10 November 2023 , 13:20
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With the majorly upgraded Steam Deck OLED set to hit shelves next week for less than its predecessor, it's no wonder those who purchased the original are raging.
Valve has finally confirmed the existence of an upgraded Steam Deck which the company is referring to as a Steam Deck OLED. Valve confirmed the Steam Deck OLED in a news post. The new model features an HDR OLED display as the name suggests, as well as a range of other upgrades when compared to the Steam Deck LCD, which is what the current version of the handheld is now being referred to as.
The Steam Deck OLED release date is set for Thursday, November 16. Pre-orders for the device aren't available yet but you can add it to your wishlist on Steam. The Steam Deck OLED models on offer – a 512GB and 1TB model. Valve is stopping production on the Steam Deck LCD
If you're thinking about picking up the Steam Deck OLED, they actually come in cheaper than the previous Steam Deck LCD models when comparing storage sizes. The Steam Deck OLED comes in at £479 / $549 / AU$865 for a 512GB edition and £569 / $649 / AU$1020 for a 1TB version. The Steam Deck LCD used to cost £459 / $529 / AU$795 for the 256GB edition and £569 / $649 / AU$975 for the 512GB version, both of which are now discontinued. All Australian prices are rough conversations as the device actually isn't available in Australia and Valve hasn't confirmed plans to change this any time soon.
For a lower price point, you get a significantly upgraded device, featuring not only a brand new HDR OLED display but also a bigger battery which boasts 30%-50% more battery life according to Valve. Wi-Fi 6E is also enabled on the new device making for much faster downloads. These are just the main points worth highlighting in a pretty chock-a-block list of adjustments released by Valve which you can see below.
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This surprise announcement is a major kick in the face to those who have purchased the older Steam Deck LCD. Not least because, for much less money than what early adopters paid at launch, new purchasers get a lot more features. Then there’s the fact that the Steam Deck OLED is coming so soon after the Steam Deck LCD. There was a four-year release gap between the launch of Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch OLED model, for instance, yet here it’s barely been two years.
Steam Deck OLED changes
The new Steam Deck OLED sees a lot of new or changed features when compared to the original LCD handheld. All changes worth noting are below:
Main changes
HDR OLED display
30-50% more battery life
Wifi 6E
Weighs 30g, or ~5% lighter
Full list of changes
General
- Updated APU to 6 nm for better efficiency
- Updated memory to 6400 MT/s, improving latency and power management
- Increased thermal module thickness and performance
Display
- Increased active area to 7.4" (from 7.0")
- Updated refresh rate to 90Hz (from 60Hz)
- Updated peak brightness to 1000 nits
- Updated touchscreen polling rate to 180Hz, improved latency and accuracy
WiFi and Bluetooth
- Updated WiFi / Bluetooth module
- Added support for WiFi 6E
- Added support for Bluetooth 5.3, supporting newer codecs such as aptX HD and aptX low-latency
- Added third antenna near the top of the device for better Bluetooth performance, including when docked
- Added support for wake from Bluetooth controllers
Audio
- Improved bass response for an overall flatter sound profile
- Added support for using onboard microphone array simultaneously with the 3.5mm headphones connector
Controls
- Adjusted analog stick top material and shape for increased grip and dust build-up resistance
- Adjusted analog stick post material to improve interaction feel with front cover and reduce wear
- Improved reliability of analog stick touch detection
- Improved responsiveness and tactility of shoulder buttons switch mechanism
- Adjusted D-pad snap ratio and diagonal interactions
- Redesigned trackpad for improved fidelity and edge detection
- Greatly improved trackpad haptics feel and precision
Power
- Improved battery capacity from 40Wh to 50Wh
- Improved battery chemistry for faster charging, from 20% to 80% in as little as 45 minutes
- Changed charging LED to WRGB
- Added support for waking up from initial unboxing by long-pressing power button instead of requiring AC power
- Adjusted power supply cable length from 1.5m to 2.5m
- Added logo to power supply
Frame
- Reduced total system weight to ~640g, or ~5% less than Steam Deck
- Rear cover screws now thread into metal
- Adjusted rear cover screw heads to Torx™, as well as other materials and geometry tweaks on the heads to reduce stripping risk
- Lowered number of screw types throughout system
- Reduced step count required for common repairs
- Improved bumper switch mechanism drop reliability
- Moved bumper switch to joystick board for easier repair
- Improved display repair/replacement to not require taking rear cover off
Software
- Greatly improved memory power management firmware
- Added preliminary support for open-source BIOS and EC firmware
- Improved resume time by roughly 30%
The Steam Deck OLED is set to release on Thursday, November 16, and will replace the current 512GB and 1TB LCD models once stock runs out.