I enjoyed my SD LCD but found it lacking in several areas. Yes, the OLED screen gets a lot of the spotlight, but there’s much more going on with this new model and overall it feels like a massive upgrade to me:

  1. OLED screen: it’s beautiful, significantly better than the LCD, 90Hz and fast OLED response time is very noticeable and makes even browsing around the menus much smoother. The increased screen size is more apparent in person than you’d think too and feels more appropriate to the overall size of the device.
  2. The -30g weight: I really didn’t think this was going to be noticeable but wow am I wrong. You immediately notice the weight reduction upon picking it up and the whole unit feels a lot more balanced and comfortable to hold.
  3. The buttons: every single button feels better, crispier, and more tactile to use. D-pad feels amazing, bumpers and triggers are wonderful, even the “Steam” and “***” buttons are so much nicer with noticeable tactility now. These two buttons were one of my big gripes before as they felt mushy and inconsistent.
  4. Trackpads: much, much improved, haptics are strong, the usability has been improved, they’re more enjoyable to use now.
  5. Joysticks: no more need for an extra cover or anything, stock they feel really great.
  6. Materials: Maybe they didn’t change the plastics or anything at all but it certainly feels like it. Something about this SD OLED case/shell just feels more premium than the original. Call this one placebo/honeymoon effect but the device feels nicer in the hands than before.
  7. Fan: this is so quiet compared to the original, even the Huaying fan.
  8. Charging cable: that extra 1m length is so nice.
  9. Audio: I had no issue with the original SD speakers but this is just nicer, no doubt about it.
  10. WiFi 6E is such a noticeable boost in speed and performance.

The list can go on and I’m sure I’m going to get some eyerolls for this post. But the SD OLED feels like a way bigger upgrade than I expected. The whole device just feels more premium, more comfortable, snappier, smoother, etc.

My expectations were already super high with this device and somehow Valve exceeded them.

https://preview.redd.it/ifeuym427f2c1.jpg?width=4031&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98221cd16512617fec6a74345822b53fc51534a6

  • alterexegoBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Shout out to that guy who called the OLED a “mild upgrade” over the original.

    Deck 2 could literally be this device with a new APU and I’d buy it in a heartbeat. Like my ancestors used to say: “shit’s so cash!”

  • sometipsygnostalgicBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Im quite annoyed this came out so soon after the original steamdeck if im honest.

    Reminds me of how i had an original DS for my tenth birthday and then my sister had a DS Lite the next christmas which was better at every level!

  • gladman7673BEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    I think I might be alone in disliking the sticks. I don’t like the glossy feel, and they’re a bit too big for me. I have small things though.

    That said, it’s not a deal breaker. Everything else comes together to make a wonderful upgrade.

  • implicit-solariumBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Totally agreed. Sorry everybody. Totally get not upgrading, but it’s very much worth it.

  • anime4yaBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Massive 😍😍 so now I can run starfield with 2x the fps of the original

  • grayscalecrashBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    The weight, yes. I immediately noticed it taking the handheld out the box(or perhaps I am used to my current LCD steamdeck weighing as much as a tank because of the Killswitch case). I’m downloading Lords of the Fallen as we speak!

  • Beefy_Crunch_BurritoBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Totally agree. I think the OLED SD might be the best consumer electronic device ever made IMO. Nothing Microsoft, Sony, Samsung, or Apple has ever made has been this exciting and useful to me at the same time, and the fact that it’s so relatively affordable and it fills a unique but important role in my life makes it so easy to love. I’ve been playing mine for 4+ hours a day since I got it and am not even remotely bored. Every game from the most retro to Cyberpunk looks incredible, and I am someone who also owns a desktop PC with an RTX 4080 and an LG OLED monitor that I also love. Valve knocked it out of the park with this and the fact we can have this incredible handheld gaming PC and OLED display for $550 is unheard of.

  • YvesTHPSBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    You forgot the wake on Bluetooth feature! It’s a game changer for docked mode ❤️

  • brandont04BEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    It’s it worth $350 extra (selling old one on ebay + buying oled model) just for the oled screen upgrade?

    • Leberkas3000BEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      Will it make you enjoy the games you play more or will it just satisfy your tech lovin nut cravings?

  • indios2BEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    The weight, fan noise and buttons feel were one of the first things I noticed besides the screen. The trackpads specifically feel so good to click now and so responsive with the crisp haptic feedback.

  • skymack1BEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    The buttons I noticed the most difference was the back R/L 4&5 buttons. They were pretty hard to press on the OG steam deck. On the OLED, they take a lot less force to press them.

  • hushnecampusBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    1. Yup! Soooo good!

    2. Yup!

    3. Actually no - on my OLED the face buttons are kinda wobbly, which isn’t true on my LCD.

    4. Mine are the same - I think there’s a bit of luck of the draw on any model.

    5. Yep! I’m a big fan!

    6. Feels the same to me.

    7. I never really had the fan problem so no thoughts on this.

    8. Yes.

    9. Haven’t noticed this.

    10. Haven’t noticed this.

  • letmepickBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    I think the real question is: would people that claim that OLED is such a massive upgrade still claim so if they went into the comparison blind?

    I believe most of these comparisons are inherently biased, some sort of a placebo effect taking place - we know & expect the changes, so our minds make them more prominent than we would experience them naturally?

    • Texas1010OPBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      Yes, it’s still a big difference. I went into it with high expectations and ready to judge a lot of the features people were claiming. I am super picky and critical of this sort of stuff and I can honestly say I am blown away.

  • SnooDoughnuts5632BEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago
    1. The buttons: every single button feels better, crispier, and more tactile to use. D-pad feels amazing, bumpers and triggers are wonderful, even the “Steam” and “***” buttons are so much nicer with noticeable tactility now. These two buttons were one of my big gripes before as they felt mushy and inconsistent.

    I think that those buttons are completely unnecessary to worry about because you’re not going to be using them in game. So it’s okay if they don’t feel that good however I actually had no issues with them.

    I have had issues with the +controlpad where apparently it doesn’t register diagonal inputs. I’m hoping the improved +pad can do diagnals. I’m glad the original +pad didn’t have that issue where it registers diagonals no matter what so your character ends up walking like he’s drunk. If you don’t need diagonals then the +pad works fine unlike the Switch pro.

    1. Audio: I had no issue with the original SD speakers but this is just nicer, no doubt about it.

    As a Switch owner I 100% agree (old speakers were fine OLED is better but whatever)

    1. WiFi 6E is such a noticeable boost in speed and performance.

    I don’t own a router with Wi-Fi 6E and I’m not going to buy a new router just for after downloads over WiFi.

    My point is that everything else is a true upgrade but those are the three things I wanted to point out.