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

When engineering samples of popular gaming hardware surface on the market, they often command quite a hefty price. Just recently, a prototype of the Steam Deck found its way onto eBay, drawing attention from eager buyers and those following developments on the r/SteamDeck subreddit.

Someone posted about a Steam Deck engineering prototype that was auctioned off on eBay, and it ended up selling for a hefty $3,000 before the price finally settled at $2,000. This device looks quite similar to images Valve has previously shared and reportedly sports an AMD APU from the Picasso lineup dating back to 2019.

Dubbed “Engineering Sample 34,” this prototype sports some unique features compared to the standard Steam Deck. You’ll notice blue accents, a more pronounced curved design, circular trackpads, and an unusual sensor on the right joystick. This back panel proudly sports a sticker alerting everyone it’s not for resale—but that didn’t seem to stop the seller.

Back when Steam Deck was just a glimmer in Valve’s eye, the company crafted numerous prototypes for testing. Although we can’t pin down its exact age, the presence of this older APU hints that this model was part of the mechanical testing phase before production specifications were finalized. It likely dates back to around 2019 or 2020.

Interestingly, the prototype apparently doesn’t have an OS, specifically SteamOS, already set up. Images captured by Notebookcheck from the BIOS listing provide insights into the specs, revealing that Valve had been experimenting with an unnamed AMD Picasso chip from the Ryzen 3000 mobile series. This chip includes up to four Zen+ cores and a GCN 5.0 (Vega 3/8/11) integrated GPU. The differences in architecture compared to today’s Steam Deck models translate into significant performance disparities.

Furthermore, this unit is equipped with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, much less than the configurations of current Steam Decks, which typically offer 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD—unless you grab the entry-level 64GB eMMC version. Modern APUs like AMD’s Aerith and Sephiroth would run laps around this setup.

As we wait to see who snagged this piece of gaming history, we’re left with a couple of scenarios. If acquired by a tech sleuth or a gaming hardware analyst, we might soon be treated to an analysis exploring how this early design morphed into the Steam Deck we know today. Or perhaps it’s now simply a coveted gem in a private collection.

Valve has hinted that a sequel to the Steam Deck won’t be dropping until more advanced processors hit the scene. So, while enthusiasts might be eager for the next big thing, patience is the name of the game—for now.