Valve’s Steam Deck, a beloved handheld gaming device, has unexpectedly received a mid-generation upgrade, now sporting an OLED panel. In classic Valve style, this refresh aims to tackle the persistent issues of the original Steam Deck. Let’s delve into the array of new features introduced in the impressive Steam Deck OLED upgrade and acknowledge Valve’s efforts in these remarkable improvements!
Valve Officially Introduces Steam Deck OLED Following Initial Leaks
The initial news regarding the Steam Deck OLED was first spotted on Gamespot’s RSS feed, swiftly noticed by attentive users within the ResetEra community. Shortly after, Valve confirmed the release of this upgraded handheld gaming console through their official YouTube and X account (formerly Twitter). The official announcement video showcased numerous Steam Decks arranged in a circular configuration, each equipped with the new OLED display.
The mid-gen refresh comes with notable enhancements. The prominent change is the inclusion of a 90Hz OLED screen, maintaining the 1280×800 resolution but now supporting HDR. The upgraded model boasts a larger battery capacity, now housing a slightly larger 50Wh battery in contrast to the original 40Wh, ensuring enhanced battery life.
Valve credits the OLED screen’s reduced power consumption and the integration of a new 6nm AMD APU for the increased battery life.
Alongside these upgrades, the new model includes enhancements to the haptic system, improved Wi-Fi capabilities up to Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. Valve assures consistent software support and avoids disparities in peripherals between the original and OLED versions of the Steam Deck. So, if you’re an original Steam Deck owner, there’s no need to fret unless you experience FOMO regarding the upgrades in the Steam Deck OLED.
New Steam Deck Pricing and Limited-Edition Model
It’s interesting how Valve has revised its Steam Deck lineup alongside the Steam Deck OLED announcement. The 64 GB eMMc model is being discontinued and replaced by a 256 GB model that retains the original LCD screen.
The 512 GB model now includes the OLED display and hardware improvements, while the highest-tier choice is the 1 TB model, comprising all the features present in the 512 GB version. Furthermore, the 1 TB variant includes a liner with a hard case. Here are the prices for the Steam Deck OLED models:
- 256 GB LCD Model: $399.00
- 512 GB OLED Model: $549.00
- 1 TB OLED Model: $649.00
Valve is set to introduce a limited-edition 1 TB Steam Deck OLED model, exclusive to the US and Canada. The special edition boasts a transparent shell, an exclusive carrying case with unique artwork, and an improved cooling system, available at a price of $670. Given their “experimental” nature, these units are only available in the US and Canada.
The order page for the new Steam Deck OLED is already live, allowing customers to place orders. Sales will commence on November 16th for the US, Canada, UK, EU, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea. Japan will gain access to the Steam Deck OLED via Komodo, which serves as Valve’s official partner for these specific regions.
Are you looking forward to the new Steam Deck OLED? Planning to buy one? What are your impressions of these new models, especially if you already own the original version? Let us know your views in the comments below!
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