Rare Steam Deck Prototype with 6-Year-Old AMD Picasso APU Sold for $2,000 on eBay

In the world of gaming electronics, it’s no surprise that engineering samples of popular consoles or accessories can command sky-high prices. Recently, a prototype of the Steam Deck popped up on eBay, catching the eye of a keen r/SteamDeck user.

Initially tagged at $3,000, this fascinating prototype eventually changed hands for $2,000. For those familiar with Valve’s past insights, the prototype bears a striking similarity, sporting an AMD APU with Picasso silicon from 2019. Known internally as “Engineering Sample 34,” this prototype stands out with its unique touches: blue highlights, an elegantly curved design, circular trackpads, and an intriguing sensor on the right joystick.

The back sports a sticker boldly warning “Not for resale,” though clearly, this wasn’t enough to deter the resourceful seller.

Valve produced numerous engineering samples during its design phase for internal purposes, so pinning down the exact age of this model is tricky. But, since it uses an older APU, it likely parallels early mechanical tests before finalizing the retail specs, suggesting a 2019 or 2020 creation date.

Interestingly, the seller pointed out that the prototype doesn’t have an operating system installed, specifically SteamOS. Notebookcheck managed to grab some BIOS images that reveal a few key specs. These show that Valve was experimenting with an AMD Picasso (Ryzen 3000 mobile) chip, designed with up to four Zen+ cores and a GCN 5.0 (Vega 3/8/11) integrated GPU. The differences in architecture bring a notable gap in performance compared to the retail Steam Decks.

Additionally, the prototype’s components include 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, smaller than today’s models which sport 16GB and 512GB, not considering the 64GB eMMC option. It’s a far cry from the capabilities of AMD’s Aerith and Sephiroth APUs in retail units.

Now, the anticipation builds around the prototype’s new owner. If it’s a tech reviewer or hardware analyst, we can hope for an insightful dive into this custom Picasso chip, shedding light on the evolutionary journey of the Steam Deck’s design. Of course, if it lands in the hands of a collector, it might quietly find its place in a prized collection.

In a forward glance, Valve has hinted that any Steam Deck successor will be on hold until more advanced processors hit the scene, leaving fans eagerly waiting.