Hannan Mundia 
Valve might have shot down the Steam Deck 2 for now, but the Steam Deck is still getting a new version in the form of an OLED model.
Valve dropped the Steam Deck in 2022 to great fanfare, but the company isn’t done improving the handheld PC. Once again taking a page out of the Nintendo Switch playbook, the Steam Deck is getting an OLED version that comes with various improvements. The official announcement came after an apparent leak through a media partner.
With the OLED model, Valve is addressing some of the biggest complaints users had about the original version. Here’s when it comes out and the full list of differences between existing Steam Deck models and the new one.
Does the Steam Deck OLED model have the same specs?
The Steam Deck OLED model has the same specs as the existing Steam Deck, but the option to purchase one with larger internal memory.
As expected, the Steam Deck OLED’s biggest difference is the screen. With an HDR-compatible OLED display, there should be superior brightness and contrast relative to the regular Steam Deck LCD screen. While the screen resolution remains the same, the new model also has a bigger 7.4” screen compared to the previous version’s 7” screen, making for a better experience when playing games on the Steam Deck.
The Steam Deck OLED is better than the original in other ways too, including longer battery life, improved thermals, lighter weight, and the option to have up to 1TB of internal memory. The new model has a new 50Whr battery as opposed to the base LCD version’s 40Whr. Valve estimates that this will let the battery last 30%-50% longer than the previous model. The new 6nm process of the OLED version offers better thermals and reduced weight. All this should lead to a more durable, efficient, and comfortable gaming experience.
As leaks from earlier this year suggested, the final improvement is the new Wi-Fi 6e chip, which should let players have better WiFi and Bluetooth 5.2 capabilities. This version will also be coming with a longer, 2.5-meter charging cable.
A limited-edition OLED model will be released with a 1TB SSD and a special translucent shell. The gray shell displays the internals of the Steam Deck, and has orange accents on the thumb sticks and vents.
When will the Steam Deck OLED be released?
Valve has announced that the Steam Deck OLED will be released on November 16.
The Steam Deck OLED model will cost $549.99 for the 512GB model, while the 1TB model is priced at $649.99. At the same time, Valve is dropping the price of the base models to $399 for the 256GB version. The 64GB and 512GB models of the original Steam Deck currently have a “while supplies last” tag, suggesting that only the 256GB version of the original Steam Deck will be available moving forward. It is unknown if the 256GB versions manufactured in the future will have any of the OLED model’s improvements
The Steam Deck OLED model will only be available in the United States, Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom at launch. Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea will be able to purchase it through Komodo. Other regions will likely have to wait for it to come available.
