An online creator known as The Phawx ran a long stress test on the handheld Steam Deck OLED and found signs of burn-in after about 750 hours of heavy use. The test results were highlighted in Notebookcheck’s coverage of the experiment.
During the test, the Steam Deck OLED displayed the same image for roughly 750 hours, which equates to about 31 days. While this went on, the brightness was increased from 400 nits to 1000 nits, and the display modes were swapped between SDR and HDR.
At first glance the screen looked intact, but as brightness climbed, issues appeared. The pixels under the heaviest load tended to darken, and afterimages emerged in certain screen regions. The problem was especially noticeable when HDR content was played.
The Phawx suggests that under normal conditions the Steam Deck OLED should have a longer lifespan than 750 hours. Still, he cautions players who favor high brightness for extended periods to be mindful of potential burn-in.
Earlier, The Phawx conducted a similar endurance test on the Nintendo Switch OLED. That device showed burn-in indicators after about 5,000 hours of testing.
Earlier work from the group Aria included Clip of the game World of Tanks.