Here’s something odd. Over on eBay someone seems to have spent $2,000 on a Steam Deck prototype which was being sold on the auction site for $3,000.
As reported by SteamDeckHQ, Reddit user Gary_the_mememachine spotted a listing on eBay titled: “Early Valve Engineering 34 Prototype Steam Deck 256GB, Tested, Please Read!” The listing seems to now be lost in the backrooms of eBay’s vast and old network, but you can still find it via sites that use the digital auction house’s API.
It appears the device, which looks similar to a retail Steam Deck but with circular track pads and blue-colored triggers, was listed for $3,000 or best offer. Then on April 8, someone bought the device for $2,000, which the seller accepted. At the moment, that’s all we know. I reached out to Valve and the person who allegedly sold the Steam Deck prototype on eBay to see if I could learn more about the device or how it was acquired. I’ve yet to hear back from either party.
Looking at the photos posted to Reddit by user Gary_the_mememachine, the prototype Steam Deck is marked with a label on the back that says “Engineering Sample 34.” The front and back of the device are shaped differently than on a retail Steam Deck and its upgraded OLED model. It appears to be missing a right joystick, too. Oh, and the label on the back mentions that this alleged prototype isn’t meant to be sold. Oops!
SteamDeckHQ further reports that the seller claimed the prototype doesn’t have an OS installed and shared images of the device’s boot screen with more information about it.
Perhaps this is an elaborate fake. That’s possible. But I think a real Steam Deck prototype was just sold online and I’m curious how Valve feels about that.
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