The Steam Deck OLED isn’t only a minor improve – it’s certainly one of my favourite items of gaming {hardware} ever

Valve is a liar. A grimy, filthy liar. The corporate positioned the Steam Deck OLED as a minor incremental improve to their profitable handheld gaming PC. A minor refresh. However, actually: there’s nothing minor about this. It’s superb.

Again earlier than it was launched, after a couple of weeks testing the Steam Deck pre-release, I declared that it was fairly bloody good. I known as it a “chunky marvel”, noting that it had huge potential. On the time, the variety of ‘Deck Verified’ video games was relatively small, and far appeared to experience on how frequent compatibility would turn into. The higher a part of two years later, we have now our reply: The Deck is a giant deal, and it’s right here to remain. By way of an summary of the particular gadget, I proceed to advocate it and level you to my unique verdict.

The variety of nice on Deck verified video games in my private Steam library has quadrupled since that evaluation in February 2022, and the variety of video games that may be performed with a little bit of tweaking has grown fatter nonetheless. The gadget has an unimaginable library. My important concern for launch has been addressed, then: however Valve has however determined to handle different ones.

Enter the Steam Deck OLED. You most likely know all about it by now, however in case you’re less than velocity it’s certainly a easy {hardware} refresh comparatively analogous to the Swap OLED; a greater display screen and presentation, which on a handheld gadget goes a relatively good distance. However the Steam Deck OLED can be greater than that.

Valve hasn’t simply slapped in a brand new show; your entire machine has been subtly retooled proper to its core. This implies there’s an extended battery life, louder audio system, quicker WiFi for faster sport downloads, and even some smooth tweaking to the ergonomics of the machine, making the beast simpler to deal with. The overbearingly loud fan that I complained about in my unique mannequin evaluation has been swapped for a quieter choice with out sacrificing temperature administration, too. It’s even a little bit bit lighter!

And whereas Valve is eager to notice that this isn’t meant as a performance-driven refresh, it additionally does have extra fashionable silicon and quicker RAM, which implies that there’s a marginal optimistic bump in efficiency in a spread of video games – although it’s nothing that you simply’d need to pay for alone.

Out of an abundance of warning and to handle expectations, Valve has undersold how good an improve that is, I feel. The show is rightly the headline, and it’s astonishing how a lot of a distinction the smaller tweaks add as much as. This isn’t the Steam Deck 2, and Valve is correct to emphasise that – however this positive as hell makes the unique mannequin really feel out of date.

Plenty of that is because of smaller adjustments. In case you tear down the Deck and the OLED, you’ll discover that chip companion AMD has managed to shrink its unique chip, which was named after Closing Fantasy 7’s Aerith, changing it with a smaller chip named after FF7 baddie Sephiroth. That chip has a smaller bodily footprint but in addition attracts much less energy and is extra environment friendly. The brand new display screen can be thinner, which frees up extra room within the case for higher cooling and a bigger battery – with out the outer look of the machine altering in any respect.

Earlier this 12 months, I performed a hell of numerous my Steam Deck whereas on vacation – grinding out Road Fighter 6’s World Tour to unlock costumes from a poolside solar lounger whereas my companion demolished thriller novels on her Kindle. There, I received an actual really feel for the strengths and weaknesses of the gadget out of the house for an prolonged interval. The OLED addresses a lot of this – with a greater display screen, with a battery life that Valve claims is wherever from an hour to 4 hours longer than the unique mannequin, relying on what you’re enjoying.

I’ve performed some side-by-side checks between the OLED and my unique Deck, and the outcomes recommend that Valve’s estimates are about proper. On the higher finish the corporate claims as a lot as 12 hours on weaker video games, and I can completely see it. I’ve been dabbling in issues like Into the Breach, and Phoenix Wright and seeing prolonged battery life estimates that far outstrip my unique. Hop onto Sonic Superstars and the story is similar, however with extra intensive 3D rendering, the full life is decrease. Sure, in case you play one thing like Cyberpunk 2077, you may nonetheless solely get two to 3 hours – however that’s nonetheless fairly rattling good.

The display screen is fairly pretty. There’s been some consternation about Valve utilizing two completely different suppliers, so it’s a lottery as to which display screen you’ll get – however the two seem, broadly, fairly equal, simply with minor variations. What I can say for positive is the display screen on the mannequin I’ve is bloody beautiful. HDR assist on PC is a bit in every single place, and that’s sophisticated by the Steam Deck’s distinctive runtime setup – however simply as a like-for-like alternative for the earlier show, there’s a readability, coloration depth, and sweetness to the brand new show that’s transformative.

Valve has all the time been a PC-focused firm, and it’s treating the Steam Deck like a PC or a PC sport. It’s been up to date and tweaked over time; it’s a piece in progress. Finally, there’ll even be a fully-fledged, full-fat Steam Deck 2. However as an incremental improve, it’s unimaginable sufficient to be tempting in case you already personal an LCD Deck, and undoubtedly sturdy sufficient that it ought to make new converts out of those that don’t but have certainly one of these machines.

Generally, a handful of little issues can add as much as be extra necessary and extra of a game-changer than one large improve. There isn’t a higher product to reveal this than the Steam Deck OLED. It’s taken what was a terrific thought and proof-of-concept – and already a top quality product – and turned that dial just a bit increased. As much as 11. The outcome is without doubt one of the most tasty and helpful items of gaming {hardware} ever, and at an equally engaging value.

The one concern, I admit, is that the Steam Deck’s {hardware} is more and more stretched by cutting-edge video games. I’ll use my Deck OLED rather a lot, however I do know I’ll principally use it for older video games, or video games the place I’m not as involved about visible constancy or efficiency. However that additionally makes me much more intrigued to see what the subsequent era of this machine will seem like. Valve has completely proved its {hardware} prowess, imaginative and prescient, and experience with this refresh. It’s a terrific gadget. Nearly a must have, the truth is. And the longer term appears even brighter nonetheless.