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

When it comes to gaming consoles and accessories, particularly those with widespread popularity, any engineering samples that slip into the public domain can command steep prices. Recently, a keen-eyed Redditor from the SteamDeck community noticed that a Steam Deck prototype was being sold on eBay.

This specific prototype, quite similar to the ones Valve has previously showcased, features an AMD APU with Picasso silicon dating back to 2019. Originally listed for a whopping $3,000, it eventually went for $2,000—a considerable sum, but clearly a bargain since it entices collectors and enthusiasts alike.

Dubbed “Engineering Sample 34,” this prototype isn’t your typical Steam Deck. It’s characterized by distinct blue highlights, an elegantly curved design, circular trackpads, and what seems to be a unique sensor placed on the right joystick.

The back cover, interestingly enough, flaunts a sticker that blatantly reads “Not for resale.” That didn’t seem to deter the enterprising seller from parting ways with it.

During the developmental stages, Valve crafted numerous samples for their internal evaluations, making it difficult to assert the precise vintage of this model. However, the incorporation of an older APU hints that this piece was likely made to explore mechanical attributes before finalizing the retail version, suggesting it dates back to 2019 or even 2020.

The seller indicated that the prototype lacks an operating system, specifically SteamOS. Fortunately, images snapped by Notebookcheck of the BIOS from the eBay listing reveal that Valve experimented with a Picasso chip (from AMD’s Ryzen 3000 mobile series), equipped with up to four Zen+ cores and a GCN 5.0-based integrated GPU. These architectural nuances mean that the performance of this prototype substantially lags behind modern retail Steam Decks.

Moreover, its specs include 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, noticeably less than the 16GB and 512GB found in current models, unless, of course, you’re considering the 64GB eMMC version. Today’s AMD’s Aerith and Sephiroth APUs would far outperform this setup.

The identity of the buyer remains shrouded in mystery. Should this buyer turn out to be a tech reviewer or hardware analyst, we could anticipate comprehensive insights about this unique Picasso chip and the evolutionary design journey of the Steam Deck. Conversely, if it lands with a collector, it might simply disappear into a private collection.

Meanwhile, Valve has stated that those awaiting a new iteration of the Steam Deck need to exercise patience, as significant processor advancements are required before any successor makes its debut.