Valve updates the Steam Deck with OLED screen and better battery
No Steam Deck 2, but a screen and battery update - that's the new Steam Deck OLED. Manufacturer Valve is not increasing the previous price. The new device can be pre-ordered from 16 November - but not in Switzerland.
Thanks to the new screen, the refresh rate of the new Steam Deck OLED increases from 60 to 90 hertz. However, the resolution remains the same at 1280 × 800 pixels. The new screen is 0.4 inches larger without making the device any bigger. This is achieved through narrower edges. The panel should also be brighter: Valve promises up to 600 nits with SDR and 1000 nits with HDR. Previously, the maximum was 400 nits. There are also the usual advantages of OLED, such as perfect black.
Source: Valve
Further improvements have been made to the battery. This now offers 50 instead of 40 watt hours. According to Valve, this results in up to twelve hours of battery life - 30 to 50 per cent more than the old version. The battery should also charge faster with the included 45 watt power supply unit.
The manufacturer has also tweaked the wireless connections. The Steam Deck OLED now supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, which means you can download games faster with the right router and you can also expect a faster connection when gaming online.
Finally, the Steam Deck OLED weighs around 30 grams less than the non-OLED version.
There are unlikely to be any noticeable changes with an impact on performance. The memory is slightly faster at 6400 MT/s instead of the previous 5500 MT/s. However, this mainly has an impact on potential stutters. You can't expect more frames per second (FPS), but possibly fewer frame drops.
Even if it looks like a few improvements at first glance: The Steam Deck OLED should thus become even more interesting for all those who have so far kept their hands off it. A better battery and more attractive screen are good selling points. Especially as Valve is not increasing the price. The Steam Deck OLED is available in two storage variants: with a 1 terabyte for 680 euros / 649 dollars or a 512 gigabyte SSD for 570 euros / 549 dollars. The old Steam Deck version with 512 GB memory used to cost 649 dollars. So there is also more memory for the same price.
The old 512 GB and 64 GB versions are currently being sold at a lower price. They will no longer be available in future. However, the 256 GB version will continue to be available at a reduced price of 420 euros / 399 dollars.
A Steam Deck 2 is not expected before 2025, according to Valve. The OLED model is to be seen as product maintenance. With the updated model, the time has finally come for Valve to officially bring the Steam Deck to Switzerland. You can't pre-order it here. This is only possible via detours. Of course, we will also try to offer a few copies in the shop again.
From big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.