18 November 2023 , 10:00
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Here are the key differences between the new Steam Deck OLED and the original Steam Deck, so you know if it's worth picking up the new handheld.
With the Steam Deck OLED now available, many gamers are wondering whether or not it's worth upgrading their current Steam Deck LCD models. Valve's Steam Deck OLED has more than just a new HDR OLED display, bringing a better battery life as well as a Wi-Fi 6E connection to the table.
We're comparing all of the key differences between the Steam Deck OLED and Steam Deck here, so you know if it's worth picking up the new model over the old one or if you're thinking about upgrading. We're considering price, availability, and what aspects of the specs and design have been upgraded.
Steam Deck OLED vs Steam Deck: price and availability
The Steam Deck OLED price comes 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. These models will be replacing both the 256GB and 512GB versions of the Steam Deck LCD.
The Steam Deck LCD was priced at £459 / $529 / AU$795 for the 256GB edition and £569 / $649 / AU$975 for the 512GB version, both of which will be discontinued once stock depletes. All Australian prices are rough conversations as the device isn't available in Australia, and Valve hasn't confirmed plans to change this any time soon.
This means you're getting more bang for your buck when picking up a Steam Deck OLED, where you're not only get a larger storage capacity for the same (or very similar) price point, but also all of the upgraded features
Steam Deck could be done for with new Asus ROG handheld PC coming soon
Steam Deck OLED vs Steam Deck: new specs and design
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%
Steam Deck OLED vs Steam Deck: verdict
For those who are yet to pick up a Steam Deck, it seems like the clear choice here is to pick up the Steam Deck OLED over the currently existing Steam Deck LCD version. However, for those who already own the older Steam Deck model and are considering upgrading, it's a bit more difficult to decide whether or not it's worth it.
If you find yourself frustrated with the low battery life of the Steam Deck LCD and want that better screen, then of course upgrading is likely the route for you. However, those who typically play with their Steam Deck plugged in or docked the majority of the time will barely feel these new changes, making it not worth the upgrade.