In an announcement that no one saw coming, Valve has launched an updated version of the Steam Deck, its handheld gaming PC that has gained immense popularity since its launch in early 2022. Called the Steam Deck OLED, the upgraded model's claim to fame is an OLED display (made by Samsung) that is slightly bigger than the LCD display on the previous model.
Along with an OLED panel, which will substantially enhance the gaming experience by offering better colors, contrast, and black levels, the Steam Deck OLED features HDR support and can go up to 1000 nits in brightness. That's not all. The display on the refreshed model also has a 90Hz refresh rate for smoother and low-latency gaming.
There are changes under the hood as well. The Steam Deck OLED has a bigger battery that can extend battery life by 30-50% and charges faster, its APU is now built on a 6nm process instead of 7nm for higher efficiency, and the RAM speed is now 6,400 MT/s (up from 5,500 MT/s).
The Steam Deck OLED will also run cooler, thanks to a larger radiator and larger fan (the fan is quieter as well). Other upgrades include 2x storage (512GB and 1TB instead of 256GB and 512GB), Wi-Fi 6E support, Bluetooth 5.3, louder speakers, higher fidelity haptic feedback, a multi-color indicator LED, and even a more easily repairable design.
The Steam Deck OLED will be available from November 16 and is priced at $549 for the 512GB variant and $649 for the 1TB variant, with the latter coming in a new carrying case. Valve also has a limited edition version of the Steam Deck OLED that has a translucent design, but this one is only for the US and Canada and will cost $679.
Image credit: Valve
