Following the success of the original Steam Deck, Valve has announced the Steam Deck OLED. This bigger and better version of the portable system features a number of improvements over the original, not the least of which is a shiny new OLED display.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new Steam Deck OLED:

Steam Deck OLED Features

On the official Steam Deck website, the new OLED edition boasts an improved range of colors over the base LCD screen. Additionally, the new and improved version includes several other handy improvements:

• Longer Battery Life – Steam Deck OLED has 30-50% more battery life. The team fit a bigger battery into the case, and the OLED display draws less power. Combined with the updated, more efficient AMD APU, you have way more time to play your favorites.
• Faster Downloads – Steam Deck OLED comes with Wifi 6E, offering increased bandwidth and lower latency. This means faster downloads (up to 3 times faster!) and stable online play.
• Lighter Form Factor – Thanks to a bigger fan and updated thermals, Steam Deck OLED runs cooler. It also weighs 30g, or ~5% lighter than the LCD model, due to the screen.

While this is just a sample of the changes included with the new model, there’s an extensive list of upgrades meant to make your handheld gaming experience more immersive. The display is now 7.4″ over the original 7″, the refresh rate is now 90Hz instead of 60Hz, and touchscreen functionality has been improved.

The new OLED models will feature a 512GB and a 1TB version for $549 USD and $649 USD, respectively. Additionally, the 1TB OLED will feature a brand-new carrying case with a removable liner. This will allow gamers to carry their Steam Deck in a backpack or duffel without worrying about the bulk of the full hard case.

Currently, Valve is also offering a Limited Edition Steam Deck OLED for the same price as the 1TB model. This version functions the same but includes a unique orange and gray translucent look. This version will cost $679 USD, an extra $30 more than the regular 1TB OLED.

Here’s the full list of changes made to the Steam Deck OLED:

Steam Deck OLED Upgrades

• General
  • Updated APU to 6 nm for better efficiency
  • Updated memory to 6400 MT/s, improving latency and power management
  • Increased thermal module thickness and performance
• Updated Display
  • Increased active area to 7.4″ (from 7.0″)
  • Updated refresh rate to 90Hz (from 60Hz)
  • Updated peak brightness to 1000 nits
  • Updated touchscreen polling rate to 180Hz, improved latency and accuracy
  • Updated WiFi / Bluetooth module
  • Added support for WiFi 6E
  • Added support for Bluetooth 5.3, supporting newer codecs such as aptX HD and aptX low-latency
  • Added third antenna near the top of the device for better Bluetooth performance, including when docked
  • Added support for wake from Bluetooth controllers
• Audio
  • Improved bass response for an overall flatter sound profile
  • Added support for using onboard microphone array simultaneously with the 3.5mm headphones connector
• Controls
  • Adjusted analog stick top material and shape for increased grip and dust build-up resistance
  • Adjusted analog stick post material to improve interaction feel with front cover and reduce wear
  • Improved reliability of analog stick touch detection
  • Improved responsiveness and tactility of shoulder buttons switch mechanism
  • Adjusted D-pad snap ratio and diagonal interactions
  • Redesigned trackpad for improved fidelity and edge detection
  • Greatly improved trackpad haptics feel and precision
• Power
  • Improved battery capacity from 40Wh to 50Wh
  • Improved battery chemistry for faster charging, from 20% to 80% in as little as 45 minutes
  • Changed charging LED to WRGB
  • Added support for waking up from initial unboxing by long-pressing power button instead of requiring AC power
  • Adjusted power supply cable length from 1.5m to 2.5m
  • Added logo to power supply
• Frame
  • Reduced total system weight to ~640g, or ~5% less than Steam Deck
  • Rear cover screws now thread into metal
  • Adjusted rear cover screw heads to Torx™, as well as other materials and geometry tweaks on the heads to reduce stripping risk
  • Lowered number of screw types throughout system
  • Reduced step count required for common repairs
  • Improved bumper switch mechanism drop reliability
  • Moved bumper switch to joystick board for easier repair
  • Improved display repair/replacement to not require taking rear cover off
• Software
  • Greatly improved memory power management firmware
  • Added preliminary support for open-source BIOS and EC firmware
  • Improved resume time by roughly 30%

If you’re curious about the system specifications for the OLED, worry not: we’ve got those too:

Steam Deck OLED System Specifications

Compute

• Processor
  • 6 nm AMD APU
  • CPU: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)
  • GPU: 8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.6GHz (1.6 TFlops FP32)
  • APU power: 4-15W
• RAM
  • 16 GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM (6400 MT/s quad 32-bit channels)
• Storage
  • Steam Deck 512GB NVMe SSD
  • Steam Deck 1TB NVMe SSD
  • Both include high-speed microSD card slot

Controls and Input

• Gamepad controls
  • A B X Y buttons
  • D-pad
  • L & R analog triggers
  • L & R bumpers
  • View & Menu buttons
  • 4 x assignable grip buttons
• Thumbsticks
  • 2 x full-size analog sticks with capacitive touch
• Haptics
  • HD haptics
• Trackpads
  • 2 x 32.5mm square trackpads with haptic feedback
  • Pressure-sensitivity for configurable click strength
• Gyro
  • 6-Axis IMU

Display

• Resolution
  • 1280 x 800 x RGB
• Type
  • HDR OLED
• Display size
  • 7.4” diagonal
• Maximum brightness
  • 1,000 nits peak brightness (HDR)
  • 600 nits (SDR)
• Contrast ratio
  • > 1,000,000 : 1
• Color gamut
  • 110% P3
• Refresh rate
  • up to 90Hz
• Response time
  • <0.1 ms
• Touch enabled
  • High performance touch

Sensors

• Light
  • Dual ambient light sensor ALS

Connectivity

• Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth 5.3 (support for controllers, accessories and audio)
  • Dedicated bluetooth antenna
• Wi-Fi
  • Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E radio, 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz 2 x 2 MIMO, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax

Audio

• Channels
  • Stereo with embedded DSP for an immersive listening experience
• Microphones
  • Dual microphone array
• Headphone / mic jack
  • 3.5mm stereo headphone / headset jack
• Digital
  • Multichannel audio via DisplayPort over USB-C, standard USB-C, or Bluetooth 5.3

Power

• Input
  • PD3.0 Type C power supply, 45W
  • 2.5m cable
• Battery
  • 50Whr battery. 3-12 hours of gameplay

Battery life estimates based on running titles at 30FPS, 50% brightness, and 50% volume. Running titles under different settings (such as uncapped framerate, higher brightness, and/or higher volume) may result in faster battery discharge.

Expansion

• microSD
  • UHS-I supports SD, SDXC and SDHC
• External connectivity for controllers & displays
  • Display port over Type C; up to 8K @60Hz or 4K @120Hz, USB3 gen 2

Size and Weight

• Size
  • 298mm x 117mm x 49mm
• Weight
  • Approx. 640 grams

Software

• Operating System
  • SteamOS 3 (Arch-based)
• Desktop
  • KDE Plasma

That’s everything you should ever need to know about the Steam Deck OLED. The new model will be available on the Steam website starting on November 16.

Source: Steam