Valve Launches Steam Deck OLED with Upgraded Screen & Battery Life

Valve Corp. has launched an upgraded version of its popular Steam Deck handheld gaming device. The new Steam Deck OLED, as the name suggests, features an OLED screen and extended battery life compared to the original LCD Steam Deck.

The Steam Deck OLED will begin shipping on November 16th, with prices ranging from $549 for the 512GB model to $679 for a limited edition 1TB version with a special carrying case. The new OLED screen provides upgraded visuals and deep blacks with HDR support and up to 1000 nits brightness.

Valve has also cut prices on the previous LCD screen models, with the 256GB version now starting at $399. However, the 64GB and 512GB LCD models are being discontinued.

The Steam Deck OLED's 7.4" 1280x800 resolution screen has a 90Hz refresh rate and is slightly larger than the previous 7" LCD. It is powered by a custom 6nm APU and 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, with support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. Battery life is around 30-50% improved over the LCD models, lasting 3-12 hours, depending on usage.

Product designer Lawrence Yang told Bloomberg that the new model was inspired by months of customer feedback requesting improvements like a better display, longer battery life, and a longer power cord. He claims the new Steam Deck OLED delivers "all the things we wish we could have done" originally.

While performance is unchanged, Yang said the OLED's visuals are significantly upgraded. While Valve won't reveal the actual figures, the Steam Deck has sold "multiple millions" since its launch in February 2022. The handheld PC device has proven popular with the gaming community, so much so that competitors like the ASUS ROG Ally (review) and Lenovo Legion Go have emerged.

Yang also revealed that his team is already working on a more powerful Steam Deck 2, though it won't launch for at least the next 2-3 years. There's no word if and when the Steam Deck OLED will officially launch in India.