Steam Deck OLED

Well I just got my 512 SD OLED and I must say - this is truly the handheld I’ve been waiting for.

the screen by itself is worth the upgrade. It runs much quieter, cooler and has significant battery upgrade. No squeaky triggers and everything feels solid. If anyone is on the fence, pull the damn trigger!

All what's missing are hall effect sticks.

No Gamepass.

@randy_lahey: NGL I'm tempted

If I'm staring at this for 3 more years then maybe it's worth it. I can pass on my OG to someone else.

It's not a crap panel but a very good one, and it does HDR. Not only does the panel do HDR but the software easily handles it unlike desktop, it's not just a marketing gimmick from Valve but actually good in practice.

Something with a Windows OS like the ROG Ally is more my kind of thing.

I can vouch for ROG Ally being the better option of the two.

@Pedro: Nice. I’ve got my eye on it and it certainly looks like a pretty sweet system.

No thanks, I can find literally anything else to spend my money on.

@Pedro said:

No Gamepass.

I had it setup to stream gamepass thru x cloud. Wasn’t ideal but it is playable

Gamepass is entirely possible on Steam Deck.

@Pedro: @Archangel3371: you guys are definitely the minority. Windows sucks on a handheld so bad.

Any windows interface sucks on handheld. You can use Big Picture or the built in interfaces. Windows is only preferred because of compatibility with games and not because it is superior navigation experience. This is exceptionally true with the trash OS called Windows 11. Not sure WTF they are doing.

@Pedro: Yeah I’m really hoping that Microsoft gets serious about putting in better support for these handhelds. That’s mainly why I’m just sitting back and keeping my on this sector of gaming for now.

Have you tried the OLED deck or is your comparison based on the lcd deck?

LCD. Is the interface and compatibility different with the OLED?

Is it possible without installing Windows or using cloud streaming? All the tutorials I see for Gamepass on Steam Deck through SteamOS are just using the cloud streaming feature. Installing Windows on the Steam Deck seems counterintuitive because if you're tech savvy enough to do that than just using a Windows handheld shouldn't be a problem for you. Also don't want to go through the hassle of deciding how much space to partition for Windows and SteamOS. Windows support by Valve is also lacking for the Steam Deck.

How is the ROG Ally for playing games that don't translate well to gamepad controls? I am leaning towards getting the Legion Go since it not only has a trackpad but a scroll wheel on the right controller. That makes it great for playing strategy games and other M+KB centric titles. It also has more extra assignable buttons. The trackpad and scroll wheel make it a breeze to navigate through Windows too.

@NoodleFighter: Ally is for controller supported games in handheld mode. If you are looking for mouse and keyboard games, it is not recommended.

@Pedro: Figures, I am dead set on getting the Legion Go anyway. I am considering getting the ROG Ally as a gift for a friend or family member though since I see open box ones in excellent condition for as low as $520 on Best Buy. How is the battery life for you? What types of games you're playing on it. I know that playing with more than 15 watts will give you a battery life of less than 1 hour.

If only Steam Deck could run with Windows install. Oh wait, it was always an option.

@rmpumper: Yes, I am aware of that. Still more interested in something like the ROG Ally.

ROG Ally is objectively bad hardware that breaks itself and is a hassle to use, and the Legion Go is way too big. The Steam Deck seems to be the best one so far, especially due to its user experience and its price.

I think I'd go legion before ROG, but that may be purely aesthetic. I dig the mouse nunchuk idea and bigger screen. Still, I think the pure fact that people are making multiple combinations of devices is good for this brand of gaming. Steam deck enjoys an advantage because of its price points and it feels more optimized for gaming.

Just not worth the upgrade for me since i have the original.

It's a sweet package though. Anyone getting a Deck should definitely go for the OLED model if at all possible.

@Pedro said:

No Gamepass.

Oh wow, did not know that. Glad I didn’t get it, then.

@SolidGame_basic said:

@Pedro said:

No Gamepass.

Oh wow, did not know that. Glad I didn’t get it, then.

You can definitely play Gamepass on it. Only it’s not native.

I also didn’t think it would be as much of an upgrade, but the screen and actually lighter weight body makes the new OLED model feel like it’s the definitive steam deck valve always wanted to make.

that said, the OG lcd model is still amazing.

Lemme know which games shine at 90hz (or 45hz) and on the OLED screen :D

@R4gn4r0k: I hear Ori looks great at 90.

Nah I only like to play games on a full system, I hate portables. The only appeal I see for them is using them when traveling, but I usually am out having fun when doing that not playing video games and slowly damaging my neck by looking down on a portable.

The OLED screen alone is worth the upgrade

100%

Thinking of getting one as im bored to death with switch. Since im mostly playing 3rd party game with it, might as well switch to steamdeck.

Mine should be here this week. I held off on the original because I knew the OLED was coming. Can't wait to delve into this thing. This is the portable device I have been waiting for.

It is 100% also the device I’ve been waiting for.

Take the plunge and join us.

@randy_lahey: I have the og deck, and not going to get oled. Just a waste of money in my view.

sell your og and upgrade to the OLED. Well worth it.

Can Gabe Newell stop wasting his time with this handheld? It's giving vanity project.

I can plus one this. The Steam Deck is fantastic, I use mine every single day.

@randy_lahey: meh, that doesn't make sense to me. If anything, it makes more sense to grab the rog ally. Best buy is selling an open box version for cheaper than a steam deck oled.

Steam OS is great. I can install the steam OS on expandable memory card if I need to.

Not too interested in getting the oled deck, just seems like a waste of money if you already have the original.

@randy_lahey: im just worried about the controller if it drift. Since the controllers are attached to the system would be difficult to replace them. But whatever i have already ordered one online.

@___gamemaster__: IDK I played since launch, I got mine very quickly after it released, use it nearly every day and it still works fine. But in the worst case it's supposed to be very easy to repair yourself if you don't want to use or are no longer covered by the warranty.

in all my years of gaming, I’ve never had drift. do you people horse on the joysticks or what?

edit: also, this isn’t a Microsoft product so don’t worry about the components taking a shit

??? The system is guaranteed to be ahead of the Switch 2, and its been available for some time now.

@randy_lahey: Do you have a Switch? I'm careful with my hardware, I have a good case for it. When the 8bitdo controllers came out I mostly used those. It happened to me on the Joy Cons even with light use and being careful with it.

@girlusocrazy: I think with the switch there is some sort of inherent flaw in the design though. Shame it’s still going on!