Steam Deck OLED — In-Depth Review

CORRECTION: Please note that the two LCD models are actually 512 and not 256. This is important because all three models shown have anti-glare etched displays. Apologies for the editing flub.

It’s a tiny thing, but I appreciate you having the names and prices of the games you showcase in the top corner.

There’s no reason to expect a steam deck 2 in 2 years. In interviews they said they want generational improvements to graphics but only if it is at the same low power consumption which they aren’t expecting anytime soon. Valve knows that a single target for devs is a huge strength and aren’t going to jeopardize that for a minor boost so I think your assessment of this being a long haul device is right on point.

Love the side by side comparisons!! Great review!

I just want to say I'm happy Valve sent you one. I remember when you had trouble getting the OG back around the release so it's good to see Valve is now recognizing your hard work.

Fantastic Review, great attention to detail with comparisons. Very well done. 40 more minutes until we can order!!

Love the overlay showing the game info with the review rating and price. And also realized the icon you use to the left of the info is the steam verified status; amazing. I hope to see this detail in most videos! Thanks for the review.

the wifi and bluetooth upgrade is enough reason for me to upgrade as i use my deck docked a lot with wireless controllers and no access to a wired network. i'm also very very excited about the increased battery life and more responsive touch controls

Even though I won't be upgrading, I'm still really glad that Valve made the OLED version, because it'll get more people on the Steam Deck platform which is great for more Steam Deck support from developers. I love the improvements to screen and battery since those are the big pain points of my usage, but gripper thumbsticks and Wifi 6 are awesome changes. I wish they would've added hall effect joysticks for longevity and made the new components easier to add to the old model to throw a bone to LCD users, but I guess you cant win them all. For now, I'm happy with waiting for the Steam Deck 2 (unless my LCD model suddenly breaks before the second model, then I'll get an OLED version).

I've used the hell out of my Steam Deck for the last year and nine months. I've actually been able to finish games now. Something that was just not possible for the last Decade. There is no way I could have buyers remorse because of the new OLED model. I'll for sure get an OLED model soon, after I save up some cash. The Steam Deck is such a great product, it's really made gaming flexible for me.

Great in dept review. Really did a lot of research and benchmarking. I bought my Steam Deck around July of this year. I am still very satisfied with my current device, and the things they changed didn't bother me much. Personally, it doesn't justify me purchasing it, but I can see this being something a non-Steam Deck owner might be getting. I will give this upgrade a skip for now and wait for the Steam Deck 2.

Thank you for always including the name of the games you are showing on screen!

Awesome Review, made me even more excited to get mine 😍

If you get past seeing Steam Deck exclusively as a handheld gaming device and recognize it as a very reasonably-priced full PC (at least for the 64GB and 256GB models), you might see you have a really good use for your "old" deck besides just selling it for some quick cash. It supports 4K60 output so that makes it a killer HTPC which also does emulation all the way up to PS3 and most Switch games. Can you buy something of comparable performance for the $250, maybe $300 you can get for your used Deck?

Ordering mine today, God willing. Hopefully I get it quickly and will be able to offload the LCD without too much trouble.

Ill be buying my first handheld pc soon, and its definetely going to be the Oled Deck. Awesome video, thank you for the in depth review and helping sway my decision.

Been looking forward to your review on this, my trifecta is complete (Retro Game Corps, Nerd Nest, and Fan the Deck)!

Good video, thank you! You did make one mistake though you said that the upgrade cost from the LCD to the OLED was $250 when actually it’s only $150 to go from the 256 GBLCD to the 512 GB OLED.

OMG you using 3rd strike to test the dpad is so smart, I'm always wondering what it would be like to play on whatever handheld I'm researching since I mostly play fighting games. I have the lcd deck and I hate playing fighting games on it. I still do but I struggle with my inputs, I don't know if its me or the dpad. If I use a controller or fight stick I don't have the same problem.

Regarding the black flash when changing framerate. I have a laptop that can swap between 60hz/165hz with a button press. It also has the same behavior. I assume it is a limitation of general screen hardware/a force of nature that can not be changed.