The Steam Deck OLED is a way bigger upgrade than Valve are letting on (Review)

[@SkillUp]

Thank you Surfshark for sponsoring this video. Get an exclusive Surfshark Black Friday deal! Enter promo code SKILLUP to get up to 6 additional months for free at surfshark.deals/skillup

[@sleek86]

theres gonna be some mad memes from this "when i hold my new d*ck in my hand and my old d*ck in my hand, i dont know" i wont say anymore

[@Marky_Muk]

Don't believe valves lies? But u expect us to believe Jirads' lies?

[@Narinjas]

I am the patient gamer, I will buy it on at least 30% off, and have 12 or 24 months payment plan, yeah, i am also the cheap/poor gamer, but also, I really need that new OLED screen to be tested for longevity before buying the 1TB version... Interested to find any Steam Deck External Power Bank for longer and faster OTG gaming. (P.S. I am also a Samsung Galaxy NOTE 9 enjoyer... lower power but more practical person, that keeps holding to older better stuff.)

[@roxaskinghearts]

they should still sell the non oled version there is a glairing problem with all oled screens us gamers who wish to own our devices for over 10 years+ could easily point out for you all of their screens will eventually need to be replaced were if your like me and know how to take care of something the alternative should last you near 20 outside probably upkeep for everything els all im saying id respect more options

[@Narinjas]

@@roxaskinghearts they do, for the lowest tier of 256gb.

[@LuteaNelum]

I'm just a casual Steamdeck user so I won't be picking up a new one, but even with that being the case I think this is great even for us. Valve's is really showing their commitment to the platform with updates like this, and that's reassuring given how expensive these things are.

[@paulszki]

Yes. If I bought one at launch, I could always just sell the "old" one to get a new one or simply be happy and accustomed to what I already do have. Valve committing to this hardware sends a signal to developers and customers, that investing into it is a good choice. And it'll be the same with a Steamdeck two in like 2-3 years or whatever the projections were.

[@raikozy35]

@@paulszki yeah same situation here. The original LCD seems to be vibrant enough for me though, especially with the recent update that changed the color profile to srgb as default. I know there are so many upgrades that they did with the OLED model, but considering I use it less than 100 hours since I got it , maybe I should just stick with it and get the 2nd gen steam deck (whenever the oled one comes out lol). Also this is coming from someone who uses a nano IPS PC monitor (best IPS you can get), a super high end QD-OLED Sony TV, and a Samsung OLED galaxy phone, and the steam deck color doesn't bother me too much to play mostly indie jrpg games lol.I can't deny how nice that bigger screen and smaller bezel are though...that's the biggest bummer with me with the OG design.

[@adreanmarantz2103]

Same, I got the $650 LCD version. As much as I would like all the upgrades, I'm content with the 'old' model.

[@electricindigoball1244]

I would go a step further and say that this is good news for everyone who owns any handheld gaming PC because having a company like Valve supporting this platform long term means that it's unlikely to just disappear and therefore game developers are more likely to consider how well their games run on devices like this. It's also great news to people gaming on Linux as continued support for the Steam Deck further reinforces that Linux gaming is here to stay and makes it more difficult for game companies to ignore it.

[@3rooklyn]

Do you have to set up a hotspot or be near wifi to use the deck on the go?

[@Ashtarte3D]

The OLED might be what finally gets me to pick one of these up. I still adore my PS Vita for it's gorgeous screen. Plus the hassle of dealing with the ROG Ally for marginal performance doesn't matter since I mostly want it for playing smaller indie games that are often going to be more vibrant looking than bigger titles. That's what my monster of a PC is for, games like Armored Core 6 or Baldur's Gate. This'll be for stuff like RoboQuest or FlipWitch.

[@ForAllYarnkind]

My old PS Vita also made me pull the trigger finally on the steam deck OLED! Sony got it right first, unfortunate that they didn't dedicate and stick to it. OLED screens are just so amazing.

[@lufasumafalu5069]

dont forget the OLED SD Bigger Battery and AMD Z1 Extreme CPU upgrade and faster memory

[@doggy101]

And on top of that, since you only play smaller indie games, you will actually get better performance in those then the rog ally or anything else really (because of the lower wattages)

[@metaldiceman]

@m0rianne I know right? Like, if he'd have said Baldur's Gate 2, that one is _at least_ a bit more demanding...

[@colt-_-jonson1743]

i just want a ds pc :(

[@issamelarmi]

Valve showing how rich companies who are comfortable in their own skin behave. Great review btw (as always)!

[@mdalion]

That's because they're a private company.

[@srai5333]

they dont have to suck up to anyone

[@hododod246]

@@srai5333 Wrong. They have to suck up their customers.

[@bezrodnyigor]

@@mdalion true, but they also don't need it to make money. ASUS for example sells you Ally and that's it, they make whatever they make on it, Valve on the other hand sells games, they can sell hardware at cost (or even at a loss in some cases) and still make money in the long run. On top of that they don't even need SD at all to sell games, Steam is a dominant platform on PC with a good reputation anyway. So SD is a passion project and with products like that you either do it right or don't bother.

[@treebush]

@@hododod246 no they dont. other companies suck up to Steam and Steam PRINTS money by itself by being a middle man as well as just selling lootboxes from cs go.

[@Kaen0199]

The logo on the charger is nice for when you have several similar-looking chargers, your Steam one is the one with the Steam Deck logo. That's helpful for me, since my charging station has like three similar black box chargers.

[@concinnus]

It's just USB-C PD. You can simply use the highest output charger on everything.

[@APEXGuerilla]

Bruh.....

[@themightyant.]

Sometimes It’s the little things.

[@vitriolicAmaranth]

The Switch charger has the same minor feature, very handy.

[@vitriolicAmaranth]

@@concinnus Not actually true. Higher outputs can cause (sometimes permanent) problems in devices not meant for them, cable chargers (as in, those that plug into a USB port rather than a wall) are sometimes meant to double for data transfer and are sometimes incapable of supporting that, using your highest-output charger on one device and your second-highest on a device that requires the highest will result in the latter slowly losing charge instead of charging, etc. USB-C being a near-ubiquitous form factor is deceptive, because not all USB-C chargers are equivalent or even interchangeable.

[@MegaFokich]

Daaamn that logo on the charger is a gamechanger, I should buy it right away now!

[@Steve_Streza]

Me after watching 34 Steam Deck OLED reviews in the last week: hell yeah time for another Steam Deck OLED review

[@nintendude794]

Same

[@asgads]

The ease of "plug and play" with the deck and steam is so good

[@chiarosuburekeni9325]

Best feature imo, that and the resume/pause play button.

[@niks660097]

like dropping old steam deck sd card into the new one..

[@bibabutzemann5661]

@@chiarosuburekeni9325 Oh yes i am on resume/pause 24/7. Such a great feature.

[@eagle_rb_mmoomin_418]

​@@niks660097Get the OG SD on the latest version of the OS. Swap SSD and SD card continue. Windows used to require re keying if you put the OS image in a different machine. No idea if it's still as finicky but it would bitch about everything. Linux just doesn't give a shit 😂😂😂

[@uglybad4]

@@niks660097 I didn't expect it to be so simple but I was pleasantly surprised seeing my library pop up, ready to go, as soon as I swapped the SD from LCD to OLED

[@Invid72]

Just an FYI in case no one else corrected this...the Steam Deck OLED has a larger screen at 7.4" vs the Ally's 7". Not a huge difference and the Ally is higher res but just to be correct.

[@electricindigoball1244]

To be even more correct (:P) the Steam Deck and Ally have different aspect ratios. The Steam Deck's screen has a resolution of 1280x800 (16: 10) while the Ally's screen has a resolution of 1920x1080 (16:9). This means that there is more vertical space on the Steam Deck's screen which IMO makes a big difference on a device like this. While not all games support this aspect ratio it can make a noticeable difference in ones that do. The lower resolution is also not that big of deal given the size of the screen. For comparison an average 1080p monitor is 24" and has a PPI of around 91. By comparison the Steam Deck's OLED screen has a PPI of around 203. So even with the lower resolution the screen on the Steam Deck OLED has over twice as many pixels per inch as the most common type of PC monitor. When you add the advantages of the OLED and HDR 1000 support the lower resolution is a lot less of an issue especially if a particular game is heavy enough that you have to use FSR on the Ally (for reference FSR Quality at 1080p uses 720p as the base resolution).

[@Aki-ow9hd]

@@electricindigoball1244 tbh anything more than 140ppi is overkill for gaming. 4k 27" displays have a ppi of ~160 by comparison. It's crazy to think that mainstream smartphones even need to have 400ppi displays. My friends from I.T. department even agree that the PSVITA's display is really sharp even though it has a resolution of 960x540. Turns out the display is 5" so about 220ppi.

[@damianabregba7476]

To be even correcter (:P) this makes more squarish games 5:4 or 4:3 more visible since it is vertical size is all that matters in that case

[@electricindigoball1244]

@@damianabregba7476 Agreed. If you want to play old games that don't have widescreen support/mods then a 16: 10 screen, like on the one that the Steam Deck has, is much better suited for that. This is also a use case where the OLED screen is better than an LCD screen since the pixels comprising the black bars on the sides can turn off completely which makes them a lot less noticeable.

[@zoopa9988]

"To be even correcteror" (:P) Don't forget that the OLED with its improved contrast also looks higher-res/sharper.

[@jong2359]

The reason for not talking about all 37 improvements is that Valve is not stupid, but the general public is... horrendously so. They will either be flat out confused by the majority of the improvements, or somehow find a way to take 37 positives and turn them into 38 negatives.

[@jimmymac2292]

Meh, I mean these are all nice. But outside of the screen and battery life, these wouldn't be selling points over the LCD. I still dont think its worth an upgrade if you already have one

[@alexjames2264]

People are stupid

[@makandalp]

@@jimmymac2292 it is, if you like to play docked. Why? It's quieter.

[@GradietPanda12345]

@@makandalpthats a garbage ass reason

[@jimmymac2292]

@makandalp it's quieter, but I dont think that's worth rebuying. Fans on the LCD ramp up to 5700 rpm, on the Oled it's 5200. It's not that drastic

[@poppybrosjunior]

Was not certain the Deck would ever get a refresh. Nice to see Valve signaling they are serious about iterating on their hardware offering in a significant way. This shows they certainly have the talent to do so. The Deck may be here to stay, and Linux gaming will be better off for it!

[@AVerySillySausage]

Imagine a day when I can just switch to Linux completely. Honestly once HDR gets supported I might just say fuck it and try it.

[@eldengarrett9153]

​@@AVerySillySausagedual booting was the way I finally got into it. Bought an additional SSD for my desktop and running Pop OS on it. I've not really been missing Windows except for MS Office, which there are alternatives for on Linux of course.

[@nazgulsenpai]

@@AVerySillySausage I refuse to upgrade to Windows 11 and rather than wait til the last minute, made the switch last year. After 2 months I deleted my Windows partition. There's only been one game I would play that I can't because the anti-cheat isn't supported in Linux (Black Desert) but several others that work just fine with anticheat (PSO2, Elden Ring, many others I've tested). Also played through Baldur's Gate 3 and RE4 Remake on release with no issues. It's certainly doable, unless playing competitive FPS (other than Counter Strike) are a necessity.

[@keyworksurfer]

@@AVerySillySausagethat day was like, a year ago

[@AVerySillySausage]

@@keyworksurfer Ok so what desktop distro can I install right now and just toggle on HDR and have HDR work properly in the games that support it when running in windows? And for the games that support it that don't have in game calibration, can I calibrate in the OS? Keep in mind the latter feature was missing in windows for years until we got the HDR calibration windows store app in the past year or two.

[@IxCoLTzxI]

Good thing I bought a steam deck 2 months ago because I had no idea an OLED was coming 😎

[@PensFan35]

This is always how it works. I need a new switch because mines busted but I refuse to buy one because I know the Switch 2 will be announced the day after.

[@paulszki]

@@PensFan35 maybe just go for one on the used market as a hold over? Not sure about your usecase but maybe a refurbished switch lite (with warranty so you're not sad when the analogue sticks aren't working properly) No need to spend like 300 bucks on a "new" device. In europe/germany I can get a switch lite for a bit under 200€ from a reputable reseller which has to offer warranty by law.

[@GrimAbstract]

@@PensFan35please hurry up and buy a switch so I can get the switch 2 already, take one for the team 😭

[@AkuAku695]

that announcement is DEFINITELY on the horizon just keep holding out lmao@@PensFan35

[@farmpunk_dan]

I’m in the same boat. Mine was a birthday gift from my wife. I love my steam deck but it hurts a little that they just rolled out refurb as an option and now this and we definitely overpaid for mine from this POV.

[@chasesmay7237]

The first thing I was impressed with was the dedication this shows. It means Valve is in this space for the long haul, and that’s important. We all know how fickle tech is, and a show of commitment is probably what I needed in order to get one, honestly.

[@03a3.]

They own the ecosystem. They can afford to sell this at a loss and stick with it long term because it means people will be tied INTO their ecosystem. They'll make it all back with the lifetime of steamshop purchases. It's why I don't believe in any of the handheld PC competitors. They don't have the ecosystem. They can't stick with this long term while selling at a loss.

[@Aki-ow9hd]

@@03a3. pretty well known fact, but I don't think the other competitors are losing in the long run. The purpose of the Steam Deck has always been Valve's intention to invite competitors. That's actually what invites more people into Valve's ecosystem (because they own the gaming PC market), not just the Steam Deck itself. And that's not the end of their efforts, Steam Machines may or will come back. Linux ecosystem is already mature enough, they just need to keep pushing.

[@03a3.]

Exactly. It just makes sense. If they were publicly traded I'd invest. Though it's probably for the best they aren't

[@itsaUSBline]

Yeah, good to see it's not going the way of the Steam Controller.

[@TS111WASD]

@03a3. It’s definitely not selling at a loss, most likely a small profit to keep it affordable, like all consoles to be honest. You are right about the eco-system though.

[@markpotter8280]

Valve have done this brilliantly great marketing. If they would have said we have made so many improvements and started going on about it then people would be saying well it's not that much better and be disappointed. But all they said was yea it's now got an OLED screen and better battery and left the reviewers to give their honest thoughts about it. It sold it for me I am expecting my Steam Deck OLED hopefully in a couple of days :)

[@ClexYoshi]

I'd argue for the DSi, which was a mid-gen upgrade of the DS that introduced a whole digital shop, SD cards, brighter screen, better shoulder buttons, more battery life, and 2 cameras that used their own software was a pretty big mid-gen upgrade with some huge down sides (like losing the GBA cartridge slot for SD cards)

[@SWOTHDRA]

Thats why the new 3ds is a better refresh

[@lalas3590]

I upgraded from OG fat DS to the DSi XL - the difference was so much that it literally like a different console generation. The loss of GBA cartridge isn't that big of a deal - with CFW the DSi can run most (though not all) GBA titles (not the actual cartridges, obviously).

[@halkon4412]

That was a weird comment for sure, this definitely isn’t the biggest mid-gen refresh in history. Maybe by “refresh” he was referring exclusively to non-marketed spec bumps, like the PSP-2000 and -3000, or the OG Switch variant with more battery?

[@lay003]

@@lalas3590 same here, but i still think the fat DS did some things better - in my opinion the OG DS had a much better directional pad, and the shoulder buttons were comfier to me also. but yeah the upgraded IPS panel screens the DSi XL provided is hard to argue against.

[@atomicspartan131]

I didn't even know the DSi was supposed to be an upgrade to the original DS. It was the only one I got and I thought DS and DSi were the same

[@jasper265]

IMPORTANT: The new carrying case is only for the 1TB model. Also, the midtier model used to have 256GB storage not 128GB.

[@DoylePTB]

Just a huge shoutout to the presentation style. Down to Earth, sponsor at the end.

[@MKSwifty]

Dropping in to say that the facecam really made your video feel more wholesome and personal. You also had a softer energy in this, so maybe that's part of it. Either way, big fan and I don't comment often. Thanks for your work!

[@fastlanephil]

Would also love a video by you on setting up your steamdeck. Things like getting polydeck, emu deck, gamepass, etc. I’ve watched a handful of KZbinrs on this and honestly I just value your, SkillUps, inputs more than any of the others I’ve watched.

[@Ideeem]

I was only considering a Steam Deck but now I'm definitely getting now. OLED is game changer.

[@jamvng]

Same. Makes me really want one now.

[@Random_dud31]

I hate steam. I got the deck two months ago and now i want the oled. Damn you valve

[@frenchkainstein]

We are the real target for this Deck 😉

[@2intheampm512]

​@@Random_dud31Still in return window?

[@kinTaro-ju5xu]

@@Random_dud31sell it

[@jjforcebreaker]

Revision is awesome. The story is two parts- new display + battery expansion and the other bag of numerous improvements, many many regarding smaller hardware components of the Deck, and loads of software tweaks and additions. It's awesome, and clearly these people put a lot of heart into it, to make sure it's as good as it can be for that price.

[@kphishbaugh]

was literally considering finally pulling the trigger on the lcd earlier this morning, but now I'm planning for an OLED. Never fail to be my most trusted video game guy skillup

[@SaraMorgan-ym6ue]

don't do it pull the trigger on the Oled Steam deck you'll be glad you did the screen is a huge part of your user experience and worth the money over the LCD the Screen matters the most so get the Oled over the lcd

[@cloud9847]

OLED is more expensive but they are night and day better. I bought a OLED monitor earlier this year and it's insane. Buy with confidence but be ready to spend more.

[@the_retag]

Oled is same prices just the upper tiers so not much waiting

[@Aki-ow9hd]

@@cloud9847 agreed. Definitely don't worry about picking between the two OP, OLED is definitely worth it if you can afford it. The one Valve got is known to be durable too, the screen burn-in concerns are a FUD at this point (but do make sure to keep the screen off when not in use).

[@Bootlickersticker]

Deck is too weak if you wanna play all your games go for the ally. 1Tb SD card since launch :) . My favorite OS is Chimera or just a psp frontend. Big picture steam works fine with sleep mode on windows. Hopefully the next deck can sell more

[@heroninja1125]

Valve seems to love underselling their products, the original steamdeck LCD was advertised as 400 nits max brightness but quite a few youtubers have tested it to be actually around 600 nits. And personally my LCD steamdeck does get brighter then the 500 nit display on my friends laptop so I can believe it too.

[@AvalonEndures]

You are probably one of the best marketing tools the steam deck could have. I was only slighty interested in purchasing a steam deck but after this review, I will go get this new version.

[@themightyant.]

Sold mine the moment they announced this OLED model surprisingly for only £70 less than I bought it. Massive win. But I have been missing it!

[@RemigiuszSzczerbak]

I never thought that waiting 6 days for now deck will be soooo long after you sell your current one. I like it a lot, that's why I'm upgrading, but not having it shows me how big part of my gaming it became.

[@justanormalguy4885]

that is a massive win, nice!

[@elmalloc]

weird let's try to find balanced hobbies man

[@RemigiuszSzczerbak]

@@elmalloc I’ve got many hobbies, it’s just in relation to entertainment.

[@kcycle1308]

Where did you sell yours?

[@jimmyfrost2091]

I think the reason they arent touting all the improvements, because many of us just got the original just a few months ago. So it kinda hurts knowing how much improved it is.

[@majorbigss1]

Yeah thats not how companies think lol

[@majorbigss1]

They out there to make money not deter you from buying their product

[@asain3586]

​@@majorbigss1 Touting the improvements will make the recent buyers regret their purchase. Regretting their purchase would make them hesitate to buy any of valve's new products. Hesitation > Creating waiting game that benefits no one. Why would customers bought normal if we got oled and why would they bought oled if Steamdeck 2 is coming? *Hesitation* Cause and effect is a thing. The fact i had to list it out made me cringe of how stupid asf your comment is.

[@Mkilbride2599]

Reality besides the screen the other upgrades don't matter much to most people.

[@ryansnapfood3142]

yea id be upset if I bought the original before this one came out. now i plan to buy this OLED as my first deck

[@Tjemcd]

Buying an OLED model after buying two LCD models last year for me and my buddy (wedding gift). I know I don’t need the OLED but I enjoy supporting companies that I value. They provide steam, the refund system, customer support , STEAM SALES and they usually do their best to take feedback from the community seriously and actually try to improve. I truly believe that they still actually care about the user experience and not just money. I’ll be buying a deck 2 whenever they decide to release that as well.

[@rek8193]

I've been feeling the exact same way, they low-key shadow dropped steamdeck 2.0 with this refresh. A lesser company would've rebranded this as SD2.

[@SWOTHDRA]

Or pro

[@MarcoMeatball]

Ralph, I really dig this video. Feels like you're just talking off the cuff and excited. Love all your videos and you're such an inspo!

[@cjd82187]

I ordered the limited one. The OLED switch was a huge upgrade vs my original switch in terms of the screen and battery life, and it seems like the steam deck OLED is the same. The new case insert is also a plus for me, I have the killswitch mostly because of its front cover so I can fit it in my bag, I'm pretty sure I will sell that along with my old one since the case insert should handle my biggest use case for the killswitch.

[@lufasumafalu5069]

lol you dont even order the original deck and you claim you ordered a limited edition.. with what money ? monopoly money ?

[@jbayne2]

A good reference for 30 grams is a pack of fruit snacks. I work for one of the big companies in the US and most fruit snack pouches in the US are between 22g and 30g. So the OLED is lighter by the weight of approximately one bag of fruit snacks.

[@Dubwolfer]

Thank you for this lolol

[@MrJeffharper47]

Talking about the anti glare screen: I work as a crane operator. I sit in the cab of a machine and play my steam deck in between lifts when I have down time (and I have a lot of down time) The anti glare is a must have to me. It makes a huge difference in the sunlight compared to a smooth screen.

[@b.shes.2643]

I think I might've seen you post an image on the SD subreddit! Lol.

[@MrJeffharper47]

@@b.shes.2643 wasn’t me lol.

[@MrJeffharper47]

I bought the standard LCD version 6 days before they revealed the OLED. Lol. Thankfully I was still in return window so I shipped the lcd Deck back to valve and ordered the OLED the hour they went live for purchase

[@666slateran666]

Sounds like they pay you alot to sit around and do nothing.

[@MrJeffharper47]

@@666slateran666 I put 50 hours into fallout 4 on my steam deck in 13 days at work lol.

[@WickedKillaYT]

Finally! Glad to hear someone else appreciated the logo on the charger 😂

[@Skylancer727]

Yeah I know I personally love a pure glossy display over a matte coated one. Glossy displays just look so much sharper and have such better contrast. I remember when I went to school for my new job I had a balling $1400 laptop, but because it had a matte display I honestly thought the cheap like $400 ones my employer lent us at the school looked better to the eyes.

[@Grimlo9ic]

Another pro that Valve definitely kept in mind while designing this refresh - the outer dimensions of the whole device remain the same, so the entire ecosystem of peripherals that have been made for the SD (and that people already have!!) will continue to be fully usable and relevant.

[@gringbot]

Digital Foundry just put a video showing the difference in input lag to the new OLED and there is a fairly substantial improvement on that front too, worth checking out.

[@kubratdanailov9406]

I really wish we got more "mixed cam" SkillUp videos. I became a fan for the standing desk mixed cam/game footage reviews (RDR2 stands out). More of this plz

[@hotfireroboskull]

I hoped, but did not expect, you'd do a review for the OLED model, so imagine my surprise opening KZbin today. Great coverage as usual, man. I ordered mine as soon as sales went live after having the base Steam Deck for a little while. As much as OLED screens are the future, I'm honestly stoked for the new and improved battery life as the standard Deck seemed to drain way too fast for my tastes.

[@gctypo2838]

I'm so glad Shillup mentioned stability and maintenance experience with SteamOS. A lot of people dismiss the Deck because "oh Linux is hard and unstable and breaks all the time". And for SteamOS that's just not true. It's an image-based OS - when you get an update, it applies to everything, kernel, drivers, system software, and user-facing software. It updates everything to fixed versions that are specific to that version of SteamOS. All your software is heavily tested to make sure they all work really well together, that there's no bugs caused by specific versions of software interacting weirdly. On top of that, anything _you_ install separately as a user is done at a separate layer that reduces the risk of interference. For a handheld, all of that makes a world of difference.

[@Evanz111]

I swear they just announced this out of nowhere. Yet alone having it be a hardware upgrade as well as a screen upgrade. Plus we can finally wake it up in the dock with the controller now!

[@donovan6320]

It's not really a hardware upgrade in most circumstances.

[@wta1518]

@@donovan6320 I don't think you know what hardware is.

[@donovan6320]

@@wta1518 oh I absolutely do, at best this is a side grade at worst pretty much nothing has changed. It has a better Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip which doesn't really affect most of the people using it and it's got an OLED display which to be fair is an objective upgrade. However, they considered that separate to the actual hardware. Rolling with that assumption there's very little else that changed for the end user.

[@wta1518]

@@donovan6320 Oh, I see what you mean. You meant it wasn't a hardware *upgrade.* I thought you meant it wasn't a *hardware* upgrade. Carry on 👍

[@donovan6320]

@@wta1518 pretty much, thank you.

[@nhodgie]

Really like the delivery and editting in this video guys. Hard to do this sort of hardware vid and you've conveyed everything really effectively.

[@Nedlius]

Still definitely waiting to see side-by-side comparisons of the 1TB OLED Deck and the 512GB OLED Deck screens before I make my decision. Also, would love to see Valve actually start releasing Decks in other colors (I love that the Switch OLED was white and would love to give the Steam Deck the same treatment)

[@JonMoralesLA]

I feel like for $100 more you get the better case with detachable interior case. That’s probably a $50 after market value. You get the low glare screen that would cost $20 to out a screen protector. You get 512 extra storage that would cost $50 at least. So just get the $649 model as all the upgrades are well worth it and will save you time and money.

[@TheGamer720x]

They're planning on that next. Different skins and colors

[@todd92371]

I'm a power user and love my LCD. I"m good for now and no need to upgrade. It's an awesome device.

[@nintendude794]

Selling my LCD to get the White OLED

[@todd92371]

@@nintendude794 You are going to love it!

[@terribletimes902]

The midtier had 256GB of storage before, not 128GB. In fact, it’s the same LCD model they are still selling now as the base option

[@makandalp]

Which makes me wonder, what if you RMA a 64gb LCD in let's say a couple months?

[@the_retag]

​@@makandalpthey still do the refurbed 64gb and likely for a while If it runs low they will probably start offering discounts on other decks And at some point theyll have to give you the nicer one

[@seraph82]

FYI: Apple was legally obligated to adopt USB-C, a standard they were the first to implement into a device and already implemented into all of their other non-lightning devices, ahead of their own schedule for leaving behind lightning by 2 years, meaning the EU decision was more chest thumping than actual substance. Apple designed their own lightning deprecation schedule to minimize excess waste. Thanks for demonstrating the entire list of OLED changes and providing the updated "vs ROG" opinion. Really great content. Subscribed!

[@343Epsilon]

Don't know if you've showed your face in reviews before but this is a nice change of pace and definitely changes the vibe. definitely worth playing around a bit more

[@anthonylarosa265]

I was thinking the same, plus the ambient music is a nice touch

[@christopher2684]

LCD owner here, Happy to support Valve, I pre ordered the OLED straight away, ALREADY PACKAGED lets go!

[@thecriticandi]

This actually sold me on getting one. Which is kinda crazy cos I really just never really seriously considered the Steam Deck as an option. Pretty excited now.

[@nathanielmestas7755]

Same, I was feeling pretty underwhelmed with my switch and was considering a legion go or ROG ally but the SD OLED drop was enough to push me over the edge. Waiting for my LE model to come in the mail. 🥳

[@TheRogueWolf]

The channel Gamers Nexus did a complete teardown of both the old and new Steam Deck, and the changes are remarkable.

[@muhammad_zaman1990]

yep, entire motherboard is reworked

[@TheSometimeAfter]

So remarkable that you failed to remark on them

[@mduckernz]

@@TheSometimeAfterIt’s difficult to adequately summarise, better they check out the source

[@2intheampm512]

​@@TheSometimeAfterI mean it basically boils down to a redesign of the internal layout. The motherboard has gotten more compact, the heatsink and cooling system are beefed up with better airflow and coverage, more efficient usage of space in order to fit the larger battery while reducing weight. Etc. Not remarkable if you're uninterested, but very cool to show the effort Valve went into for this refresh

[@lufasumafalu5069]

Didnt Linus Tech tip exposed Gamer Nexus as shady reviewers who auction product they supposed to review ? who in the world believe gamer nexus

[@makasete30]

Can we have a review of the Portal with a thumbnail saying: the internet lied. People kept hating on it and saying it would fail whilst mocking it and telling others to buy other cheaper options. So, far, I’ve had the opposite experience. I’ve tried backbone, iPad with controller and the portal beats them all easily. Simple and faster to set up. Better lighter handheld experiment which is more convenient and lighter. Runs cool, with great screen - though I wish it was OLED. Selling really well, too, so far. Unfortunately scalpers have jumped in and are selling it for up 2 times more. Anyway, I’m going to get the steam deck OLED, too. Looks fantastic for my steam library.

[@stevenjackson9028]

As a deck enjoyer, im glad all these small upgrades are basically solving all my little qualms with the deck as a whole, the bumpers being finicky was one of my major issues with it, as well as some of the buttons. Makes me really excited for the future with steam deck 2.0

[@ViralWatchMedia]

When I got a steam deck it completely revitalized my love for PC gaming because it allowed me to couch game much more and not sit slumped over at my PC desk where I work at. I think separating my games onto another device allowed me to disconnect my mind from my work machine and finally allow me to enjoy games on a device fully dedicated to just gaming. The steam deck is not a device id ever bring with me in the car because its just too big, for me its an at home console I can bring on the couch, to the toilet, to the dinner table, outside on the hammock or in the swing.

[@speedracer2please]

It hurts a little to see this after owning the LCD version, but I'm glad they're sticking with it and look forward to getting these improvements when I eventually get a Deck 2. I also wonder how much of these improvements are purely software, because the 3.5.5 update is insane!

[@goldenarmsrr9533]

Great video! Only thing I would add is that the charger doesn't just have a logo, but the charger is actually longer than the old charger.

[@PinkgloRadio]

Loved the new format. I'm personally a little bummed this upgrade just came out when I just bought so much stuff to personally upgrade my steam deck, including a better screen, but I'm trying to remind myself it'll feel that much better after all that work.

[@Since91Too]

Bro definitely get the new version 😂

[@kiwikiwi5602]

​@@Since91Tooman literally said he already paid for the stuff

[@SWOTHDRA]

​@@kiwikiwi5602he can sell it

[@Since91Too]

@@kiwikiwi5602 literally aware 😂 there are so many upgrades with this one that I'd just sell the old one

[@13_faces]

@@Since91Too or just wait 2 years for the deck 2 which will offer actual performance improvements on top of all of this.

[@PXAbstraction]

37, Valve made 37 improvements to the Steam Deck! "...in a row?"

[@mechanicalmonk2020]

Gotta love an Aussie reviewing a device not available in the region

[@n8doggy733]

one world government baby! isnt it going to be great...for America 😂😂

[@Psyopcyclops]

@@n8doggy733More like “Capitalism baby!”. So many international content creators live or die by the graces of American tech giants. They suckle at the teat of Nvidia, AMD, Valve, Activision, etc, and then spray it into our filthy consoomer mouths, hoping we like it enough to go and purchase.

[@mechanicalmonk2020]

​@@n8doggy733 F off with that nonsense

[@bakutie]

lmaoo

[@c0mmanderKeen]

There's also an extra meter on the charger cable afaik. Looking forward to receiving my OLED soon, I sold off my LCD. Thanks for the coverage Skillup!

[@dracomalfoyvevo]

I never simp for companies (even valve) but this might be the only time where I go "kudos". I have literally never seen anything quite like the steam deck OLED after mine arrived, at that price and the fact that they were so nonchalant about the big changes, it's a miracle

[@lufasumafalu5069]

nintendo constantly improves their switch , and i dont see you give them compliment .. but valve farts and you praised them to heavens

[@duongquan4986]

@@lufasumafalu5069 because they don't go around suing people the moment they IPs appear on that person youtube channel no?

[@lufasumafalu5069]

@@duongquan4986 most likely valve is just incompetent company who cant even garner profit due to their massive loss investing in the failed deck

[@American-Orthodox-Christian]

@@lufasumafalu5069Of course you don’t see this person talk about a switch. Because this video isn’t about the switch. I will call you the negative troll in this video.

[@lufasumafalu5069]

@@American-Orthodox-Christian you need to face reality instead of lying to yourself , its not healthy to your already weak psyche

[@cloud9847]

OLEDs are incredible. For anyone about to buy a new monitor/TV - OLED is the way. I'm rocking a 45" ultrawide ULTRAGEAR OLED and it's absolutely nuts. Expensive but if you take care of your products then the price per year isn't that bad.

[@kylekermgard]

It was pretty obvious they were going to release refreshed versions before a generational upgrade. I cant wait to get mine

[@mugen1philley]

The carrying case only has the detachable lining/case if you go for the top tier version.

[@HRJZL]

My only questions on better performance etc. is the effect of OS3.5. As I understand it, review units were delivered with SteamOS 3.5, which, at the time, was not on the stable version of the original deck. 3.5 is known to being notable performance improvements, so it’s a question of how much of this is actually down to the new deck

[@JoesGeekShow]

I recently got the Steam Deck Oled and am absolutely enthralled with it. It's my first because I have actually had so much trouble getting a Steam Deck since launch. First they couldn't ship my location because I live in Japan and then a Japanese company started selling them and for some reason wouldn't take my credit card. But two weeks ago we took a trip to Tokyo and right in the Haneda airport there was a pop up store for Steam Decks. At first I was gonna go base model but as soon as I saw that 1TB with Oled screen I thought YOLO. Best decision I made. I play it everyday now and it's become my new favorite way to game.

[@truenetgmx]

Returned legion go, will be upgrading my current steamdeck to this - valve nailed ergonomics

[@Wolverine97.]

I order the 512GB OLED but I wanted the 1TB 😞 The reason not going for it was mainly the matte screen, I don't like it plus the first thing I do when I take it out the box is throw a tempered glass screen protector on so it's completely defeats the purpose. I wish Valve offered the 1TB in a glossy version rather than forcing us to use the etched glass.

[@SomeJohndoe]

Il be picking up the new one for the extra battery life plus the display definitely. However the lcd deck is still a hella solid handheld that is why i feel they did this refresh well, you can upgrade if you so wish but not doing so you wont miss out on anything that will break your current experience on the Lcd deck

[@averagejackmedia609]

Great thing about the steamdeck vs. other "consoles" people can forget it's a legitimate PC. You can repurpose for literally anything. I'll be turning my lcd deck into a stationary emulation/torrent/obs streaming rig.

[@NPCLiam]

Shill rocking a Lewitt mic ya love to see it. Super dope video man - always love when new hardware comes out for you to talk about. Really wish I could upgrade to OLED but all the praise of this model does has so stoked for the full SD2

[@ragmanx6256]

With handhelds I don't get the obsession with high-end performance. Screen is smaller, and you won't be catching nearly as much eye candy as you would on a standard desktop or TV setup, so stuff like the Ally and the upcoming Legion never truly made much sense for me, plus the ally just feels atrociously unergonomic in my hands for some reason whereas the Deck just feels actually designed for my hands. I don't own one myself, but since I got a Switch Oled I really wanted to see an Oled handheld PC because the screen makes such a HUGE difference for the portable experience, so this could be a great Christmas gift for myself.

[@CaptainEffort]

Imo the biggest drawback of those devices is the abysmal battery. The performance increase sounds nice, but in order to make use of all of it you’ll only be playing for like 45 minutes max. In no world is that worth it, at least for me.

[@2intheampm512]

It's mostly that current gen (and even late last gen) games are running sub-60 and occasionally even sub 30 FPS averages on low/medium settings. This is even at the native resolution of the deck (800P). I totally agree that the resolution is perfectly good for a handheld, but being able to have a smoother game play experience with higher quality settings would still be a marked improvement but does demand more capable hardware. With that being said of course, I still think the Deck is a great product. But what I mentioned is the reason for people wanting higher performance

[@GENKI_INU]

What do you mean you "don't get it"? You literally own an OLED Switch...

[@YUREtheFURY]

Glad to see you back, I miss the old style of review when you were on screen.

[@Since91Too]

This was an incredibly helpful video. Thank you for making my purchase decision easy.

[@reality-drift122]

real info, well worded opinions, and no punches pulled!

[@matthewmorse2380]

Ralph, I really enjoyed this chill conversational style of review for hardware. I would love to watch more in this style. I think for games I would still prefer your normal style, but this is fantastic for hardware or other products.

[@RolodexEnigma]

Great review Ralph! Liked the facecam very much. I always liked seeing the personality of the individual in the background.

[@bigmack70]

I have a deck and use it casually. I bought 3 more LCD ones on discount for my kids for Christmas and an OLED for myself. This showed me Valve is committed to this ecosystem, and I *love* it.

[@geordiejones5618]

This video pushed me over the edge. Great timing for the holidays too.

[@SephPumpkin]

I heard you guys talking about the new steam deck on the fps podcast and I couldn’t believe how many improvements they made. Needless to say I bought the new one and I’m giving my old one to my little cousin, as he’s been wanting one for awhile and birthday + Christmas are coming up

[@666slateran666]

It's a nothing burger refresh

[@SephPumpkin]

@@666slateran666the entire video you’re commenting on says otherwise

[@666slateran666]

@@SephPumpkin the original hardware holds up, had mine since launch and play it daily. Oled is overrated and the other upgrades are not that crazy

[@jonathanbaird]

@@666slateran666 I, too, dismiss facts and evidence to hide my insecurities.

[@666slateran666]

@@jonathanbaird lmao, sounds like you're projecting there.

[@Later_Nerd]

Its worth every penny. Its so much nicer than my LCD Deck. But man that case is awesome! I take mine to work everyday in my backpack along with my laptop. Previously with the OG Deck, it made my backpack so bulky. But now I just use the slim case when bringing it to work. If I'm going to travel somewhere or go camping, I can throw it in the bigger case. Its such a clever solution.

[@Martial-Mat]

"Underpromise, overdeliver" Classic marketing that Bethesda would do well to take note of.

[@kbkb4284]

“I think you should upgrade your PC”

[@Martial-Mat]

@@kbkb4284 Not sure how you arrived at that conclusion?

[@kbkb4284]

@@Martial-Mat Im quoting todd...

[@Martial-Mat]

@@kbkb4284 Ahh yes, I should have picked upon that Starfield marketing reference. Todd is SUCH a tool.

[@bobbenson6825]

I'm waiting for my OLED deck to be delivered and this came up as a random item in my feed. So good timing and I appreciate the info.

[@maybeJace]

A little frustrated buying a regular deck during the steam sale this summer to see this come out after they repeatedly said steam deck “2” isn’t coming for years.

[@griffithe2438]

This is more a SteamDeck 1.5. The real "2" will be released in 2025+-.

[@Moskeeto]

If they called this a Steam Deck 2 people would be justifiably upset. A proper Steam Deck 2 should have a significant upgrade in performance at the same wattage to maximize battery life. The OLED is improved in many ways but the performance is essentially the same.

[@Nucleosynthese]

This is a mid-gen refresh (albeit an amazing one) Steam Deck 2 will get a completly different APU and is still years out.

[@maybeJace]

@@griffithe2438 I understand, just a bit frustrating knowing I could have waited and had quite the nice refresh. Honestly kudos to valve for keeping it so well under wraps.

[@maybeJace]

@@Moskeeto Kudos to them for keeping it under wraps tbh pretty impressive. The 5nm CPU and battery life improvements would be very nice as that is my biggest gripe w/ my deck. Would have waited and got the better hardware at full price instead of the discounted regular version that I did buy had I known.

[@JodieMuramoto]

I feel the same way about handhelds. And I feel the same way about the Steam Deck. I love that I can take it on the plane and will play games for hours on long trips. I also play my Steam Deck every night. It is hands down the best handheld, and I have also tried to get into handhelds for years and haven't been able to get into it. I did order an OLED Steam Deck because I love this hand held so much.

[@SteamDeckLive]

Man I use my steam daily and finally figured out how to properly use all the emulators even the android for mobile games, I have sunk to much time on mine to give it up and start again on another one with OLED screen.

[@IAmTheBugInsideYou]

Yeah same case for me, I got it a year ago so I don't have remorse at all. But I have several emulators put together & set up so there's no way I'd want to reset that now even if the OLED is a much better model, only if I absolutely have to replace it

[@666slateran666]

Such a waste of money

[@CaptainEffort]

@@666slateran666…how? One purchase gives you access to virtually every game ever made, free multiplayer and cloud services, and Steam sales. It actually sounds like it’d save you money.

[@2intheampm512]

Well on the bright side, it should be a lot easier this time around since you've already done it. I also wouldn't be surprised if there's tutorials/guides that come out to teach people how to easily transfer their SD image over to their new SD OLED

[@kunimitsune177]

I'm excited for the future of handheld devices. I really like my switch OLED and wish there was more games on it. I think the tech isn't quite there for me to get a steamdeck yet as I'll be wanting it as my daily driver but the steamdeck 2 could be huuuuge. NGL I kinda wish my PS5 & xbox series s both did the switch thing of being this form factor but with a dock for easy TV usage. Surely that is the future of consoles.

[@SWOTHDRA]

Yup it is

[@chanda782]

Honestly you pretty much convinced me to buy the OLED. Went for the transparent case one. Will arrive soon hopefully!

[@PapaZlRO]

Hearing Ralph say "It just works." *chef's kiss

[@razvanzamfir1545]

One comment about interface speed, most revierwes compared the OLED version running 3.5.x vs the LCD version running 3.4.x. Now that 3.5.x is available on LCD version, the performance improvements are there as well.

[@caomhanbasswood8611]

I can confirm that the LCD Deck is running better now. And changing color saturation and temperature is a big change for me, so I'll just keep mine as it's good enough anyways

[@thehoginator1827]

Valve is a special company man. We must protect Lord Gabe. Also that thumbnail satire is gold 👌 😅

[@Boss_Fight_Index_muki]

my big concern with getting a steam deck is how long before the requirement floor of new releases exceed the performance ceiling of the steam deck to keep a steady 30fps.

[@Anni_ka]

The impression I got is that the Steam Deck is not really ideal for next gen/current gen gaming - I'd even go so far as to say no dedicated handheld is gonna be. Unless you're streaming, but imho that doesn't count really. But even so you definitely still have large library to choose from

[@halo2bounceguy]

It's not just meant for new games. There are hundreds of dope older games, thousands really with emulation. Think of it like a better switch

[@saltwatertaffybag]

You seem to misunderstand what the steam deck is. It is not, was never meant to be, and will never be, a gaming PC.

[@Dragonfury3000]

For 720p is not hard to keep performance for most games

[@CaptainEffort]

I mean it’ll be able to play new indie releases til the end of time

[@NormanTiner]

Eyy nice mic. Lewett makes a hell of a solid product

[@awzup57]

Ive been back and forth on getting a steam deck for a while, with the OLED, it was finally enough to push me over the edge. Now I frantically check my email each day to see if it has shipped and when itll be delivered.

[@jinx20001]

i just sold my rog ally for an oled deck, i originally switched from the OG deck to ally and it was a reasonable upgrade but not for the reasons it was suppose to be an upgrade... i went into the ally thinking that i would have massively more power and i could play the games i knew struggled on the deck but reality hit home when i came to realize the games that struggle on deck also struggle on ally, just a little bit less so, you still need to make compromise, lower resolution, lower settings, same story different handheld. But i stuck with ally because well when playing those games the experience was nicer, better display, better sound... thats it. Over the last 6 months though it has become apparent to me that these windows handhelds dont have the support and thought put into them, the software is tacked on rather than being integrated deeply with the system, there is no community support, no custom control setups that make some games awesome on handheld with deck, no little details that make it a wow experience, its just a handheld pc that cranks the power, cranks the heat, cranks the fans and kills the battery even faster. Shit asus's solution to stop SD cards melting was to just fix the minimum fan speed to 70 percent if the system was under any kind of load, great solution asus, perfect. As soon as the OLED deck dropped i knew that was it for the ally for me, it lost its display advantage (despite the awesome VRR) which was keeping me playing on it. Valve are just on another level, there is just so much thought that goes into every part of what they do, it just works without relying on power. We all know it could have done with more power but when listening to valve engineers explain why they didnt go for like the z1 extreme it just makes so much sense, it does not sound like bullshit, its thought out and just sounds like the right decision. Ah well, i gave the windows way a fair crack id say but its not the one.

[@CandysChannel]

There is absolutely community support for the Legion Go at least. The Ally’s subreddit has only a little over 1k users I think and the discord isn’t as active as the Legion Go’s discord

[@jinx20001]

@@CandysChannel I think you misunderstand me by community support, every handheld has a fan base and user base… what I mean is valve has enabled that community to have a more integral role in the system… every game has a number of custom control schemes created by the community specifically for the deck through steam that is just not available or dont work on other handhelds, then there are things like decky loader, cryutilities etc created by the community that just change the way we interact with the machine, stuff like that, not just a Facebook page or discord.

[@CandysChannel]

@@jinx20001 I understand. I despise Linux and need a more powerful device so I’m buying the Legion Go

[@jinx20001]

@@CandysChannel well if you need a more powerful device then yeh obviously go for a more powerful device, for me it wasn’t powerful enough to really make a big enough difference, games that should run good still run bad, especially the latest games so I just stick to indies on handheld and use my pc for the AAA games.

[@CandysChannel]

@@jinx20001 The Go WILL be my computer. I’m on disability so a fixed income, so I have to sell my iPad Pro M1 to afford the Go. I will use it as a tablet and 50% for gaming.

[@giggyolly]

I'm very tempted to flip my og SD and buy an oled. It looks fantastic

[@carston101]

This is one hell of a mid-gen upgrade. This feels like stuff youd see out of a new gen release not just upgraded to the existing gen.

[@SWOTHDRA]

🧢

[@CosmicD]

I just bought it for my birthday and I'm actually glad I waited for the oled version. Because that was already so amazing on my switch. It feels so sturdy, rounded and polished, and I can now finally play all the platformers I bought on steam and have this "Nintendo" vibe. From ducktales to inside, from ori and the blind forest to planet of lana. These games just seem made for the steamdeck!

[@nchldmn]

Anyone else watch Valves HL documentary?

[@nintendude794]

Nope! Not yet! Thanks for letting me know about it! Didn’t Noclip also make one months back?

[@Techbusted]

underselling and overdelivering is what every company should do with their products.

[@jacobs1047]

Little bit of cheeky clickbait on that tumbnail lad

[@I_am_ENSanity]

Grabbed a 512 Oled for when I have a long a day at work and can't go home during my break.

[@AwesomeDakka]

the oled really giving out that mid-gen upgrade energy with its improvements and pricing. really has me questioning the pricing of so-called 'pro' consoles.