Valve has made a number of upgrades to the Steam Deck, with the biggest one being the screen.
The Steam Deck now has a 7.4-inch OLED screen that delivers top-notch picture quality with a resolution of 1,280 x 800 and supports high contrast HDR at 1,000 nits for peak performance (600 nits for SDR content).
Valve has also increased the refresh rate from 60Hz to 90Hz, enabling smoother display for various games and the overall interface.
The AMD APU has gone from 7nm to 6nm now and it comes with 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM (6,400 MT/s quad 32-bit channels). The increased memory bandwidth translates to a small performance improvement, according to Digital Foundry.
The base OLED model comes with 512GB NVMe storage and is priced at USD549 (~RM2,592), while the 1TB storage version that has an anti-glare etched glass-covered screen costs USD649 (~RM3,064).
This new model maintains the original Steam Deck’s performance and shape, ensuring compatibility with existing cases and accessories. It’s also 30 grams lighter despite accommodating a larger 50Whr battery, resulting in a 30% to 50% increase in battery life, according to the company.
Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities have received modern upgrades. The Steam Deck OLED’s chipset supports Wi-Fi 6E (6 GHz, 5 GHz, and 2.4 GHz connections), potentially enabling significantly faster downloads, contingent on internet and router hardware.
The new Bluetooth 5.3 support permits remote activation via Bluetooth, a long-awaited feature for many Steam Deck owners. The updated Bluetooth module enhances connectivity with improved quality and reduced latency.
Regarding haptics and audio, Valve has improved the haptic feedback with higher fidelity and enhanced the trackpads with better edge detection. The built-in speakers are now louder and offer improved bass.
The Steam Deck OLED doesn’t replace the old Steam Deck, and it will still be available alongside the upgraded model.
As always, Valve is not selling the Steam Deck officially in Malaysia, so if you want one, you have to buy one from resellers online.
