Steam Decks are on sale for Steam's 20th birthday

Vampire Survivors on the Steam Deck outside

(Image credit: Future)

All three Steam Deck models have joined Steam's 20th Anniversary sale, marking the third time Valve's handheld PCs have gone on sale—the first was back in March, and the second during the Steam Summer Sale a few months ago.

It's the same discount as last time: 20% off the 512GB version, which brings it to $519.20 ($129.80 off). That's the same price as one of Valve's certified refurbished 512GB Steam Decks, which are sold out at the moment. The 256GB and 64GB versions have received smaller 15% and 10% discounts for this sale, respectively.

The Steam Deck is best for games with medium-to-low hardware demands, but it's a surprisingly capable little gaming PC. It doesn't run great, but you can get Starfield working on the Steam Deck if you want, and Baldur's Gate 3 is fully Steam Deck Verified. While I stubbornly remain a desk-only gamer, every Steam Deck owner I know is happy to have one. Last year, Jacob said that he only understood the Steam Deck's appeal after owning one, and Wes gave the device an 85% in his review.

Steam's 20th Anniversary Celebration (the service launched on September 12, 2003) has also dropped prices on a bunch of games, including most of Valve's games. Earlier this week I noted that the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, which includes all three RPGs, is at its lowest price yet, in case Starfield's got you in the mood for more final frontier roleplaying. That should run well on a Steam Deck, too.

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.