I feel betrayed that the Steam Deck OLED is here – but can’t stay mad for long
Despite stating otherwise earlier in the year, Valve is already gearing up to release a much-improved version of its popular handheld PC gaming device.
The Steam Deck is a thing of beauty. For someone like me, who can’t necessarily afford to buy and build a top-of-the-line gaming PC rig, it makes playing Steam games far more accessible and something to actively look forward to. With a bespoke UI, impressive ergonomic feel and a verification system designed to let players know which games have Valve’s stamp of approval, ever since it released last February it’s a gaming handheld that’s slotted neatly into my gaming lifestyle. Yesterday saw Valve surprise reveal a new model called the Steam Deck OLED, however, which has left me feeling a tad betrayed.
Of course, my original model Steam Deck still works perfectly fine, and will continue to do so for a fair few more years, I’m sure. That said, as one of the biggest proponents I know of the Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, I’m also not oblivious to the benefits and the glory an OLED screen can add to a device. Up until now I’ve actually preferred playing most indie titles on my Nintendo Switch purely due to this edge, an edge it will seemingly not have for much longer now that Valve has uncovered its new hardware revision.
I imagine if I purchased the original Steam Deck at launch I’d feel less burnt, but this is indicative of another problem. At release units were incredibly scarce to come by, all but forcing interested players (especially those in non-US territories) to wait patiently before supply of them became less of an issue. Having checked my purchase receipt I can tell you that I was able to buy my Steam Deck on October 7, 2022, meaning that just over a year later the model I invested in will no longer be the best.
To give some context, Nintendo waited roughly four years to offer players an OLED upgrade on its popular hybrid console. Such a long gap meant that I had no issue in transitioning over to the Nintendo Switch model with the much brighter and better second screen, safe in the knowledge that I’d gotten a decent amount of use – hundreds of hours, in fact – out of my launch console. The same can’t unfortunately be said for my Steam Deck.
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Full steam ahead
It’s not just about the OLED screen, though, because the newly revealed Steam Deck model is chock full of other features any avid user (like myself) would instantly appreciate. Battery life has been a major issue when trying to run the most taxing AAA game releases, for example, all but putting my hopes of running, say, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor or Alan Wake 2 on hold. The Steam Deck OLED is said to improve on this issue vastly, offering 30% to 50% more battery life according to its official site depending on the game you’re playing.
Other improved features include faster download times, a lighter weight and it running much cooler in the hands compared to the original LCD model. The real kick in the face, though, is in how The Steam Deck OLED is also a lot cheaper than the initial version – by quite some distance. For some context, I paid £459 / $529 /AU$706 for the 256GB version, whereas the 512GB OLED with double the storage comes in at £479 / $549 – literally just a bit more (the OLED model currently isn't available in Australia). For this you get all the incredible aforementioned features Valve has managed to pack in instantly.
I’m obviously extremely happy for players who are only just jumping on the Steam Deck train – especially since screenshots and trailers never really do OLED screens justice until you see them in person. However, as someone who’s barely gotten a year out of his Steam Deck, there’s no universeRight, where the reveal of this revised model so soon after the original doesn’t feel like a slap in the face somewhat. I understand that advancements in tech are rapid, and this isn’t an issue exclusive to the Steam Deck, but it’s made all the worse given how sly Valve had been right up until the OLED model was revealed.
In an interview conducted by The Verge in December of last year, designer Pierre-Loup Griffais discuss the prospect of future hardware revisions. “I think we'll opt to keep the one performance level for a little bit longer,” he said, “and only look at changing the performance level when there is a significant gain to be had.” Well, not even a year on from when that interview was conducted and the Steam Deck OLED is already in reviewers’ hands. It feels a bit disingenuous, looking back, even if no explicit timeframe was given.
Will I pick up the Steam Deck OLED eventually? Yes, because for as irked as I am, it’s a solid device – and one that I know I’d get a lot of use out of. My Nintendo Switch – OLED Model is now seriously at risk of becoming just as obsolete as my original Steam Deck, in fact. The sting would be lessened somewhat if Valve introduced a trade in program for people like me, who clearly invested in this eco-system a bit too early. And yet, they’ll be getting my money either way. Valve has played an absolute blinder here, I’ll admit, with any grievances I have sure to melt away once the new model is in my hands.
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