Steam Deck HQ Lists 24 Free Games, Led by River City Girls 2 and LONESTAR

Q: With Steam Deck prices soaring up to 46%, is the dream of affordable handheld PC gaming already over?

No. Affordable handheld PC gaming is under pressure, but it is not over. Valve’s Steam Deck OLED has become much less affordable after price increases of roughly 44% to 46%, with the 512GB model now at $789 and the 1TB version at $949. That clearly weakens the Steam Deck’s original role as the budget-friendly handheld that helped popularize the category. The main reason is not unique to Valve: DRAM and NAND prices have surged amid global shortages and AI-driven demand, pushing up costs across the hardware market. Even so, the broader picture is more mixed than fatal. The Steam Deck still offers strong value relative to many rivals, several of which are already near or above $1,000. Refurbished Steam Decks remain a cheaper entry point, and lower-cost alternatives such as the $599 Asus ROG Xbox Ally and some Lenovo models show that sub-$800 handheld PC gaming still exists, even if the best-known option is no longer cheap. The software side also helps preserve affordability. Steam Deck users can build large libraries at low cost through free weekly offers from Epic, Prime Gaming, GOG and Steam, and tools like Heroic make those stores more usable on Steam Deck. Valve’s Proton has also expanded Linux compatibility dramatically, helping users get more value from one device over a longer lifespan. So the dream has changed: it is less about buying a very cheap new Steam Deck, and more about finding value through refurbished hardware, competing devices, and low-cost game access.

1 articles · Updated · Steam Deck HQ · Jul 2

Steam Deck HQ’s July 2 roundup highlights 24 free-to-keep games and DLC for Steam Deck and other handheld users across Steam, Epic, GOG and Amazon Prime.
River City Girls 2 and I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream are free on Epic through July 9, while Amazon Prime’s featured giveaways include LONESTAR and Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga through Aug. 5.
The list also includes titles such as XCOM: Chimera Squad, Paradise Killer, Terraforming Mars and Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered, with many marked Verified or Playable on Steam Deck.
Most non-Steam offers require an Amazon Prime account or third-party launchers such as Heroic, and redemption windows range from July 8 to Sept. 23.
Steam Deck HQ said Epic and Amazon refresh freebies weekly, making the roundup part of its regular tracking of handheld-friendly game giveaways.