I don’t think the color scheme for the LE works, especially the orange fan grille in combination with the translucent polycarbonate. The lining of the carrying case is too busy as well. It’s not ugly; I just think it’s a little bit off.
I had one of the first Steam Decks and it had two persistent issues that were bothersome, but not to the point of requiring an RMA (left stick occasionally had the cap sense wire in the wrong spot, causing friction and the wifi performance was spotty). If I had one of the latter models without these issues, I wouldn’t have upgraded. There’s nothing wrong with the LCD version, it’s still a great device.
Best part is the torx screws and the metal screw housing. I’m not even joking - the self-tapping screws into plastic really bothered me. :)
It feels super dense -not heavy- to me, like they managed to utilize all of the space available inside the shell – there’s zero flex anywhere, like a brick. The build quality is seriously impressive. Refresh rate, thermals, acoustics, contrast and battery life are worthwhile upgrades, too. It may not feel like all that much on paper, but it is. I don’t even see how it could possibly be any better with currently available technology.