Steam Deck OLED

I've been quite vocal about how effective and complete the {Steam Deck} experience really is. Yes, there are still significant limitations to using Linux, such as compatibility issues with various anti-cheat solutions, or just the fact that some games, for any number of technical reasons, won't launch. But overall, Valve has managed to do exactly what the ROG Ally, Legion GO and various Ayaneo products have failed to do - combine meaningful hardware with cohesive software. In other words, you get the openness of the PC platform and the seamless console ecosystem in one place.

But while Valve selected exactly the right components for the first {Steam Deck}, it was also clear that there was room for improvement, and that improvement was introduced some time ago in the form of {Steam Deck OLED}, a new handheld that Valve insists is not a {Steam Deck} 2, but in many ways might as well be.

However, I might as well make it clear that I'm not going to go through many of the console's features in detail, as these are lifted directly from the original {Steam Deck}. You can read our review of the hardware here, and also our compatibility and any software limitations here.

Okay, so what are the key differences of the OLED model? Besides the obvious screen replacement, of course. Valve made it look like a modest upgrade at first, but it's really anything but modest.

First of all, the OLED model transitions from an AMD Aerith APU to AMD Sephiroth, it's a 6nm process instead of a 7nm, and while this doesn't change the number of cores in the SoC itself, i.e. four cores and eight threads, it has a huge impact on power consumption, and thus battery life. AMD Sephiroth is set to a 4-15W TDP, just like its predecessor, but more efficient it is, and not only that, it also allows a small upgrade of the RAM blocks, which now run at 6400 MT/s instead of 5500 MT/s. Does this affect actual performance? No, not in that way, but the new 7.4-inch 1200x800 OLED panel now runs at 90Hz, so while it's not faster, it's built for the future in a more direct way.

The battery has also become physically larger, and is now 50WHr instead of 40WHr, and that has a huge impact. I've seen about four hours of use in mixed 2D and 3D games and different graphics settings, which really makes a difference to how you actually use your {Deck} on a daily basis. But it gets even crazier, because as {Tom's Hardware} and others write, the layout of the PCB itself has been changed, optimised and organised differently, there's WIFI 6E, the fans that make up the internal cooling profile are thicker, better and quieter, it's easier to repair and modify and is easier to get to grips with for those who want to take it apart. This is a {Steam Deck 2}, even if it doesn't offer better performance per se.

Holding it in your hand is still pretty much the same. Great d-pad, great ABXY buttons, solid haptic plates, responsive SteamOS navigation - it's all here, and with better battery life, less noise and a slightly larger and much better looking panel, it's easier to appreciate the games you play, always.

The difference is approximately €100. You can still buy the regular {Steam Deck} LCD model with 64GB eMMC space for €369 on {Steam}, but the OLED model starts with a 512GB NVMe for €569. That's compared to the equivalent LCD model at €469. It's a bit of an increase, especially when Valve themselves want to downplay the number and significance of the upgrades introduced, but make no mistake; the {Steam Deck} OLED is the realisation of the {Steam Deck} dream and a sign that Valve really understands the appeal of this platform.

But perhaps most of all, it's a stern reminder to Asus, and to Lenovo, that their magnificent but ultimately incoherent competitors need to step up to offer a product as cohesive and well-functioning as the {Steam Deck} OLED. This is the king.