Review of the Steam Deck OLED

While it may not be the most powerful gaming portable available, the Steam Deck OLED is still the greatest. Power and performance are often the primary determinants of whether a PC gaming device is worthwhile purchasing. Whether it's the newest and greatest graphics card from Nvidia or AMD's latest CPU masterpiece, PC gaming often has its focus narrowed down to making sure the money you invest pays off in precious additional frames. So why is it so simple to identify a product like the Steam Deck OLED as the greatest portable PC gaming system?

It's easy. A gadget that provides an unstoppable degree of convenience was designed by Valve. Fundamentally, the Steam Deck OLED is essentially a portable gaming console that puts a library of titles larger than the Nintendo Switch at your fingertips, much like the LCD counterpart. Only now, with the greatest display, longer battery life, and somewhat superior performance, does it make up for the shortcomings that have caused the LCD model to slip in the rankings.

Cost and accessibility

The 1TB variant I tested for this review costs $649 / £569, while the 512GB Steam Deck OLED costs $539 / £479. Right now, buying a Steam Deck OLED is only possible via Valve.

The original 256GB Steam Deck LCD is still available for purchase from a number of retailers, including Amazon, and is now just $399 / £349 due to the availability of the OLED. The 64GB eMMC variant is no longer available from Valve; the only places to get one are online or via merchants who may still have some remaining fresh stock.

Specifications

Examining the Steam Deck OLED from the inside out reveals some significant improvements over the LCD variant, even if this isn't the generational leap forward most predicted.

The HDR OLED panel is undoubtedly the biggest improvement, with a new maximum refresh rate of 90Hz. Since no other major competition has released an OLED model, it continues to have the best display available. Furthermore, improved optimization of the AMD Zen 2 APU's new 6nm processor standard permits fractional performance gains. Faster RAM specifications with an OLED speed improvement of 900 MT/s would be a major contributor to any performance gain.

An further notable modification is the bigger 50WHr battery. In comparison to the 2–8 hours of the LCD, this increase translates to ranging from 3–12 hours. Even though it's not the largest battery available, great optimization helps it perform well when combined with all the other specifications.

Features

The 7.4-inch 1280 x 800 HDR OLED panel with anti-glare etched glass and a refresh rate of up to 90 Hz are the top features of the Steam Deck OLED. In order to provide a better overall experience, Valve has reduced the 7nm APU down to a 6nm alternative. This optimization helps with general optimization even if it doesn't directly improve performance.

With the right game and setup for the GPU frequency and TDP limit, you can play for up to 12 hours with the Steam Deck OLED thanks to its upgraded 50WHr battery. Additionally, the Steam Deck OLED uses Wi-Fi 6E, which enables quicker downloads and a more reliable internet connection.

With the 512GB or 1TB models, SSD storage is now the sole option available; however, it may still be expanded via an external SSD or microSD card. For additional protection while on the road, all versions come with a hard shell carry case. Additionally, the OLED has a dedicated Bluetooth antenna that reduces latency for linked devices like headphones and permits multiple controller connections.

Design

The general pattern with the Steam Deck OLED is that there isn't much to separate the OLED and LCD variants but for a few significant performance-driven enhancements that aren't immediately apparent.

On the other hand, the OLED display feels somewhat lighter and is.4 inches larger. They are the same except for this. The joysticks are arranged symmetrically, and there are two touchpads with haptic feedback on each side of the screen.

The Steam Deck OLED's top is decorated with normal bumpers and triggers, while the face buttons are arranged similarly to the Xbox. The d-pad on the control scheme is crammed uncomfortably close to the right thumbstick, although you may change your grip to lessen the possibility of inadvertent clicks. The four rear buttons are the center of attention when it comes to the controls since they fit so comfortably into a typical controller grip that utilizing them is surprisingly easy and even encouraged.

The audio quality of the two tiny speakers located in the bottom third of the console, one on each side of the display, is mediocre; however, you may use a 3.5mm or Bluetooth headset to make up for this.

Two vent locations—one on top, between the power button and 3.5mm socket on the left, and the USB-C charging connection and volume controls on the right—and one on the rear of the console—are used by the OLED to dissipate heat. Tucked down in the bottom right corner of the gadget is a microSD card slot for more storage.

Display

When it comes to its greatest and most important feature, the name Steam Deck OLED gives it away. This 7.4-inch panel is so vivid that it easily outshines a lot of other portable screens.OLED panels have been tried on devices like the PS Vita in the past, but it's possible that the technology wasn't as advanced or as well accepted at the time. There are no such adverse consequences with the Steam Deck. I'm fortunate enough to have utilized an OLED instead of the Steam Deck LCD at first, but I doubt I could ever downgrade in the long run to watch the original screen.While it's true that some rivals, like the ROG Ally, use VRR (variable refresh rate), which isn't feasible on the Deck, adding HDR on top of the OLED quality almost feels unjust to them.The display's touchscreen feature is exceptional as well. After weeks of testing, there hasn't been any problem with the device's sluggish response or miscalibration—where it detects a touch in an area next to where your finger touches the screen. Although the Steam Deck OLED lacks Gorilla Glass, which the ROG Ally uses for durability, it is still difficult to scratch or cause any other harm.Overall, no other display on the market compares to the quality that Valve crammed into the portable Steam Deck OLED, even if it may not have the advantage in terms of sheer power.Battery

As previously mentioned, the upgraded 50WHr battery in the Steam Deck OLED represents a 30–50% gain over the LCD variant. But the only factor influencing this boost in battery life is the games you're playing and how much power they use.The gains on this updated model are mostly due to enhancements made to the way the Steam Deck OLED uses power. It's one thing to put in a larger battery, but it's quite another to make sure it can withstand the demands of the typical player.The Steam Deck OLED will inevitably take more power when graphical fidelity is increased in games, which will reduce battery life. Playing older games on Steam makes this clear since even at higher settings, the battery life should be considerably longer. The estimated duration is much less while playing a more modern or visually complex game.We'll go into more detail about these performance-related measures later on, but you do have some control over the battery to prolong its anticipated life cycle. But there's always an in-game price for it.The MSI Claw, an anticipated handheld with a 53WHr battery, will have the largest battery available on the PC portable market. The fact that the difference between the Steam Deck OLED and the best option in its class is so tiny indicates that Valve addressed the early concerns over the lifespan of their LCD console. While it is possible to use the Steam Deck OLED while plugged in and charging, doing so may be very constrictive and undermine the fundamental purpose of a portable gaming device.

Performance

To be clear, you won't be able to run new games on the Steam Deck OLED—or any other gaming handheld, for that matter—with high graphical settings without an external graphics card, though this model has been improved in an effort to draw a little bit more power than its predecessor.Faster memory and overall efficiency gains are primarily responsible for these advances. This translates into an actual 10% absolute maximum performance gain over the LCD type. Any enhancement will show up as a higher frame rate, which only adds up to 1–5 frames per second depending on the game you're playing.The decision by Valve to switch to the Steam Deck OLED as the new flagship model was a very wise one, however there are some concerns over the absence of a significant performance boost. Maybe it's a feeling of entitlement on the part of the consumer, thinking that a new product should eventually provide them greater control. However, when considering the larger picture, minor performance increases are acceptable considering how much superior the display and battery are.We may even overlook the little performance boost because of SteamOS's unparalleled convenience. We can't stress how helpful it is to have your Steam library at your fingertips and ready to play without any extra work.Even better, you may be completely informed about what to anticipate by knowing when a game is playable or fully confirmed thanks to the Valve certification process. It's never been simpler to play PC games, and developers have quickly realized how important these portable devices are.Consider the Yakuza television series. Compared to certain low-end budget PCs and laptops, all of the games—including the Like A Dragon spin-offs—perform better on the Steam Deck OLED, which offers a clean and consistent 60 frames per second at medium settings. Nowadays, Ryu Ga Gotoku is well known for optimizing its games on Steam Deck, fostering a more positive engagement with both new players and game enthusiasts.There are still areas of performance that you can manage, even in cases when a game developer has not optimized it specifically for Steam Deck. These adjustments extend the life of your battery in addition to improving your experience. In essence, you may restrict the amount of power the APU can consume by capping the GPU clock rates and TDP in addition to the display frame rate.This modification affects gameplay performance and could need you to reduce graphics quality, but it's a guaranteed method to extend your gaming sessions.

Is it wise to get the Steam Deck OLED?

It's difficult to suggest the Steam Deck OLED given how simple the SteamOS is and that it costs less than the $700 average price point that many rivals are currently pushing. Since a new generation of technology is probably not going to arrive for a few years, you can buy a Steam Deck OLED with confidence knowing that Valve won't replace it with a better product until you've really received your money's worth.While others may be disappointed that using SteamOS to access the Deck's operating system proved impossible. Rather, it offers a stable experience that will make it simple for casual players to use, but those who want to go off course to fully investigate this Linux-based operating system are free to do so.There have been enough enhancements over the base LCD model to warrant a significant price rise. However, the Steam Deck OLED is still much less expensive than its rivals, resulting in a value disparity that is difficult for anybody to close. As competitors strive to create the finest portable device for $700, Valve persists in offering its innovative console for as little as $160 less.While purchasing other gadgets is by no means a waste of money, the Steam Deck OLED is superior to other handhelds in almost every way. Purchasing a Steam Deck OLED now is among the wisest moves you can do, since a truly generational leap still seems years away. With any luck, you may even begin to tackle your backlog of games.

Replacements

You have other options to choose from if you're still not convinced by the Steam Deck OLED or if power is really what you're after for your portable PC gaming requirements.

ROG Ally ASUS

Since the ROG Ally has been available for a comparable length of time to the Steam Deck LCD and is the second most well-known portable PC gaming device, it is often ranked #2 in the rankings by many. It costs $699 / £599 and has an LCD screen alone. It is inherently more powerful than the Steam Deck OLED, but it doesn't run SteamOS software. Check out our ASUS ROG Ally review for additional information on this one.

ThinkPad Legion Go

Until the MSI Claw A1M is released, the Legion Go is the only other Steam Deck OLED substitute with a well-known brand behind it. The Legion Go is a powerful portable game device that costs the same $699 / £699 as the Ally, despite its recent introduction to the market.