Valve has released a refreshed Steam Deck portable console featuring a larger OLED display, as announced on the company’s site. The new model sits alongside the original LCD version, now referred to as the Steam Deck LCD variant.
The OLED edition expands the screen from 7 inches to 7.4 inches and increases resolution to 1280 by 800 pixels. It includes HDR support and a 90 Hz refresh rate. OLED panels typically deliver brighter highlights up to around 1000 nits, deeper blacks, more saturated colors, and higher contrast, all while consuming less power in certain usage scenarios. These improvements can contribute to longer battery life during gaming sessions.
Valve provides two OLED configurations: 512 GB and 1 TB of solid state storage. Both models share the same core hardware stack, including an AMD Zen 2 processor with four cores and eight threads, an AMD RDNA 2 graphics engine with eight compute units, and 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory. Connectivity features include Wi Fi 6E, and the system is powered by a 50 watt-hour battery expected to deliver three to twelve hours of play depending on the workload. Charging is via a USB-C port with Power Delivery at a 45-watt output.
Pricing for the OLED Steam Deck starts at 549 USD for the 512 GB model, with a version featuring 1 TB of storage and an anti glare screen priced at 649 USD. These new OLED models became available for pre order and began shipping toward the end of the year. In separate pricing news, Valve reduced the price of the LCD variant to 399 USD for the 256 GB configuration. Valve also indicated that existing stocks of the older 64 GB and 512 GB LCD models would continue to be sold until supplies run out, with current prices around 349 USD and 449 USD respectively. The overall shift positions Valve’s handheld as a strong option for players seeking a vivid portable display with flexible storage and a robust hardware baseline.
For context, competitors have spotlighted comparable portable gaming experiences as part of the broader conversation around handheld play, with emphasis on display quality, battery life, and performance per watt. As more users compare OLED options against LCD variants, the choice often reflects personal preferences for color accuracy, peak brightness, and the feel of the user interface during extended sessions. These dynamics influence purchasing decisions among gaming enthusiasts, tech reviewers, and everyday travelers alike.
In summary, Valve’s OLED Steam Deck lineup enhances screen technology while preserving the portable design and versatile performance that have defined the Steam Deck line. The refresh underscores Valve’s commitment to improving handheld gaming experiences without sacrificing the library and compatibility that players rely on to enjoy their games on the go.