Recently, all the specialist media were talking about the fact that no new Steam Deck would be released for the time being. We also reported on the statements made by Steam employees - and now something has come out. It's not completely new. But it's great.
Steam Deck OLED - New features at a glance
Screen
The display is the most noticeable change. It's a 7.4" OLED display with 90hz output. The colors are bright and beautiful - the blacks are true and really impressively deep.
The display is the same size, but offers more usable display space thanks to a narrower bezel. If you still have a spare tempered glass for your old Steam Deck, you can simply use that. (Of course you'll buy it. Be honest. :D)
Size and design
Same form factor, same design! (The power button is now orange!) All your accessories and all in our shop - from the replacement cases to the skins, fit the "Version 2.0"
Joysticks, controls and speakers
The joysticks have been redesigned - they have a small rubber edge so that the thumb does not slip off so easily and they have a black housing color.
However, they still can't hold a candle to the electromagnetic joysticks from GuliKit, as the factory-installed joysticks are still susceptible to joystick drift. (We have not yet been able to verify whether our replacement joysticks fit.)
The L1 and R1 buttons have been slightly repositioned and adjusted in shape so that they are comfortable to press even with long fingers.
Improved, slightly more bass-heavy speakers add a little more quality to gaming and desktop sessions.
New Steam Deck? No, not quite. Still very worthwhile.
Chipset, battery and internals
The CPU and RAM have also been slightly improved, but according to recent reports, this does not result in much in-game performance. What is worth mentioning, however, is that the new chip is slightly more energy efficient than the old one, which results in improved battery life and less heat generation. This also means that the fan runs less often and does not stay on for as long as on the "old model".
(But it still smells so good. ;) )
Keyword: battery life. This has increased by 25%!
The Steam Deck interior has been almost completely redesigned.
WIFI 6e is also supported by a new WIFI chip, which enables better and more stable connections and smoother gameplay in online games.
Conclusion
It's great. First we were told we would have to prepare for a long wait and now we have a revised version on the table. We are really looking forward to the new model and everything else that Valve has in store.