When it comes to console prototypes, especially those that capture mass attention, they often come with a hefty price tag if they pop up for sale. Just recently, an interesting Steam Deck prototype made its way to eBay and caught the eye of an alert Reddit user from the r/SteamDeck community.
This prototype closely resembles some images Valve has shared before, and is speculated to feature an AMD APU with Picasso silicon from back in 2019. Initially, it sported a $3,000 price tag, but it eventually found a new owner for $2,000, which seems like a bargain considering its rarity.
Known internally as “Engineering Sample 34,” this version of the Steam Deck boasts some unique design elements. Unlike the standard Steam Deck, it flaunts blue accents, a more pronounced curved design, circular trackpads, and what looks like a sensor located on the right joystick.
Interestingly, a “Not for resale” sticker is emblazoned on the back — but clearly, that didn’t deter the seller from finding a buyer.
During the developmental phase, Valve crafted numerous prototypes for testing purposes. Pinning down the exact age of this unit is tricky, but the older APU hints that it was likely used to explore mechanical design rather than performance specs, suggesting a timeframe around 2019 or 2020.
According to the seller, this prototype lacks an operating system like SteamOS. Pictures of the BIOS, captured by Notebookcheck, hint at several key details. For instance, it seems Valve was experimenting with an unnamed AMD Picasso (Ryzen 3000 mobile) chip, which features up to four Zen+ cores complemented by a GCN 5.0 (Vega 3/8/11) based integrated GPU. Compared to the specs in retail Steam Decks, this setup shows a noticeable performance gap.
Furthermore, this model’s 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD feel modest compared to the 16GB and 512GB configurations on sale today, not counting the smaller 64GB eMMC version. Running circles around this configuration are AMD’s Aerith and Sephiroth APUs.
Now the question is: who bought it? If it’s a reviewer or hardware enthusiast, we might see a deep dive into this custom Picasso chip, shedding light on how the Steam Deck evolved. Or perhaps a keen collector has tucked it away as a prized addition.
In any case, Valve has hinted that fans eager for a Steam Deck successor will need to hold on until more advanced processors come onto the scene.
