The New Steam Deck: Why OLED? 

Honestly, this upgrade made me go from "okay having a steam deck could be cool" to "I will now buy a Steam Deck at some point soon-ish"

I think the star of the show is the fact that it has HDR at all. HDR has been the bane of Linux's existence for some time now, and the fact that Valve got this working as flawlessly as they have is a testament to the serious work they and the community have put into the Linux gaming ecosystem! As for the battery life improvement, they were actually pretty spot on when they said a 50% improvement. It's a combination of many things, not the least of which being the move to 6 nanometer. The whole unit is more efficient and LTT even tested it, and they got about a 45% Improvement over the old one. So Valve's claim is accurate.

The fact that the Oled is cheaper than the LCD 512 GB model that I was already saving up for and has the same storage space is a pretty big deal to me, they can't keep getting away with this.

One thing to consider is that Valve is still selling the older LCD models with a big discount for a limited time. You can get the 64GB model for $350, which is still a good deal, or a refurbished one for $280, whici is absolutely crazy for what you get (if you can get one, of course). Just add a 512GB SSD, a 512GB SD card and you can get a 1TB-ish Steam Deck for around $350, it's still an extremely good deal, even if you just want to use emulators on it.

That was the funniest intro to a sponsor segment I've ever seen, people in this coffee shop think I'm crazy now with how much I'm silently laughing lmao

the fact that we can see difference in screens already just by watching this video shows how much of improvement OLED is, now its getting more interesting to get a steamdeck

13:10 it's an important distinction that the Steam Deck "anti-glare" is not a coating but is etched glass. It looks dramatically better than anti glare coatings (like many monitros have) which will diffuse fine lines and text. I've had the 512 for over a year and love the etched glass too.

The extremely wide battery life range makes a lot of sense, as that is the difference between playing a demanding recent AAA game and a not so demaning indie game. And 2 to 3, 8 to 12 hours are both a 50% improvement. PC Gamer tested it in their review and their findings agreed with Valve's battery life improvement: the battery life of the LCD one compared to the OLED one (with HDR off), running Diablo 4 went from 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours, and running Vampire Survivors that went from 5 hours to 8 hours and 20 minutes. That's a 67% and 60% improvement, respectively, so that checks out for these games! With HDR off for VS, by the way, with it on the OLED only lasted about 6 hours, but it didn't impact battery life for Diablo 4 (HDR on did negatively impact battery life in other AAA games)

One thing I like about the etched glass versus the glossy finish as well is that whenever I’m playing with a device that has a glossy finish I can sometimes catch a very detailed version of my face looking back at me, and with the etched glass it’s more like I’m looking at an outline of a person, not saying I’m afraid of my own reflection, but sometimes seeing a face reflected back at you can be startling when you’re just trying to focus on playing games.

Makes sense, I finally get a steam deck 2 monts ago now they do this. Same thing happened with the oled switch

I’m a big fan of this upgrade-it’s substantial, tantalizing, even, to a current LCD owner like me, but it doesn’t feel like my old Deck is suddenly irrelevant like some upgrades have a tendency to induce. Probably just going to hold on to my trusty device until the APUs get the “big enough bump” that Valve is waiting for.

You have become the world's number one authority on OLED burn in testing, Bob. Everyone, every channel, every news outlet mentions you. We're all counting on you to test the Deck!

The reason the SSD swap works is that Valve is keeping the software for the two units exactly the same. It just has some if statements to change some behaviors based on what device is being used.

Bob’s delivery is hilarious 2:24

It's nice to hear someone provide a positive opinion on the whole etched glass thing. I'm sure it does make a difference (ultimately it's inevitible, physics and all), but I can't help but feel like I'd prefer the reduced glare in bright/outdoor situations more than the fact I'm not getting 100% clarity (I'm not exactly pixel peeping when playing steam deck, I do enough of that on my PC lmao)

Upgrading doesn't make sense for me. Everything that the stock Steam Deck can't handle I just run on the PC/OLED TV just fine...but boy I'd love to have one of these!

Rocking the older 512GB LCD model for about 4 months so far, and I'm plenty happy with it, but I am happy that Valve offers the same capacity with new OLED for $100 less now and otherwise doubles the stock storage for the same price point as what mine was sold for. If I was to suggest one to a person interested in the Steam Deck now; it'd be the 512GB or 1TB OLED models for the extra niceties those two have over the 256GB LCD version.

I got my wife a 512 GB OLED after she tried my launch model. I really like the upgrades and if I didn't have one already I would probably get one. But I'm still extremely happy with my current one. She thought I would take the new one and pass down mine, but I think the new features will benefit her more than me.

I hope you don’t feel obligated to test out burn in for any handheld device with an OLED screen. Anyways, thanks for the review. If I had the money I’d certainly consider this.

I had the anti glare coated LCD version. The biggest issue with it is that the moment you put a screen protector on it you lose it. So unless you use the deck without a screen protector It doesn't add anything.

I got the 512 LCD back when they first came out, jumped at the chance to upgrade to the LTD edition 1 TB and it was worth every penny. On top of all the things you covered I just think it feels better in the hands than the previous model did. There's something about the way that the buttons/bumpers/trackpads respond to your input that's hard to describe but just feels so much more satisfying.

I opted for buying the $400 256gb model the other day because I tend to not play super intensive or high end games anyways. I really appreciated them dropping prices and cant wait for it to get here (take bets on how long I hold out before buying a new SSD for it).

Sort of love and hate how Steam Deck is the only PC handheld actually trying to compete in efficiency. The other manufacturers seem to forget that their handhelds aren't laptops, and should be trying to stay off the wall charger. There's plenty of handhelds out now, but Steam Deck is essentially in its own tier.

the ad read at 2:22 has me in tears right now.

Best coffee advert ever! 😄 I am planning on upgrading to the OLED and giving my LCD as a xmas present. So many things have improved that make me feel it is worth it.

I can answer that question about image retention, LCD screen image retention would happen first provided you are displaying something that will cause it. It only takes a couple of hours for my laptop. It goes away pretty fast too, though.

I love everything about your Trade Coffee sponser segment, the comedic timing, the dog, it was just a pleasure to watch.

I was already planning on getting a steam deck during the next steam sale, and now I want this upgraded version!

I just got a second hand steam deck, 1TB SSD 1TB SD card and a jsaux mod case. I am frickin in love with it and I don't know how, but it was only €380 so I got a frigging steal

The RE Remake games don't have great implementation of HDR IIRC, which may be part of the reason the difference isn't very apparent. Also the HDR calibration menu in many games are not very accurate, so while the calibration settings look good on the example image in the menu, once in game it can end up looking very flat or washed out. Very common for the peak brightness setting to not match up with what gets displayed at all for instance. When a game does HDR well it's absolutely amazing. When it's implemented poorly it can often look better to just disable it.

I recently got the steam deck as a birthday present and honestly, while everything in the new model seems great, I've been great with what I have. I've been able to go on trips without any issues and it's great for daily gaming. (From someone that doesn't have a PC.) I don't think it's worth an upgrade but it's probably worth it if you didn't buy a deck yet. But I always enjoy hearing your input on these devices~

Dude, i remember when it first came out and your review was pretty lukewarm about the Steam Deck. It's nice to see you've come around and appreciate the ease of use and consumer oriented attitude that Valve continues to bake into this thing. I have an LCD steam deck and I immediately decided that the upgrade would be worth it. I didn't like the slippery texture on the original deck and bought caps immediately. I sent my deck in to be repaired after my son dropped it and the left bumper stopped working and now after the repair it doesn't feel the same, so hearing that they feel more clicky and responsive from you and other users is a big plus for me. The improvements to the polling rate of the screen and trackpads will make input easier, where I felt this was definitely somewhere Valve compromised on the original Deck. And the slightly larger screen, which fills out the bezel's more nicely, where the LCD model, i felt, had too much bezel, is also important to me. LET ALONE, that it is now OLED w/ 90 hrz. It's a matter of saving the money to buy it for me.

I have been planning on getting my wife a Steam Deck for Christmas since early this year. I was waiting to see if they'd offer a deal for Black Friday. And I guess they sort of did, since they have lowered the price of the old model until they're sold. However it's tough to resist the OLED model so I did get my order in today. Hopefully it ships before Christmas. The checkout process was tough to get through so I may have to wait a bit.

The improved battery life is also due to the more efficient OLED panel. This is also why OLED TVs and monitors can be more energy efficient than even smaller LCD displays. Some more research would have been appreciated for this and the comments about HDR.

Great Video. I like the Anti-Glare screen better than the glossy one. One can't always have control of the bright light source. Also surprised hear your confession on loving Taki Udon with your life.

I'm happy they improved the Steam Deck. But I think I'll still stick with my launch Deck and look forward to the next one in a couple of years.

I owned the anti-glare screen on my previous Steam deck. However, my problem wasn't the colors but that the fingerprints were so damn hard to wipe off so I installed a screen protector with fingerprint resistance. Of course the anti-glare was gone but so was my fingerprint problem.

NGL i used to be scared of burn in, your 2 years switch burnin test kind of cured that and didn't even think about it until ya brong it up

Ok so I never watch the in video ads on my favourite RU-vid channels but I always make an exception for these in video ads because they always crack me up! So damn funny and witty and sharp! Oh and the tech reviews are great too lol ;)

Yo Bab! First, great video as always. Secondly, over the past X amount of video, your J cuts (if that's what they're called) work great 👏

This mid cycle refresh pushed me over the edge for sure. Feeling great about waiting to buy. My limited edition OLED comes in Wednesday!

The main reason I prefer the non-etched glass is that once in a while I catch a glimpse of how disheveled I look after playing my steam deck too long, and it’s a good reminder to go shower.

this has made me actually interested in picking one up finally. I love the handheld formfactor, and I'd actually get thru my games if i had one. not to mention, it's probably more powerful than my laptop, which is a bonus

For identifying you could’ve just used the color of the joysticks, grey = lcd, black or orange = OLED

Nice, I have been waiting for your Steam Deck Oled coverage!

I am going to try to get the limited edition one and then give my original Streamdeck to my daughter who has been wanting one. Thanks for the great video.

Bruh,……the beginning line for the coffee promotion had me in stitches 😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I feel like I will upgrade it eventually but I’ll probably wait till around my birthday in August. Whenever a new device comes out there’s always gonna be some minor fixes for problems so that’s just in time to fix those. I’m just hoping that once I get the new SteamDeck I can sell my 1tb Modified steamdeck for about $300

My Ambernic RG350M just died, and after a new battery didn't fix it I said screw it and pulled the trigger on the 1TB OLED. I thought the concept was cool since the first launch, but this refresh is icing on the cake. I just got it 2 days ago, and so far it's great. I love the fact that it is built to be repaired/upgraded/tinkered with, and the software is so open too! I try to support products with those goals in mind.

Thanks for another amazing video. I just got my order in for the 512gb oled model. I would have tried for the limited edition or 1tb but im not a fan of the anti glare on oled. Plus theres a ton of customization as far as looks go.

If you want to see image retention on a LED Steam Deck try playing the original Contra for a little while and then exit the game. I think it mostly happens on the segments you're shooting forward. Or go and look at that F-Zero battle royale having the same effect on original Switches. It's not necessarily dangerous and will go away but it probably will upset you the first time it happens

They fixed almost everything the way they could, without bringing v2 out. I did order today and can't wait!

I already love my original 256gb, and won't be upgrading. Also, a lot of people don't like the anti-glare screen because it really interferes with screen protectors, which I always use. Best to keep it safe and look for shade if it's too bright.

Bob’s such a straight shooter. I placed my order for LE a few hours ago but it’s still good to hear him gush about the SD OLED.

I fully want to upgrade to this newer one for that OLED. I play in handheld quite a bit.

Just ordered 1T Steamdeck Oled 🎉😆💯% excited ! 🙃 Been waiting 🙌 On doing a lot of research for my first handheld . I went with customers reviews

Watching this as I refresh the store page for these orders to go live.

I ogt mine in March of this year during Steam's first sale they had with the Steam Deck. I'm good with my 64gb LCD version and plan to upgrade the SSD to 1tb at some point.

Lol i keep microfiber cloths on my desk constantly too 😅

Yay more bob coffee series!!

I have an original steam deck that completely stopped working like 3 weeks ago and I was going to buy the Lenovo Legion Go to replace it and then this was announced! So I just bought the 512 GB version because I love how easy the steam deck is compared to a normal windows handheld and I don't want the etched glass version.

“My grandfather told me that if you have a good cup of coffee in the morning, you won’t need the touch of a woman. I was three”, absolutely sent me 😂 kudos for always having the best ads.

I bought the steam deck because they introduced the refurbished program, quickly fell in love with it and now fomo made me buy the new oled. I'm already selling my lcd deck after 2 months of owning it. This may sound stupid (it is), but i really do use the deck a ton and the oled model addresses most of my grievances with the old one

The OG deck is great, but, the upgrades honestly put the new OLED one in a league of its own. Sure, there are still some faster options out there, but nothing that is as complete and polished of an experience. Plus, when games outpace the OLED performance, it will always be an absolutely fantastic game streamer.

always love the content bob, much love from Canada

I believe someone did a test to see if there claims about the battery was true or not. They concluded based on all the power efficiency upgrades and the addition to the 50wh battery that it was around the claim percentage boost. Now if only I could resell my steam deck back to valve to get some sort of credit and buy the new one. That way they could also just refurbish my old one.

I was able to grab a limited edition one soooo exited

Hi Wulff, try HDR out on your TV and find out that it's actually really affective! Thanks for all your videos

As cool as the OLED Steam Deck is, I am still very much happy with my Steam Deck. If I do look for an upgrade down the road I'll probably still keep my Steam Deck while getting the next gen Steam Deck, whenever that may be.

been waiting on this one! can't wait to watch!

Glad to see pretty much every reviewer saying the etched glass version looks amazing, which is what you'd expect despite the enraged Reddit crowd. I don't know how people watched Dave2d's video and didn't look at the conditions or angles he was shooting with, but confirmation bias really is a thing. As always, get your data from multiple sources and not just the ones agreeing with what you already want to believe. And with that said I'm sure almost everyone who gets a glossy screen will also have a great time.

The dog in the ad has me dying😂

Planning to get one of the oled models for 650 usd in January if they'll still be in stock by that time. Haven't had an oled screen of sorts besides my vita, and this option would be great since my laptop can't run half those games in the steam library.

Ordered mine on launch day. It arrives Saturday! I can’t effing wait!! It’s my first handheld pc !

This release has convinced me to go with a Steam deck over picking up one of the Windows units. However, I’m working on getting other things paid off at the moment and this will have to wait.

10:45 Going by my LCD model Deck, it's extremely easy to get image retention on it. Even after playing some contrasty thing for half an hour or less, the persistent parts of the image stick. But after 5 minutes of doing something else, it's completely gone again. And if something worse stays, an LCD scrub video will probably fix it completely.

your adds always kill me! great videos and great coffee!

7:08 "Here it just kinda adds even more dynamic range" Yes... HDR stands for "High Dynamic Range"

Did they ever fix being able to download games while you put the device to sleep? Or does it still need to be on at all times until downloads complete?

I was dumb and got the 1TB Steam Deck, but thanks to you I realized I got the wrong one and since upgraded to the Limited Edition one. Very Happy now, thanks Bob!

Note HDR also works on the LCD deck if you dock it to a HDR TV or Monitor. It’s fantastic.

Ive used matte screen protector films on my switch and phones for years. Love them. Iq shield makes the best. I also use a Procase flip cover case for my oled switch i highly recommend.

17:03 Wifi 6e is big for those that stream games locally from your beefier gaming rig

Im considering getting the curren 256GB model for my gf since she doesn't care much for a framerate higher than 60fps, and if we need to upgrade the storage we can just get a microsd. Mind you, she's a Nintendo gal and has never owned a pc that was better than a school laptop. We're also on a little bit of a tighter budget and her steam library has yet to grow to a point where she'd need a bigger storage.

Very Nice! i wanna get it but i just picked up a 512gb model in september. maybe theyll upgrade the ram eventually and color the D pads or something.

I might get one in a few months or years depending on some things happening in my personal life. But I will keep an eye on your channel to stay informed on any future developments.

I got an OG 512 LCD Deck in early 2022 and it's awesome. I play it more than my PS5. Just nabbed the 1TB OLED. No regrets. Can't wait to have it in my greasy mitts. The old one will get chucked over to a nephew or something.

I'm glad I waited to get a Steamdeck. I'll be placing an order for the limited edition within the hour 😊

I’ll be upgrading from a base model for sure. Love my oled switch and I’d be fine if the only deck upgrade was the oled screen, so all the other upgrades are just bonus features.

I consider the high priced ones to be competing with gaming laptops, so there is no bad deals when looking at any deck option. Its just a matter of what you can afford.

Very helpful information, give me all idea I need 👍🏼

Great Stuff, as always!

Your advertisements are the best😂

nice screen tho i'd wait for the deck2

Going for the 512 for my birthday this year, the more I learn about the Steam Deck the more I love it over other handhelds.

I have my OG 64GB upgraded myself to 1TB and I have zero regrets. Still only paid the $400ish + $100 for a drive. All that being said? This refresh is good even for OG adopters BECAUSE increasing interest in the platform typically means better support for the platform. I am looking forward to what is next. P.S. Bob says he wants a steam deck light? Isn't there one of those OTHER windows handhelds you can convert to Steam OS bob? I know it would be NICE to have another valve product, but you probably have the answer sitting on your shelf. Also the Odin 2 is coming and you can always just stream any game to the Odin right?

10:49 I thing it happens often on may Deck. When it try do put it into sleep mode the screen sometimes retain the image of the Battery in the top.

I've been using my OG Steam Deck extensively since I got it at release. My only "problem" has been the screen, I wanted it to be bigger and better. So I got the OLED at release and could not be more pleased. The screen is not just bigger but way way better. If you are using your Deck a lot, I strongly suggest an upgrade. It is worth it.

i`ve heard that the OLED panel is from the same supplier as the switch one, so i think the burn in test would give the same result

I think grabbing a refurbished lcd is the gaming bargain of the decade! If I can get an OG deck for £250, that’s a £229 saving in the uk. Even when I add a larger ssd and a micro sd I’m getting a damn good deal 🤘🏻