Steam Deck OLED Announced With Better Screen, Battery Life, And More

Valve has announced a remodeled Steam Deck model with a higher-quality display, better battery life, more storage capacity, and more. The Steam Deck OLED is still being called a part of the "first-generation" Steam Deck family, so it mostly packs the same internal hardware specs as the LCD model and plays the same games, but it's been improved in almost every other way. The upgraded model comes in two different storage configurations, as well as a special Limited-edition model. It goes on sale surprisingly soon, with preorders beginning on November 16.

HDR OLED display

The headliner feature is the new HDR OLED display, which Valve brags makes it the first handheld to sport such a screen. Since many games on Steam already have native HDR support, the new model will be able to display these without any further work or patches on the part of developers. The display is also slightly larger at 7.4", up from 7", due to a smaller bezel, and has a 90Hz refresh rate, up from 60Hz. The 1TB and LE models also feature an anti-glare etched-glass finish on the screen.

• HDR OLED
• Wide color gamut - 110% P3
• Pure blacks - million to one contrast ratio
• Improved, more responsive touchscreen
• Larger 7.4” picture (up from 7” due to smaller bezel)
• 90Hz refresh rate (up from 60Hz)
• 1000 nit peak brightness (up from 400 nits)
• <0.1 ms response time
• More power efficient
• Premium anti-glare etched glass (1TB and Limited Edition models only)

Better battery life

In addition to the OLED screen promising to be more power efficient, the new model also sports a larger, 50Whr battery, up from 40Whr. This is alongside an updated AMD APU that is said to contribute to better battery life. The announcement didn't give exact specs on how much this will improve battery life, but with the prior Steam Deck, it varied greatly based on the performance demands of individual games.

Lighter and more portable

The updated Steam Deck is also about 5% lighter than the LCD model. The weight varies by configuration, but Valve says it averages out to around 640 grams, a reduction from the 669-gram LCD model. Its dimensions come in at 298mm x 117mm x 50mm--just 1mm taller, which Valve attributes to redesigned thumbsticks.

The 1TB version will also include a new case with a removable inner shell, giving you more options for portability.

Faster downloads

The new model includes some other under-the-hood changes to make connectivity and downloads faster. Those include a wi-fi 6E module, which means it can use the 6Ghz spectrum if you have a supported router. Valve says this will offer download speeds that are 2-3 times faster than the LCD model.

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Other specs

A variety of other aspects of the system have changed, as well. The aforementioned updated APU is now a 6nm chip and the system will resume games "roughly" 30% faster. The touchscreen should also be more responsive, the speakers can reach higher volumes, and the battery can be charged more quickly. The system itself should now be easier to take apart and repair, thanks to adjustments to number and types of screws, among other things.

Performance and Thermals

• APU die-shrink from 7nm to 6nm for power savings
• 6400 MT/s memory, improves latency, more power management
• Improved thermal performance due to larger fan
• Faster resume time by roughly 30%

Touchscreen

• Vastly improved responsiveness
• Higher polling rate (180Hz)
• Lower latency, better accuracy and consistency

Bluetooth

• BT 5.3 module with a dedicated antenna for better experience when using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi simultaneously
• Better connectivity, especially while docked
• Now supports more Audio Codec’s like Aptx HD and Aptx low latency
• Supports wake via Bluetooth controller

Haptics

• Improved, higher fidelity haptics
• Redesigned trackpad for improved fidelity and edge detection

Audio

• Louder speakers with improved bass
• Onboard mic can now be used simultaneously as headphone jack

Ergonomics

• 30g, or ~5% lighter
• Improved thumbstick texture and geometry for more comfort and control

Power

• Redesigned power supply with longer cable (2.5m vs 1.5m)
• Faster charging with improved battery chemistry, 20%-80% in as little as 45 minutes
• WRGB charging LED

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Models, pricing, and preorders

The Steam Deck OLED comes in three configurations: a 512GB, a 1TB, and a Limited-edition model that will only be available in the US and Canada. The 1TB and Limited edition come with the etched-glass finish on the OLED screen. As the name suggests, the Limited edition is only being produced in limited quantities, but it comes with an exclusive translucent colorway and has an exclusive design printed on the inside of the carrying case. The pricing breaks down as follows:

• 512GB Steam Deck OLED - $549
• 1TB Steam Deck OLED - $649
• 1TB Steam Deck Limited Edition - $679

Preorders for the Steam Deck OLED begin on November 16 at 10 AM PT. That will include all three of the new models, and it sounds as if they'll begin shipping immediately. In the meantime, though, the LCD models have gotten a price drop that takes effect immediately:

• 64GB Steam Deck LCD - $349 ($399)
• 256GB Steam Deck LCD - $399 ($529)
• 512GB Steam Deck LCD - $449 ($649)