Valve Steam Deck OLED Introduces New Screen, Better Cooling, and Battery Upgrades

Thankfully, not a Steam Deck 2 this time.

Video game distributor Valve dropped today, Thursday, the Steam Deck OLED as the better and sleeker way of gaming.

Valve officially revealed the $549 rehauled version of the company's handheld gaming PC after weeks of hints and teasers.

Vetted as the ultimate version of Steam Deck, the OLED model will have a larger 7.4-inch HDR display screen running at 90Hz and a 50% longer battery life. The device will also have twice the memory size than the standard LCD versions.

For absolute gamers, there is also the $649 1TB OLED that features an exclusive startup movie and virtual keyboard theme.

Steam Deck OLED will be available on Nov. 16, Thursday, in the US and Canada as limited editions.

Steam Deck OLED Performance and Worth Compared to the Original

The higher price and larger screen do not necessarily mean better performance for the OLED version as the display remains at the native 1280x800 resolution.

The most noticeable upgrade in the two will probably be that OLED is much lighter than its predecessor and will include updated thermals for a better cooling system, a problem that bugged the previous versions.

The OLED will also have the new Wi-Fi 6 module that will enable three times faster download speed and better online gaming experience, depending on the internet connectivity and router.

An improvement can be seen in the device's integrated processor with the upgrade to the 7nm APU, previously 6 nm APU, for a bit smoother actions when playing games like Insomniac's Spider-Man or God of War 4.

In an interview with The Verge, Valve engineer Yazan Aldehayyat said there would be no chance of image burn-ins after the OLED undergo "accelerated testing at max brightness for weeks or months on end."

More OLED Upgrades vs. Steam Deck LCD

Here are the other improvements Valve has added to the Steam Deck 2 from the original 2022 model:

• 1,000-nit HDR peak brightness and 600-nit SDR peak brightness
• Displays 110% DCI-P3 color gamut
• Quieter cooling fans
• Improved bass speakers
• 1mm taller thumbsticks
• Darker button prints
• "Higher fidelity haptics"
• "Redesigned trackpad for improved fidelity and edge detection"
• 180Hz touchscreen polling
• Bluetooth 5.3 with dedicated antenna
• Faster 0.8C charging rate
• Easier repair access through rear cover machine screws
• "Bumper switch is now on joystick board for easier repair, improved bumper shock reliability

Unfortunately, Steam Deck OLED will remain limited to the all-black color set with the options for a redesign with third-party backplates and skins. No turbo mood too.

Steam Deck 2 Possible Release Dates

Valve assured that the OLED version is not the promised Steam Deck 2. The company said to hold the new-gen release at least until 2025.

The company reported to have "multiple millions" of Steam Decks after the announcement. Valve expects the number to rise significantly in the coming days.