Somebody actually bought that $3,000 Steam Deck prototype off eBay, then they let a YouTuber crack it open to see what's inside

Prototype Steam Deck with rounded trackpads, blue accents, smaller analogue sticks on top of a wooden table.

Tech YouTuber Bringus Studios has published a 36-minute video analyzing, testing, and disassembling the prototype Steam Deck that sold on eBay in April. Bringus' analysis shows it to be a much less powerful device than what we ultimately got, but surprisingly close to the retail unit in terms of layout.

Though Bringus Studios published the teardown and performance assessment, fellow video-maker SadlyItsBradley was the device's deep-pocketed purchaser, lending it to Bringus for the video. There's no doubt as to the prototype's legitimacy: Externally, it's a perfect match for a prototype model showcased by Valve programmer Pierre-Loup Griffais back in 2022⁠—the lead image for this article is from Griffais' showcase—and its unique software would be almost impossible to fake.