashes the price of a Steam Deck to less than £280 this Black Friday
It's not common to see discounts on this popular gaming handheld, but you can snag one for 20% off until 1 December.
This is a nifty little device for gaming on the go. It runs a custom operating system that is integrated with Steam so you can play thousands of games with free online play, big seasonal sales, and much more.
Right now, you can bag this bargain direct from Valve for £279.20. Read on to see our advice on whether picking up this handheld is worth your money.
Want to make the most of the Black Friday sales? Take a look at our picks on the best Black Friday deals and read our expert advice.
Best Steam Deck Black Friday deal
Steam Deck 256GB LCD
Average price in the past six months: £349. Cheapest price in the past six months: £279.20
Pick up this bargain direct from Valve (£279.20).
We like: Significantly cheaper than other handheld PCs
Watch out for: OLED model not on sale
While you could pick up something like the ROG Xbox Ally or a handheld PC from Lenovo, the Steam Deck is significantly cheaper than both. It doesn't have as beefy specs under the hood, but it can still manage quite a few games – including newer titles.
The model on sale has a 256GB internal SSD, but you can add a micro SD card to expand your gaming storage. Just know that only the LCD model has a discount. You'll still need to shell out an extra £200 if you want an OLED model.
It's on sale until 1 December, which is when Steam's Black Friday sale ends.
A Steam Deck is a great gift, but our experts have other, cheaper choices in our guide on the best Christmas gifts for gamers.
Will the OLED model go on sale?
Sadly, we can't say for certain. We've only ever seen discounts on the cheaper LCD version of the Steam Deck.
If you're after either the 512GB or 1TB Steam Deck OLEDs, they'll cost £479 and £569 respectively.
Should you buy a Steam Deck, or a different handheld PC?
While the LCD Steam Deck is perhaps the most budget-friendly handheld PC, you can compare specs on popular models below to see what's best for you.
| Spec / console | Steam Deck LCD (256GB) | Steam Deck OLED (512GB model) | ROG Xbox Ally | ROG Ally X (2024) | Lenovo Legion Go S (base model) | MSI Claw 8 AI+ |
| Processor | AMD Zen 2 | AMD Zen 2 'Van Gogh' | AMD Ryzen Z2 A | AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme | AMD Ryzen Z2 GO | Intel Core Ultra 7 (Series 2) |
| Ram | 16GB | 16GB | 16GB | 24GB | 16GB | 32GB |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon graphics | AMD Radeon graphics | AMD Radeon graphics | AMD Radeon graphics | AMD Radeon graphics | Intel Arc graphics |
| Screen | 7-inch LCD screen | 7.4-inch OLED screen | 7-inch LCD screen | 7-inch LCD screen | 8-inch LCD screen | 8-inch LCD screen |
| Resolution and refresh rate | 1,280 x 800 at 60Hz | 1,280 x 800 at 90Hz | 1,920 x 1,080 at 120Hz | 1,920 x 1,080 at 120Hz | 1,920 x 1,200 at 120Hz | 1,920 x 1,200 at 120Hz |
| Storage | 256GB SSD (expandable with micro-SD) | 512GB SSD (expandable with micro-SD) | 512GB SSD (expandable with micro-SD) | 1TB SSD (expandable with micro-SD) | 1TB SSD (expandable with micro-SD) | 1TB SSD (expandable with micro-SD) |
| Operating system | SteamOS 3 | SteamOS 3 | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | SteamOS or Windows 11 models available | Windows 11 Home |
| Battery Size | 40Wh | 50Wh | 60Wh | 80Wh | 55.5Wh | 80Wh |
| Weight | 669g | 640g | 670g | 678g | 730g | 795g |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 11.7 x 29.8 x 4.9cm | 11.7 x 29.8 x 4.9cm | 11 x 28 x 3.2cm | 11 x 28 x 3.7cm | 12.7 x 29.9 x 2.2cm | 12.6 x 299 x 2.4cm |
| Price | Steam (£279.20) | Steam(£479) | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50022728 | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50021626 | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50021628 | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50021627 |
Think you'd prefer a Switch 2? Here's where you can find Nintendo Switch 2 stock in the UK – including the best prices on bundles and more.
What can you play on a Steam Deck?
You can play thousands of games on the Steam Deck directly using the integrated SteamOS software that comes with the handheld. Most games available through Steam are (in theory) playable on the Steam Deck. However, this may take some tweaking with controls, or you may need to connect an external keyboard and mouse to the console to play some games.
It’s pretty impressive for such a small device – it can play some fairly graphically intense games too (albeit at the lowest graphical settings). However, just know that not every game is going to run as smoothly or look as good as it might on a PS5, Xbox, or dedicated gaming PC.
What other consoles are on sale this Black Friday?
We've been watching sales from several retailers over the last few months, and while we've seen great bargains on some consoles – others haven't had many deals.
Overall, the best deal is on the digital-only version of the PS5 Slim – we saw it cheapest at EE (£280), but you can check out our roundup of the best PlayStation 5 Black Friday deals to learn more.
Xbox hasn't had any notable discounts (yet), but keep an eye on our best Black Friday Xbox deals. We'll update it with the best bargains whenever they're available.
Similarly, since the Nintendo Switch 2 launched earlier this year, we haven't seen massive discounts on the new console. That said, we've spotted some savings which we've highlighted on our coverage of the best Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals.
Looking for more bargains on games, consoles, and accessories this Black Friday? Check out our roundup of the best Black Friday gaming deals.
When is Black Friday?
Even though we're already seeing deals, some retailers only have their Black Friday sales over the weekend.
This year, Black Friday weekend starts on 28 November. It'll end on Cyber Monday, which is on 1 December.
Prepare for the sales event and find out what to expect with our Black Friday 2025 expert advice.
