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Steam Deck Prototype Sold for Thousands of Dollars

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On April 10, 2025

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Summary

A Steam Deck prototype sold for $2000 on eBay, resembling the final product with slight differences.
Gaming device prototypes, like the Nintendo PlayStation, often hold value for collectors.
Steam Deck fans are intrigued by the glimpse into the development history of the device.

A sale recently closed on what looks to be an early Steam Deck prototype, netting $2000 for the seller. Steam Deck prototypes have been seen by the public before, but finding one for sale is a different matter entirely.

Gaming prototype devices have had a way of changing hands until they appear for sale on auction sites and the like. One recent example is a Nintendo GameCube prototype that was shown at Space World 2000, the now-defunct Nintendo showcase, which appeared on eBay for $100,000.

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Now, an eagle-eyed Valve fan called Gary_the_mememachine has spotted what’s allegedly a Steam Deck prototype that sold on eBay on April 8. The prototype bears a strong resemblance to the finished product, albeit with some differences, like raised round touchpads instead of the square touchpads on the official Steam Deck, differently shaped buttons, and two of the face buttons being blue instead of black. A plate on the back of the Steam Deck refers to it as “engineering sample 34.” Unfortunately, the Steam Deck prototype isn’t in the greatest condition, with some notable scuffs, a loose touchpad, and it lacks an OS. The seller originally listed the item for $3000, but settled for an offer for $2000. It’s likely the device would have sold for more if it had been in better shape.

Steam Deck Prototype Matches Early Images from Valve

Many fans have been excited to see this older version of a Steam Deck, with some hoping that it was purchased by someone who will reveal more about the device with the community at large. Others have expressed some suspicion as to whether it’s actually legitimate. However, the device strongly resembles a design in an official image of the early Steam Deck prototypes revealed by Valve. It’s not clear how the device ended up in the seller’s hands, but it’s likely to be an interesting bit of the Steam Deck’s development history.

Prototype gaming systems always intrigue fans due to their limited nature and the discoveries that can be made regarding the design process. Game consoles tend to go through major shifts in development from their original concepts to official releases. While this Steam Deck prototype has strong similarities to the final product, some console prototypes never see an official launch. One of the most iconic examples among them is the Super NES CD-ROM, aka the Nintendo PlayStation, which sold at auction for $360,000. The unique device was an early collaboration between Nintendo and Sony, but things fell through, and Sony ended up creating its own console in the form of the original PlayStation.