What you need to know
- The Steam Deck OLED is an updated version of Valve's handheld gaming device that allows players to access their Steam libraries on the go.
- Steam Deck OLED features an OLED screen with better color range.
- This model also weighs thanks to the lighter screen, and has better average battery life.
- The Steam Deck OLED is available with a 512GB SSD for $549 and a 1TB SSD for $649, with a release date of Nov. 16, 2023.
Ready for a new gaming handheld?
While the Steam Deck OLED model isn't entirely new, there's a lot of big improvements over Valve's original Steam Deck. As Valve shared on Thursday, this design refresh includes a 90hz OLED panel screen that's lighter, reducing the system's overall weight, while providing improved color range and HDR support. You can check out the Steam Deck OLED announcement below:
There are two models available, one with a 512GB SSD for $549 and one with a 1TB internal SSD for $649. Both systems have better battery life, with Valve stating players can expect an average of 3 to 12 hours depending on the game and settings, instead of 2 to 8 hours like on the original Steam Deck.
Another improvement is the inclusion of Wi-Fi 6E support, which means players with appropriate wireless internet setups can expect much faster downloads.
When does the Steam Deck OLED launch?
The Steam Deck OLED has a release date of Nov. 16, 2023, with reservations not open at the time that I'm writing this. As with the original Steam Deck, it's possible that it won't be available in some countries at launch, with support expanding across different regions over time.
The original Steam Deck launched over a series of shipments that began in February 2022, with the higher-capacity models taking longer to get into players' hands.
Analysis: A cool upgrade, but performance is unadjusted
The Steam Deck's screen quality has been the single most consistent complaint from even the most hardcore fans of the device, so this is a really good way to address that complaint. HDR support and a better battery life are compelling, but with PC requirements for games continuing to skyrocket, I just can't justify spending money on this instead of upgrading my desktop right now.
When we get the eventually successor to the Steam Deck in a couple of years, depending on how performance has improved, that may be something that I'll jump at.
