Steam Deck by Valve has arguably become a fan-favorite for handheld gaming, and rightfully so. Today, it has received a mid-gen refresh with an OLED panel. The announcement came out of nowhere, and in typical Valve fashion, they have addressed many of the long-standing shortcomings of the original Steam Deck. So, without further ado, let’s look at all the new features packed in the new Steam Deck OLED. Be ready to appreciate Valve for these amazing upgrades!
Valve Officially Announces Steam Deck OLED After Initial Leaks
The news of a Steam Deck OLED first leaked through the RSS feed of Gamespot, which keen-eyed ResetEra users noticed. Minutes later, Valve officially announced the handheld console through their official YouTube and X account (formerly Twitter). The video showcased multiple Steam Deck stacked together in a circle, sporting the brand-new OLED screen.
As for the details, the mid-gen refresh brings some impressive changes. The most substantial is the 90Hz OLED screen. It still sports the 1280×800 resolution but now has HDR capabilities. The battery life has also been improved. The new model now comes equipped with a slightly bigger 50Wh battery over the 40Wh battery on the original. This will provide better battery life.
Furthermore, Valve claims that the battery life increase also happened because of the new OLED screen’s low power draw and a new 6nm AMD APU.
It doesn’t end there. The new model also packs a better haptic system, a better Wi-Fi module supporting up-to Wi-Fi6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. Overall, this is a worthy mid-gen refresh that makes sense for everyone. Valve has promised software support and no peripherals disparity between the systems. So, if you are an original Steam Deck owner (like me), you have nothing to worry about unless you get the FOMO of missing out on the upgrades of the Steam Deck OLED.
The New Steam Deck Prices and Limited-Edition Model
Furthermore, with the announcement of the new Steam Deck OLED, Valve has also changed its offerings. Originally, Steam Deck came in three SKUs – 64 GB eMMc, 256 GB NVME, and 512 GB NVME with an anti-glare screen. This time, Valve is phasing out the 64 GB model, replacing it with a 256 GB model sporting the original LCD screen.
The 512GB variant now comes with the OLED display and hardware changes, and the highest tier is a 1 TB model with everything available in the 512GB model. Additionally, the 1 TB model consists of a liner with a hard case. As for the Steam Deck OLED pricing, it is as follows:
- 256 GB LCD Model: $399.00
- 512 GB OLED Model: $549.00
- 1 TB OLED Model: $649.00
Outside of the above, Valve is also launching a limited-edition 1 TB Steam Deck OLED model exclusively for the US and Canada. It comes with a transparent shell, a new carrying case with exclusive artwork, and bragging rights for a cooler system, priced at $670. Furthermore, as they are “experimental units,” Valve is selling them only in the US and Canada.
The order page for the new Steam Deck OLED is now live, where customers can order one unit. The sales will go live on November 16th for the US, Canada, UK, and EU. Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea. Japan will also get the Steam Deck OLED via Komodo, the official partner of Valve for these regions.
So, are you excited about the new Steam Deck OLED? Do you plan on purchasing one? If you own the original, what are your plans for the new models? Let us know in the comments below.
