Yup, which is one of the reasons why I decided not to wait and got a laptop with Ryzen 6800HS, RDNA2 iGPU, RTX 3050 dGPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 14" 120Hz 3K (1920p) display with adaptive sync (FreeSync & G-Synch both work) for only a bit more than the AYANEO 2 with the same RAM/SSD. Not a powerhouse gaming rig but good enough for everything I play and low power consumption (under 50W) when I stick to the iGPU.
But if one insists on the handheld form factor the AYANEO 2 might be worth the price.
I’m finding eBay a little odd, when it comes to the Steam Deck. The 64Gb model has, over the last few weeks of looking, sold for MORE than ordering direct from Valve.
?
Around £10/£20 more. Eh? Madness. Even if it’s been opened and used for a little bit. The 256Gb and 512Gb versions are selling for less. Maybe it’s because people want to upgrade straight to 1tb?!
P.s. I want one, again.
I just noticed that third parties are selling them on Amazon now. At scalping prices, of course, the $399 64GB going from $479 to $899. 
And dang it, one thing led to another so I have the 64GB on order (from Steam of course) for the third time since the announcement. Reviews show Persona 5 Royal running wonderfully, Steam apparently having made agreements that get the DRM working on the Deck, and I have a spare 512GB SSD that will fit. I probably won’t cancel this time. It should take care of most of the games in my Steam library that won’t work via Crossover on my Mac because of DRM or other snags (SteamOS’ Proton modified WINE is simply more advanced & refined than WINECX, Codeweavers’ modified WINE, and will likely continue to be).
It’s the price of 26 months of Xbox Unlimited streaming, without the problem of not working well over an LTE cellular connection (and probably not working at all when I’m in the boonies volunteering at a National Park where the signal is poor). Not even mentioning the problem of limited data allotments before throttling and/or shutoffs.
After the Surface Laptop Studio, most any SSD upgrade would seem easy.
64GB eMMC to 512GB SSD swap successfully done. Re-imaged with SteamOS. A couple of games tested including Persona 5 Royal. Everything is good.
I had forgotten how convenient it can be to simply tap the power button to pause indefinitely and have it resume without issue with another press.
Some highlights:
It’s an impressive update. Not great about them gaslighting people over an updated version coming.
While the display was the biggest issue, I don’t think it necessarily makes them the obvious leader in PC gaming handhelds, especially by sticking with that APU.
While peak performance is not on par, 12W and lower, the Steam Deck is unrivaled and with this new die shrink, the gap is sure to widen. Meanwhile, RDNA3 is only 5-10% faster than RDNA3 and was quite underwhelming. My biggest issue with the other PC gaming handhelds is they fall into the trap of being mini gaming laptops with the biggest con: the power draw means they work only well wall hugging with a power adapter. The Steam Deck OLED is now widening the gap further and is the definite efficiency king in the numbers that Digital Foundry and LinusTechTips clearly showed. Being a handheld, Steam Deck fulfills what it is built for (playing on the go without a power adapter on battery power for a long duraction) and doesn’t fall into the age-old GameGear-trap (being stuck plugged in or chewing through battery) that its competitors are.
The only thing they missed was VRR. The Deck at low TDPs in 3D titles is where frame rates are going to fluctuate in that crucial 40-75 fps range, where VRR would have smoothed everything out.
Nonetheless no price increase is excellent, and highly-optimized FSR drivers might be able to pick up the slack.
