Valve had surprised the gaming world by announcing an upgraded version of its Steam Deck, the handheld PC that lets you play your Steam library on the go. The new Steam Deck OLED features a larger and brighter OLED display, improved battery life, Wi-Fi 6E, and a few other enhancements. Here are the details on the prices, release date, specs, features, and whether or not you should upgrade your Steam Deck to its successor — Steam Deck OLED.
What are the specs and features of Steam Deck OLED?
The Steam Deck OLED has the same performance as the original Steam Deck, with an AMD Zen 2 CPU and an RDNA 2 GPU. However, it has a few notable improvements over its predecessor such as:
- A 7.4-inch OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, brighter output, and improved repairability. The OLED screen offers better visuals with deeper blacks and higher color contrast, as well as smoother gameplay with a higher refresh rate. The screen size is slightly larger than the 7-inch LCD screen of the original Steam Deck, but the resolution remains the same at 1280 x 800 pixels.
- A better battery life up to 8 hours, compared to the 6 hours of the original Steam Deck. This is due to the lower power consumption of the OLED screen and the improved efficiency of the AMD chip. The battery capacity is still 40Wh, and the charging speed is still 45W.
- Wi-Fi 6E support, which allows for faster and more reliable wireless connectivity. Wi-Fi 6E is the latest standard of Wi-Fi that operates on the 6GHz band, which has less interference and congestion than the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. This means you can stream your games from your PC or the cloud with less latency and more stability.
- A redesigned kickstand, which is sturdier and more adjustable than the original one. The kickstand can now be tilted at any angle, and it has a rubberized surface to prevent slipping. The kickstand also covers the microSD card slot, which adds some protection to your storage expansion.
- A new color scheme, which is black and silver instead of black and gray. The new color scheme gives the Steam Deck OLED a more premium and sleek look, and it matches the OLED screen better.
Should you upgrade your Steam Deck to the new Steam Deck OLED?
Is it worth upgrading to the new model of Steam Deck? Here are some factors to consider:
Difference between OLED and LCD
The main difference between the Steam Deck OLED and the Steam Deck LCD is the type of screen they use. OLED stands for “Organic Light-Emitting Diode”, which means that each pixel on the screen can emit its own light and turn off completely when displaying black. This results in deeper blacks, higher contrast, and more vibrant colors. OLED screens also have wider viewing angle and faster response times that LCD screens.
LCD stands for liquid crystal display, which means that the screen uses a backlight to illuminate the pixels. This type of screens have lower contrast and brightness than OLED screens, and they can suffer from backlight bleeding, which is when some light leaks through the edges of the screen. LCD screens also consume more power than OLED screens, which can affect the battery life of the device.
Pros and Cons of Upgrading
If you are looking for the best visual experience on your Steam Deck, the OLED model might be a good option for you. The OLED screen will make your games look more vivid and immersive, especially if they support HDR. The OLED screen also has a slightly larger size (0.4 inches larger than its predecessor) and a smaller bezel than the LCD screen, which means you get more screen real estate for your games.
The new Steam Deck OLED has faster and more capacitive wireless connection standards that will please online gamers and wireless headphone users — especially with that additional antenna for Bluetooth. The device also has improved RAM transfer speeds, battery size, and charging rates, as well as a lower mass and a longer USB-C cable from 1.5 to 2.5 meters.
However, there are also some drawbacks to upgrading to the OLED model. The Steam Deck OLED costs an estimated Php 3,000 more than the Steam Deck LCD with the same storage capacity. That’s a significant amount of money that you could spend on other things, such as games, accessories, or upgrades for your PC. But if it’s something that you have been looking forward to, then you just have more reasons to upgrade.
The Steam Deck OLED is a tempting upgrade for those who want the best visual quality on their handheld gaming device. The OLED screen, better battery life, Wi-Fi 6E, and other improvements might be worth paying more for some but if you are happy with your current Steam Deck LCD, you might not need to upgrade.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the decision depends on your personal preference, budget, and availability. Moreover, if you interested in getting the Steam Deck OLED, you should act fast, as the demand is likely to be high and the supply is likely to be limited.
Steam Deck OLED will be available on November 16, 2023.
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