If you’ve always been tempted to pick up a Steam Deck, now could be the time, with Valve discounting the handheld gaming PC for Black Friday. There is a bit of a caveat in that only the 256GB LCD model is on sale, down from $399 to $312.20, so you’re out of luck if you want the OLED version, but it still makes the LCD handheld a pretty tempting proposition for those who have waited on a price cut. As one of the top picks from our guide to the best handheld consoles, we’re big fans of the Steam Deck at Pocket Tactics. It might be slightly older than a lot of the new alternatives, including the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally, but thanks to its reliable battery life, more than capable performance, and easy-to-use SteamOS software, it still feels great to use in 2025. In our original Steam Deck review, we awarded the handheld a stellar 9/10 score, highlighting its “huge amounts of processing power” and layout. A couple of years later, the device has only gotten more impressive; thanks to some updates, the latest of which finally enables you to download games while in sleep mode. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that the Valve handheld continues to lead the market, and none of the recent Steam Deck alternatives look like they’re threatening to dethrone the device.
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