Valve has recently surprised gamers with the unexpected release of the Steam Deck OLED, featuring an OLED display. While the release of the Steam Deck 2 console is not expected until 2025, leaks about this new hardware have emerged, revealing some interesting upgrades.
Upgraded Memory and OLED Display
The Steam Deck OLED retains most of the specifications of the original Steam Deck, with the main difference being an upgraded memory and the addition of an OLED display. The memory has been upgraded from LPDDR5 5500 to LPDDR5 6400, which should theoretically result in better performance. However, real-life testing is needed to determine if there is a noticeable difference.
Here are the complete specifications for the Steam Deck OLED console:
- 6 nm AMD APU
- Zen 2 4-core/8-thread CPU clocked at 2.4-3.5GHz
- RDNA 2 GPU with 8 compute units running at 1.6GHz
- 1.6 TFlops of FP32 performance
- 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM operating at 6400 MT/s
- Choice between a 512 GB or 1 TB NVMe SSD
- High-speed microSD card slot for additional storage
Comprehensive Control Options
The Steam Deck OLED offers a wide range of control options for gamers:
- Gamepad controls with A, B, X, Y buttons
- D-pad
- L & R analog triggers
- View & Menu buttons
- 4 assignable grip buttons
- 2 full-size analog sticks with capacitive touch
- HD haptics
- 2 square trackpads with haptic feedback
- Pressure-sensitive features for configurable click strength
- 6-Axis IMU for enhanced control precision
Impressive Display and Audio Capabilities
The Steam Deck OLED features a 7.4-inch diagonal HDR OLED display with a resolution of 1280 x 800. It offers a peak brightness of 1000 nits in HDR and 600 nits in SDR, with a contrast ratio exceeding 1,000,000:1. The display covers 110% of the P3 color gamut and supports a refresh rate of up to 90Hz, with a rapid response time of under 0.1 ms. Additionally, it boasts high-performance touch functionality.
Audio capabilities include stereo sound with an embedded DSP, a dual microphone array, a 3.5mm stereo headphone/headset jack, and multichannel audio support via DisplayPort over USB-C, standard USB-C, or Bluetooth 5.3.
Connectivity and Expansion Options
The Steam Deck OLED is equipped with dual ambient light sensors for optimal lighting adjustments. It features Bluetooth 5.3 and a tri-band Wi-Fi 6E radio, supporting 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands. It also supports IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards.
For expansion, the Steam Deck OLED offers a microSD slot with support for UHS-I. It can also serve as a display port over Type C, capable of handling up to 8K at 60Hz or 4K at 120Hz. Additionally, it includes USB3 Gen 2 support.
Pricing and Availability
The Steam Deck OLED will be available for purchase starting on November 16. It comes in two storage options: a 512 GB variant priced at $549 and a 1 TB version priced at $649. Valve is also offering a limited edition Steam Deck OLED exclusively available in the United States and Canada, priced at $679.
