The first thing you need to know about OLED Steam Cover is that it is No Steam Deck 2. Steam Deck OLED It’s a mid-cycle update from Valve, similar to the Switch OLED upgrade, but a lot more going on internally here. Its screen is better, its battery life is better, its joysticks are better, its haptics are better, and its chip and thermals are better. One thing that hasn’t changed is its form factor – it’s still one of the bigger babies on the portable block.
The main update to the new Steam Deck is its OLED screen, which replaces the original LCD screen and, more importantly, has native support for HDR and faster frame rates. The OLED also has smaller bezels, making the screen larger at 7.4 inches compared to the original 7-inch screen.
OLED screen
The HDR OLED display looks fantastic. It features a wider P3 color gamut, pure blacks and a maximum brightness of 1000 nits, compared to the original maximum of 400 nits. In action, this means the screen bezels blend into the black of any game, creating a more polished frame for retro aspect ratios and providing room for higher contrast colors. The new model’s display does not support variable refresh rates (VRR), but now maxes out at 90Hz, while the original could only reach 60Hz. The updated display is smooth, sharp and bright, like a lemon pie perfect. (Still, I don’t recommend licking the screen.)
Battery duration
One of the downsides of the first Steam Deck was the short battery life, which maxed out at eight hours, and that was only under ideal conditions. Valve says the new Steam Deck battery will last 30 to 50 percent longer, depending on how you play, and charges faster; the company claims it will go from 20 percent to 80 percent in 45 minutes.
Custom AMD APU
The Steam Deck OLED has a scaled-down version of the custom AMD APU found in the original Steam Deck: the same CPU and GPU, but more efficient. This is the process that Sony leverages to build the PS4 Slim and PS5 Slim, but rather than collapsing the Steam Deck around smaller hardware, Valve opted to add a larger battery and larger fan to its existing chassis. For developers, this means that the device has the same performance goals as the original and there is no need to create games specifically for the new hardware. In the end, the device weighs about 30 grams less than the original model, or the equivalent of five quarters.
In use
Which brings us to the bad news for my little gang. The Steam Deck OLED is the same monstrous size as the original: 11.7 inches long, 4.5 inches tall, and almost 2 inches thick. The joysticks of the new model are actually 1 mm higher than those of the first version. This was one of my main complaints about the Steam Deck when I first reviewed it: I have smaller than average hands and the Steam Deck looks and feels absolutely ridiculous when I hold it. It’s just huge no matter how long my manicure lasts. However, the OLED model seems more balanced than the original. It is less top heavy and technically weighs less. These small adjustments have made a noticeable difference during my gaming time, and the device feels a little more manageable as a handheld device, or maybe I’m just too distracted by all its bright, pretty colors to worry about my palms cramping. .
The new handheld’s joysticks have an improved texture that shouldn’t turn gray after a few months of use, and they feel perfectly serviceable. In my hands-on time so far, I’ve found that the OLED touchscreen responds immediately to input, and the haptic feedback on the built-in trackpads feels even more precise, populating reactive jabs beneath the textured plastic.
I spent a few cozy nights on my couch swapping between the LCD and OLED Steam Decks, and honestly, once I’m done with this review, I’ll probably retire my original model. The Steam Deck OLED is sharper and more responsive; Indie games, AAA games, and old Steam menus look much better on the new hardware.
hell It’s my most played game on the original Steam Deck, so I used it to test Valve’s battery life claims. Although it does not support HDR, a game like hell appears on the OLED and its animations seem more fluid than on the LCD version. The OLED lasted four hours and 23 minutes before dying. At the same settings (800p capped at 60fps and similar brightness), the original model died after two hours and 42 minutes. That’s a 62 percent improvement, surpassing Valve’s own estimates, although batteries do degrade and I’ve had my Steam Deck LCD since the device launched in early 2022. In a stress test that involved playing Elden Ring With everything maxed out, the OLED battery lasted two hours and 20 minutes, about 40 percent longer than the original.
Playing Steam Decks in a row highlighted another significant quality of life improvement: heat management. My palms have gotten warm when playing with the OLED model, but they haven’t gotten sweaty like they usually do with the original. The new fan may be bigger, but it’s no louder and clearly works great.
The Steam Deck OLED has a new Wi-Fi 6E module and improved antennas that should allow for faster downloads for anyone with a compatible router. I don’t have a 6E router or multi-gigabit Wi-Fi, but with a regular Wi-Fi 6 router, the maximum download speed I saw on the new Steam Deck was 562 mbps, which was about 10 percent faster than the old one. Steam. Deck, and 10 percent slower than the speeds I get on my MacBook Pro. The device uses Bluetooth 5.3 and adds a dedicated antenna, which should improve functionality when using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth at the same time.
Even with improvements to the battery, temperature, and weight distribution, the Steam Deck OLED is still more Wii U than Vita. It’s a beast of a handheld and makes more sense as a portable console to use around the house, rather than as a truly travel-ready device. The new model even comes with an extra-long 2.5m charging cable, designed specifically for couch-bound gamers. I didn’t test the docking station with the new Steam Deck, but Valve recently released SteamOS update that allows gamers to take advantage of HDR and VRR on external displays, which only highlights the Wii U-ness of it all.
As for the software, you already know the drill. Valve has released tags for Steam games that indicate how well they will run on the handheld, with four levels: unknown, not supported, playable, and verified. Playable games usually come with a small caveat, such as having to implement on-screen keyboard, while verified games have been fully optimized for portable gaming. Currently, over 10,000 titles on Steam are under the playable or verified tags, with more being added every day.
When will Steam Deck OLED be available?
The Steam Deck OLED will go on sale on November 16 at 1 pm ET, and Valve has units ready to ship that same day. The company has lowered the price of its LCD line and will sell through its stock of 64GB and 512GB models until they run out. It will continue to sell the 256GB LCD model at a reduced price of $400, while the 512GB OLED model will cost $550 and the 1TB OLED model will cost $650. There’s also a limited edition 1TB OLED version priced at $680 that comes with a special carrying case, a translucent gray body, and orange accents.
Wrap
According to the developers I spoke to at Valve, this is the definitive version of the Steam Deck. The HDR OLED model is what they would have released the first time, if the technology had existed before 2022. The portable device market has evolved rapidly: in just over a year, Steam Deck demonstrated that there is widespread demand for portable PCs and your success. helped push chip and display makers to create hardware specifically for high-fidelity mobile gaming. This is great news for Valve and Steam Deck, and also for other handhelds from companies like Ayaneo, ASUS, Ayn, Logitech, Retroid, and Razer. Heck, maybe even Playdate will have an HDR OLED display one day. (Just kidding; Playdate is literally perfect.)
So, no, the HDR OLED upgrade isn’t Steam Deck 2, but it’s a welcome improvement on an already good device. He OLED Steam Cover It’s the improved, Photoshopped, shiny version of Valve’s handheld, and it features tangible, smart improvements. The updated display is the highlight of the device, while things like faster charging, improved antennas, and a smoother touch feel are welcome bonuses. More importantly, this is Valve renewing its commitment to portable PC gaming, and it’s a relief to see. Steam Deck is the granddaddy of portable PCs and Valve has the resources to continue innovating in this space. For now, the OLED model is a half-step away from Steam Deck 2, which may be the final version of the device unless Valve finally learns to count to three.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/steam-deck-oled-review-its-just-better-180038030.html?src=rss
