I realize this will most likely get closed and linked to megathread, but posting this anyway for those who may be interested. Some of this info was in a previous post that was closed.

I received my 1TB limited edition (LE) oled Steam Deck and a regular 1TB Oled Steam Deck last week. Here are a few observations in no particular order from someone who is kind of OCD about this stuff. If I say something appears better or worse, it is just my opinion or preference. Also, these observations apply to my specific hardware and do not represent every unit of the same type.

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  • The LE is approximately 22g lighter than the regular version. This could be due to the case materials, oled panel differences (next bullet), or some other internal differences. This weight difference is more apparent than you might think.
  • My LE has a BOE oled panel and the regular edition has a Samsung oled Panel. It seems nearly all LE versions have the BOE panel.
    • I recorded both displays running a loop of colors (I used this test when checking for dead pixels) and the LE BOE panel is consistently more vibrant across all colors. This is not necessarily an indication of panel quality but more likely just how the screens were calibrated out of the box.
    • Almost no mura effect or graininess at all on the LE BOE panel, while the Samsung panel has typical (slight) mura/graininess on some colors, particularly dark greys.
    • No dead pixels or any apparent defects on either panel.
    • I used high fps capture on my phone to record both units playing several different motion tests. Both displays appeared to handle motion pretty much perfectly with almost no variation between them.
      • When looking at the slow-motion video, both displays had some degree of flickering whit the Samsung panel showing more visible flickering than the BOE panel. I am not an expert, but I assume this means both displays are using PWM and the PWM frequency is not the same for both panels. I did not notice any effects of PWM under normal use from either.
    • The etched glass coating on the LE BOE panel is different from the etched glass on the Samsung panel. Off angle (greater angle than is likely typical under normal use), the Samsung panel starts to get a rainbow/oil slick effect that I find a bit distracting and distorts the colors. I put a glass screen protector on both so this is not really relevant for me anymore.
    • The LE BOE panel has less gap between the glass and the panel. It’s hard to describe how this translates into use, but, for me, it’s easier to focus on the finer details of the screen and almost looks like you’re viewing/touching the panel directly.
    • When powered off and viewing both units side by side at any non-direct angle, the Samsung display picks up more reflections and the line between the panel and the bezels is clearly visible while the BOE panel appears less visible. This is hard to describe, but the Samsung display almost appears as though it is turned on when viewed from an off angle.
  • I prefer the feel of the case material on the LE over the regular edition. The regular edition feels almost chalky and shows fingerprints and hand oils more visibly than the LE. Both feel great in the hand overall.
  • Structurally, the regular edition feels more solid. There is no flex at all, and it feels really strong for something so long and thin. The LE still feels strong but there is a bit of flex when pressing in several areas such as on the underside directly beneath the screen. I can also get the LE to creak if I apply enough pressure or twist my grip whereas the regular edition remains rock solid.
  • The regular edition left touchpad has a different audible frequency than the right. I am not sure if this is intended, but I do not notice this on the LE.
  • The R1 L1 bumpers are stiffer on the LE (maybe too stiff?).
  • The dpad and face buttons feel identical on both versions.
  • The charging light on the LE is visible from the front and is quite annoying. This has been a well-documented complaint. Apparently, this can be turned off completely via bios and there may be an update coming to reduce the led brightness.
  • Personally, I like the look of the regular edition better, as I prefer a cleaner/simpler look with most things. While I like the case material of the LE, I find the orange accents on the thumbsticks a bit distracting. I think I would like the LE case with black accents and may try this in the future.
  • Overall, if I was only going to keep one, the LE is slightly preferred due to lighter weight, preferred screen, and material feel. However, I think both are awesome and can see benefits to both.