The Biggest Differences Between The Steam Deck OLED And Steam Deck LCD

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The Steam Deck is one of the best portable gaming consoles you can buy. While previously you only had to choose between different storage sizes, you now have two models to choose from: Valve recently announced the Steam Deck OLED , which will replace the original Steam Deck LCD and improves on the original in several important ways. But is the new version worth the extra money?

Steam Deck LCD Display Specifications and Steam Deck OLED Display Specifications

At first glance, it looks like the new Steam Deck is just the old one with an OLED display. Of course, OLED allows you to get a brighter and better screen, slightly larger at 7.4 inches. But the new Steam Deck has improved cooling, longer battery life, and a slightly more efficient processor, all of which will be important when deciding whether to buy an LCD Steam Deck or stick with the more expensive option while it's still on sale. . Steam OLED board.

Steam Deck LCD specifications:

• Display: 7-inch RGB display with 1280x800X resolution, 60Hz refresh rate and 400 nits typical brightness.

• Processor: AMD 7nm custom APU

• RAM: 16 GB

• Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi

• Storage options: 64GB eMMC, 256GB NVMe SSD, 512GB high-speed NVMe SSD (expandable via microSD)

• Battery life. 40 Wh battery lasts two to eight hours (depending on content)

• Size & Weight: 298 x 117 x 49mm, Approx. 669 grams

Steam Deck OLED Specifications:

• Display: 7.4-inch OLED HDR display with 1280 x 800 resolution, 90Hz refresh rate and 1000 nits HDR peak brightness (600 nits typical)

• Processor: custom AMD APU, manufactured with 6nm process technology.

• RAM: 16 GB

• Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 6E.

• Storage options: 512GB NVMe SSD or 1TB NVMe SSD (expandable via microSD)

• Battery life: 50 Wh battery; 3 to 12 hours of gameplay (depending on content)

• Size & Weight: 298mm x 117mm x 49mm, 640 grams.

If you look at these two devices side by side, there is not much difference in performance specifications. Sure, the chip is newer and more efficient, but it won't deliver the same level of performance as convertible processors in a full-size desktop PC. In short, performance gains shouldn't be the reason you decide to upgrade to an OLED Steam Deck display. But this is not the whole story.

Display and battery life

One of the main reasons for the upgrade is the screen. A 0.4-inch increase isn't a huge increase, but when you're talking about handheld gaming, every little bit counts. Additionally, the Steam Deck's OLED display offers HDR options as well as a higher maximum brightness. The screen is 200 nits brighter when playing SDR than the Steam Deck LCD (600 nits vs. 400 nits), and can reach 1000 nits with HDR content. This means you can even play outside in the sun, something you might struggle with with the original Steam Deck.

The new display also has a higher refresh rate (90Hz vs. 60Hz), but frankly, it's not something you'll be taking full advantage of when playing most AAA games on Steam Deck.

Battery life is another important factor. While the LCD model works, the OLED offers slightly longer battery life than you might benefit from if you travel a lot. However, both devices drain faster when playing more demanding PC games, so don't stray too far from the charger.

Prices and storage options

The price of the Steam Deck you choose depends on the storage model you use. Unfortunately, the cheaper 64GB OG Steam Deck model is not available on the Steam Deck OLED. Instead, the OLED model only comes in 512GB and 1TB variants, so you'll be paying more than the old prices of the cheapest Steam Decks on offer.

The new OLED Steam Deck starts at $549 and goes up to $649 for the 1TB model. On the other hand, you can buy the LCD Steam Deck for $349 for the 64GB model and $449 for the 512GB model. However, these prices are only reduced. Until Valve's older consoles run out. For now, the Steam Deck OLED is your only option.

Interior improvements

But the display, battery life, and storage options aren't the only changes to the Steam Deck OLED. The OLED model offers better cooling and supports Wi-Fi 6E, making charging times slightly faster than the original LCD Steam Deck. For most people, this won't be too noticeable, but for those who have experienced how hot the LCD model can be, it will be nice to have a cooler palm rest.

Other internal improvements include improved memory that offers lower latency and better power management, and a third antenna that helps deliver better Bluetooth performance over the old Steam Deck LCD. Valve has also improved the audio tuning, which should improve the overall sound quality.

at the end

There's a lot to like about both devices, but if you haven't bought a Steam Deck yet, I recommend going with the Steam Deck OLED because of its durability and small overall improvements that allow Valve's latest model to hold its own. outside

Don't get me wrong. I've spent a lot of time with the Steam Deck LCD and it continues to perform well in terms of performance and display. But with the introduction of the OLED model, the reason to buy a Steam Deck became even more important.

Steam Deck OLED and Steam Deck LCD tests.