• Valve's original handheld

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  Steam Deck

  Dimensions

  11.7 x 4.6 x 1.9 inches (298 x 117 x 49mm)

  Brand

  Valve

  Weight

  1.48 pounds (669 grams)

  Chipset

  Custom AMD Zen 2-based processor (4 cores, 8 threads, up to 3.5GHz)

  RAM

  16GB LPDDR5 5600MHz

  Storage

  Up to 512GB M.2 2230 SSD

  Valve's Steam Deck is a handheld gaming powerhouse that opens up access to Steam's massive library of games on the go. With a powerful custom AMD APU and a slew of features, this machine can handle modern AAA gaming wherever you are. If you're looking for an impressive handheld, check out the Steam Deck.

  Pros & Cons

  • Impressive game catalog
  • Powerful hardware
  • Lots of user control

  • Lackluster display

  $399 at Steam
• The newest Deck

  Steam Deck OLED

  Dimensions

  11.7 x 4.6 x 1.9 inches (298mm x 117mm x 49mm)

  Brand

  Valve

  Weight

  1.41 pounds (640 grams)

  Chipset

  Custom AMD Zen 2 APU (4 cores/8 threads, up to 3.5GHz boost)

  RAM

  16GB LPDDR5 6400MT/s

  Storage

  512GB or 1TB NVMe SSD, microSD card slot

  Valve's upgraded Steam Deck features a larger OLED display with HDR support, faster Wi-Fi, and a bigger battery. Plus, this new model is slightly lighter, has slightly faster RAM, and it comes with storage up to 1TB. If you're looking for the ultimate Steam Deck, this is the version for you.

  Pros & Cons

  • Faster Wi-Fi
  • Better battery life
  • OLED display

  • No major upgrades over last model

  $549 at Steam

Valve's Steam Deck is an overall impressive handheld gaming device that oftentimes beats out the best Steam Deck alternatives that have cropped up as well as even the best gaming laptops in terms of its portability. However, recently the Steam Deck OLED has been introduced, so you might be wondering if you should go for the original Deck or opt for the newer OLED model.

Luckily, we're here to help you decide which Steam Deck is the right gaming machine for you.

Price, availability, and specs

The Steam Deck OLED is up for sale on Steam's website, and it comes in either 512GB or 1TB models, priced at $549 or $649. Depending on which you opt for, you'll also get some extra goodies, like a carrying case, a Steam profile bundle, an exclusive startup movie, and an exclusive virtual keyboard theme. There's also a limited edition Steam Deck OLED (available in limited quantities) you can buy that comes in a translucent, smoky colorway.

The original Steam Deck is also up for sale on Steam's website. The 256GB original Deck is now the primary model of original Deck up for sale, and it retails for $399. While supplies still last, you can pick up a 64GB Deck for $349 or a 512GB Deck for $449, but these original Decks are in the process of being phased out, so they won't be around for too long. Otherwise, if you want an original Deck, you'll be stuck with the 256GB model.

• 	Steam Deck OLED	Steam Deck
  Dimensions	11.7 x 4.6 x 1.9 inches (298mm x 117mm x 49mm)	11.7 x 4.6 x 1.9 inches (298 x 117 x 49mm)
  Brand	Valve	Valve
  Weight	1.41 pounds (640 grams)	1.48 pounds (669 grams)
  Chipset	Custom AMD Zen 2 APU (4 cores/8 threads, up to 3.5GHz boost)	Custom AMD Zen 2-based processor (4 cores, 8 threads, up to 3.5GHz)
  RAM	16GB LPDDR5 6400MT/s	16GB LPDDR5 5600MHz
  Storage	512GB or 1TB NVMe SSD, microSD card slot	Up to 512GB M.2 2230 SSD
  Wireless Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6E & Bluetooth 5.3	Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0
  Display	7.4-inch OLED 1280 x 800 touchscreen, up to 90Hz	7-inch IPS, 1280x800, 60Hz touchscreen, optional scratch resistant glass coating
  Ports	1x USB-C (with DisplayPort support), 3.5mm combo audio jack, microSD card slot	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (DP Alt Mode), 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD expansion

Design and display

In terms of design, there aren't really many changes to speak of between the two Decks. Although, the newer Steam Deck OLED is around 5% lighter, according to Valve. Plus, the new Steam Deck also has a slightly larger display (7.4 inches vs 7 inches) than the original model. Nonetheless, you won't notice much of a difference visually at a glance between the two gaming consoles.

However, when it comes to display, there is a major difference between the two. As you'd expect, the Steam Deck OLED features an OLED display. Compared to the original Deck's LCD display, the OLED model is sure to offer up deeper blacks and richer contrast. The OLED Deck also gets brighter than the original and supports HDR. That's not all, though, as the new Deck has an increased refresh rate of 90Hz as compared to the original Deck's 60Hz refresh rate.

If you're looking for the best display, the clear winner here is the Steam Deck OLED.

Performance and features

If you're wondering if the OLED Deck is faster than the original, well, the short answer is no. However, RAM on the OLED Deck is clocked slightly faster (6400 MT/s vs 5600 MT/s), so there may be some very minor performance gains in certain situations. You will also be better able to take advantage of the hardware with the OLED Deck thanks to its 90Hz refresh rate. Nonetheless, don't expect games to run better on the OLED Deck by any meaningful amount.

Feature-wise, there is largely parity between the two consoles, but there are differences. For one, you're getting an upgraded Wi-Fi 6E chip on the OLED Deck that Valve promises offers up to 3x faster download speeds. You also get HDR support, as mentioned above. Furthermore, the original Deck only supported up to 512GB of internal storage, while the OLED Deck supports up to 1TB.

The difference isn't huge in terms of features and power, but the OLED Deck does offer more.

Battery life

Battery life hasn't necessarily been a strong suit of the Deck, but in our review, we got around 2-8 hours on a single charge. For how powerful the Steam Deck is, this isn't terrible performance, and other similar handhelds won't be playing AAA games at high settings for hours and hours on a single charge, either. Of course, battery life massively depends on how graphically demanding the game you're playing actually is, so keep that in mind.

The OLED Deck features a larger battery that Valve promises to manage 30-50% better battery life. We'll have to test this out for ourselves, but in general, we'd expect a couple more hours, on average, added to both ends of the range of battery life we got with the original Deck. This isn't a massive improvement, and it requires further verification, but a bigger battery is always a win, especially on a relatively power-hungry handheld.

With a bigger battery, the Steam Deck OLED is the winner when it comes to battery life.

Steam Deck vs Steam Deck OLED: Which should you buy?

If you're a first-time Steam Deck buyer, the OLED model is the clear winner. For just $150 more than the 256GB original model, you're getting twice the storage, an OLED display, a higher refresh rate, HDR support, faster Wi-Fi, and better battery life, among other improvements. If you've got the money for it, there's little reason to opt for an original Steam Deck now.

Valve's OLED Steam Deck is the best version of the Deck. With a brighter, higher-refresh-rate OLED display that supports HDR, faster Wi-Fi, and better battery life, among other improvements, there's no denying that the OLED Deck is the ultimate Valve portable.

However, if you already own a Steam Deck, the new model may not be worth the upgrade. If you're especially disappointed with image quality, battery life, or download speed on your Deck, for example, you might want to consider an upgrade, but the OLED Deck may not be worth another $549 after you've already spent hundreds on an original Deck.