I didn’t think Valve would be pushing out a new hardware interface about a year after its release. The Steam Deck jump-started an entirely new category of hardware: handheld gaming PCs. This puts pressure on the gaming laptop market and is a great fit for desktop PC users or console owners who don’t want to invest in PC gaming. Valve took a huge page out of Nintendo’s book and listened to users. One of the most requested items was an OLED display. It’s also nearly half an inch bigger than the original LCD model. It makes a huge difference and makes games pop and come to life.

The OLED model has the same unboxing experience as the LCD model. It ships in its own carrying case inside a discreet cardboard box. You get a charger and a cleaning cloth with it. The case (at least for the 1TB model) is of higher quality than the LCD case. There is now a velcro strap that goes over the zipper to keep you from accidentally forgetting if the case is zipped and having the deck fall out. I have seen many photos on Reddit of this exact accident. Outside of that, unless you already own the original model, there won’t be much left to notice. However, having owned the original 512GB model, the deck is much lighter, and the shell itself feels more solid, almost like it’s been shot with a higher-quality or thicker plastic. There’s no squeaking or flex when you twist the system this time around.

The system doesn’t seem any thinner, but that’s okay. It does feel much lighter. The analog stick bases are now black instead of white, and the power button is orange. Other than that, there is little difference physically between the systems. The touchpads, however, are leaps and bounds better and are one of the best improvements to the system. Outside of the chipset shrink and better battery life, the OLED is quieter, which I assume is a better fan. The system also has a 90-Hz display, which is a huge deal. On top of that, the display has awesome HDR. The new screen pretty much checks all the boxes; however, only the higher-end 1TB model has better anti-glare etched glass. This increase in the 60-Hz LCD display puts it closer to its other Windows-based competitors. While not the top dog, the OLED display itself makes it the nicest-looking handheld gaming PC out there. 

Don’t let the fact that there is an increase in performance confuse you. There may be negligible increases due to better thermal handling and cooling, but you won’t get huge leaps and gains. The compromise mostly focused on better battery life, which is one of the biggest complaints about the deck. The alleged 25% increase puts it closer to its competitors. The 50-watt battery helps quite a bit, as does the addition of WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. I do notice longer battery life when doing every task, from gaming to just using desktop mode.

I also want to mention that the Deck OLED itself is just built better internally. I removed the rear plate to replace it with a transparent one, and everything seemed better built. The touchpad unit is no longer so sensitive that it never feels the same again once removed. My last Steam Deck had to be repaired due to a faulty solder joint on a ribbon cable and the touchpads not working correctly, despite everything being put back correctly. I’m also happy to see just how sturdy and well-engineered everything is inside.

Outside of the actual hardware itself, how are the games? Well, since I last reviewed the Steam Deck, the OS has come a long way. Thanks to Valve’s custom chipset, they can squeeze every drop of power out of it with their custom drivers. Games run better and better every month, and games that don’t push the Deck to its limits run beautifully at 90hz. That extra boost in refresh rate really shines, allows for more responsive controls, and lets the OLED pop. The HDR is especially brilliant, with games like Tetris Connected looking stunning at 90 Hz and with HDR enabled. The screen alone can be a system seller for Valve, as people have turned the deck away for just not having an OLED panel after Nintendo spoiled everyone. The Switch OLED also doesn’t have HDR or run at 90 Hz, so it’s the best handheld display on the market right now.

What’s more to say? The Steam Deck OLED is a fascinating and wonderful piece of tech that feels as premium as The Big 3’s systems. There are downsides to being a Linux system on the software side (mostly compatibility), but there are no hardware limitations or performance overhead due to Windows 11 sucking up precious bandwidth. The OS is fully customizable thanks to third-party plugins like Decky Loader, and you can even dual-boot into Windows if you want.