VALVE’S STEAM DECK has received an overhaul. Obviously the screen changes from LCD to OLED, but there’s much more than just that, as almost every part has been redesigned. The upgrade is not focused on raw performance—more a better version of the original. This means the processor specification remains the same, as does memory and storage. The list of changes, however, is huge, as almost no components have been carried over.
The HDR screen is 7.4-inch, 90Hz, and 1,000-nits. That’s a big upgrade over the old LCD, which was a 7-inch, 60Hz, 400-nit unit. The new screen has a considerable expanded color gamut, too. Battery life is saidtobe50percentbetter, thankstobetter efficiency and a 20 percent size increase. The AMD silicon is now on a 6nm process rather than a 7nm one. Memory speed has bumped from 5500MT/s to 6400MT/s. Other improvements include Wi-Fi 6E, a quieter fan, higher fidelity haptics, faster touchscreen polling, redesigned bumper switches and thumbsticks, faster charging, better sound, and more. It even manages to be over an ounce lighter.
The result is a machine that is better than the original in almost every metric. Games run better (not significantly quicker though), download faster, are more stable, look brighter and clearer, and play for longer, while the machine stays cooler and quieter. Initial reviews have been glowing. The screen looks much better, with deep blacks and vibrant colors. Not increasing the raw power is a confident move, meaning the Steam Deck can still struggle with more demanding AAA games, so don’t expect Starfield to run effortlessly.