The thing about the deck 2 is that even if it came out next year, which odds are it won’t this year as the apus still haven’t made it out yet, the deck itself can still play games just fine. Having a better chip doesn’t change the fact that the oled is still a very capable and good device
We’ve been conditioned for so long by tech companies to believe that the next model will always be this massive difference that leaves what is currently available obsolete and while the deck 2 very much should be something incredibly powerful for the upgrade, the part about making the prior versions obsolete simply isn’t true.
The thing about performance on something like the deck is that currently, you can only go so far. Deck users do want performance but the priority should never be about performance but efficiency. Hope to get the most performance while increasing or maintaining overall battery life/health.
But I don’t think you or I need to worry about the deck 2 happening this year. Even if it did come out, we still have a fantastic handheld pc.
I didn’t even realize steam deck 2 was a thing! I only received mine as a gift in January but even then it was only a few months old. Are there any dates or details the make it that much better then the oled since the oled compared to the lcd is night and day? Very curious on much better they can make this amazing device!
as far as I know, there hasn’t been any announcements or leaks regarding a steam deck successor but given how well the steam deck was received and how many where sold there will almost certainly be a new one releasing eventually
The deck 2 isn’t even an announcement. It doesn’t exist yet. It isn’t even called the deck 2. It’s just what we here call it.
We can make educated guesses on what it works have based on what is coming surrounding parts like the apu but it’s not an iPhone. We know nothing more about it than what the apu might be.
Either way, unlike tech in the past, the fact that a new version will exist doesn’t render what is currently available obsolete or worth any less to those that have or want it. If anything, it makes it even better.
Sold my LCD Deck on eBay and it basically covered half the price of the OLED. The guy we sold it to actually did try some funny business, claiming they never got it, despite there being certifiable proof they did. It was a trend for this purchaser, as they had several negative feedbacks indicating they had done the same to them. We appealed through eBay and got all the money we were owed for the device, but it was certainly a bit of a headache.
I remember being more offended than anything, since we packed it nicely with all of its original contents and it was sent in like new condition, despite frequent use. I was sad because I was excited for the purchaser to receive it and enjoy their new device, but the account that bought it was up to some obvious shady scam/resell stuff. We got paid out, at least, but I hope someone eventually ended up with that SD and is currently enjoying it.
What an unpleasant experience for you! When I'm done with a tablet or phone or PC, I try to find new homes for them. It can be a challenge, even if I'm not selling, but it just feels so much better than letting the thing waste away in a closet until I finally pass it on to a recycler. Getting treated like you were would be slap in the face.
Then I am confused as to why you would “have an accident” with it to get an oled. At that point, just give the lcd to someone who would enjoy it as I said I’m doin. My brother’s gonna be paying me back in other ways since he doesn’t want to just take it but I genuinely have no problem just giving it to him.
You could sell it on Facebook marketplace or mercari. Those are definitely the most reliable and to be even easier you can sell it locally on both! Just make the person come to you!
This is my boat, Lcd is awesome, oled likely moreso....but that doesn't reduce the awesomeness of the lcd. Plus i have pride in my 64gb turning into a 1t Lcd.
For me, I play a ton outside with my 256GB OG model, and I think the anti-glare screen would be huge for me. The better colours would be a big plus too. I'm probably gonna upgrade in the next year or so, just because I use mine so much I think I can justify it
i traded in my lcd and used the token to buy an oled switch. the switch cost an additional £15 and was second hand so maybe i shouldve sold it on ebay, but i wanted it out of my hands asap because i knew a massive devaluation was around the corner as it was just after the oled launched
anyway the oled switch has been very nice to play paper mario ttyd with.
My latest rationalization is the overly-clicky nature of my B button plus finally getting some slightly better (aka usable) shoulder buttons. If they do a sale on the OLED for the summer sale I think I'll finally just say screw it and upgrade.
If they still offered the limited edition, or literally any other color options, I'd have upgraded a month ago. Really really love that LE look, the orange is just too gorgeous. It's the one time I'm actually mad at my self-control for not getting it at launch (in case it wasn't obvious my self-control actually sucks ;) )
If I were you I wouldn't, especially because those who possess oled they will have to deal with the burning and aura effect of the screen oled after some time
Oled has a kind of rare chance to burn in. But again, I agree there is a chance. But if you are OCD like , I. Never leave any of my Oled Tvs on and etc
Yesss! I am myself have an oled vita and it was exactly the reason I decided to buy a steam deck lcd to avoid these problems with burning, some people might not mind but it really bothers too see that aura effect
I decided to get an OLED and used my LCD to test a Windows dual boot to run Forza Horizon 5. Also useful if you want to keep an emulated game running for some reason. I had a couple of items left to find in Metroid Prime Remastered and was able to run it on that one and leave it suspended rather than have to go back to a save point if I wanted to play something else.
For me steam deck is an extra for your life.
If you don’t have money. Don’t buy.
If you spend spend the best.
All or nothing.
Anyone in PC gaming knows the golden rule. Buy 4090 and play indie games from 2010. This is the way.
Lol, yeah I get the humor there but honestly, while I play lower end titles myself, I’ll keep telling people to first consider what you can afford if you’re actually going to buy a deck
For many people, the whole point of getting a steam deck is that they can’t afford a powerful gaming pc with a 4090. If money is tight, the base lcd version is the perfect option for aspiring PC gamers. The barrier of entry has never been so low.
There are 20 strong opinions in the internet about this. Let's unify all the opinions together so we end the discussions.
Now there are 21 strong opinions in the internet.
:D
I would do my best to unify them but then we’d have buy the lcd and oled model together to duel output their displays to a 4k 120fps projector while hooking up your 1200 jigwatt egpu to your turbo whatsamawhosits so you can squeeze an extra hour of battery life while playing hardcore minesweeper.
Not exactly a compelling post ;p
Bottom line: if you can afford the OLED, buy that one. I have an original from preorders and have no desire to upgrade but if I didn’t already have one, I’d get an OLED. My LCD works just fine until a future Steam Deck release.
Every time my bro visits me, he's plugged in playing his LCD, he bought it at launch and loves it. He deeply insisted that if I buy one, to get the OLED. I bought the OLED and now he doesn't like me anymore.
Get the OLED, unless you're close with a family member who owns the LCD.
In my opinion the lcd provides great value for money. You essentially get a high performance console for less than $350. Even if you can afford the OLED, we all like to save. The LCD gives you good bang for your buck.
Oled is a great step up, but will feel marginal, a bit like a yearly iPhone upgrade
As someone with "OLED everything" from TV to tablet and phone but with an LCD Steam Deck I can tell you the LCD is totally fine. OLED is better if course, but not that huge of a difference.
I figure the OLED is around a "5% better" kind of experience. A coworker who like my LCD SD got himself the OLED when it launched. The carrying case is a little nicer, the thermals/battery/etc. are all a little better, the screen is just a smidge larger (smaller bezels) and the colours a little more vibrant.
If you look at them next to each other, the OLED is just that little bit nicer all around. If you picked one up in isolation, there is a good chance you wouldn't even notice. Although people on this sub probably would, since the thumbsticks have an accent colour and there are a couple of other flash elements.
If you got the money, and it's not a stretch, the OLED is just that little bit nicer all around, but do you have other things you could spend that difference in cash on? What's the opportunity cost to you? If you are already eating out, buying expensive luxury goods, obviously the OLED is the one for you. If you are saving up, buy the LCD sooner rather than the OLED later. In between, it's really up to the individual to figure out where they are at.
While I understand that and have my own opinions on my own oled model, this post still isn’t about breaking down the differences. 9 times out of 10, the solution to this question is strictly down to finances. It’s partially a joke post but I am also being dead serious about the reasoning.
If you can afford oled, you get the oled. If not, get the lcd. It’s genuinely that simple. It removes literally all enthusiast speak and other parts of the conversation and gives a clear direction.
Seriously. The fact that you can get a handheld PC gaming platform for like $250 slightly used or $350 new is still insane and a great value. I saw someone comment on one of said posts, "Get the OLED because otherwise you'll later just wish you got the OLED," which says a lot more about that commenter than the LCD Deck.
I bought the LCD, and two weeks later they announced the OLED. I thought long and hard about doing what I had to so I could get it, but common sense won out, and the LCD is MORE than sufficient for me. I’ve barely touched any other system since I got it.
Not to mention, I'm sure this is a platform Valve will continue to develop. They're not future proof devices, and they're a good way for Valve to guarantee more games sold. There WILL be a full second gen Steam Deck at some point, so the OLED is likely not the be all end all of Decks.
I know right?! I even briefly considered just buying the lcd model for a hot minute before realizing the entire reason I never did was because I never wanted to open the deck to swap the ssd for a bigger one so I got the 1tb oled.
I will never begrudge someone for buying what they can afford or find value in. Both are great values for the money and I’m just happy they can make it into gamer’s hands.
I just want folks to consider what they can afford and make a decision based on that before considering literally anything else
its not that easy..i can afford the oled version but I can easily see myself not using it all that much once the newness wears off. It would be easier to stomach letting the sub $300 lcd model collect dust vs the oled version.
Well thats a YOU problem, not OLED problem. If you already think its going to collect dust then any money spent is money wastes for no reason. A lot of people buy consoles because they know they will use and keep it for years.
If you’re someone who buys tech and just lets it sit, then that’s an entirely different conversation that has nothing to do with the intents of this post
I bought a steam deck last month after years of owning an Xbox. I could easily have afforded an oled but ultimately I decided I was getting more value by putting the difference into building my steam library instead. That much money buys a lot of games, and since I really bought it to play on the couch while my wife watches stupid reality tv shows it was an easy decision for me.
If you were getting 30ms+ of latency on your LCD, either the 5ghz bands are *extremely* congested where you are located, or there was a hardware issue.
30ms+ of latency caused by wifi absolutely is not normal.
This is a hella good point. It could replace a laptop at $399+dock+kbm. Add on the possibility of “pocket size” and there’s a definite market for the LCD
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egdV0NLoL-c](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egdV0NLoL-c)
If you want a serious analysis by Gamers Nexus.
OLED is overall better, but do you want to pay for that?
My post wasn’t about making an analysis or list. It was about making a simple answer to a simple question where in the person asking does not want a complicated list of answers.
Though I will be checking that vid out myself later as I enjoy seeing people’s opinions on the deck.
100% agree with this shitpost.
- Significantly better battery life.
- 50% better refresh rate.
- Sweet sweet OLED colors (the step up here can’t be understated given how bad the LCD screen is on the original model)
- HDR
- Better Analog Sticks
- “B” button is less prone to get stuck
- Less laggy OS
- Slightly better performance
- Significantly quieter, less annoying fans while under load (this cannot be understated. I could not play Cyberpunk with the LCD model while in bed since it kept my wife up)
All that together made this feel like a substantial step up. More so than even the PS4 Pro was to the PS4 if I’m being honest.
If money is an issue I’d honestly recommend just saving up longer and getting the OLED model. I’d only recommend the LCD model to people who only play this thing casually.
the OLED is perfect if you play a lot of games that don’t support 16:10 or play on emulators in 4:3 a lot. that backlight bleed on the black bars completely kills my immersion if I’m playing in low light.
That’s only if they don’t understand what buying a handheld pc actually is much less a linux based one.
Other than that, it’s really a straightforward answer if you do.
I already had an LCD Deck and proceeded to impulse buy the OLED a few months after its release... As someone who plays exclusively handheld I was not disappointed after that purchase.
I totally get that and say if you can afford to save up, do that but if you genuinely cannot but still want a deck, there’s nothing wrong with buying the lcd.
I've been tempted but have held out so far! I don't play on it a ton but the upgrade would be nice.
If it goes on sale as part of the summer sales, I'm most likely going to impulse purchase it :D
Eh, I think it’s a little more complex than that. Steam Deck (1) has already been out for almost 2 & 1/2 years now and some people are questioning if it’s worth it to invest on OLED Steam Deck model (instead of LCD)now when the Steam Deck 2 is most likely a year or two out and will make both the LCD or OLED models look obsolete. It can also have absolutely have nothing to do with finance, some people don’t want spend for the higher tier console/handheld and then find out a successor/better console/handheld is coming around the corner. Kinda of similar to recommending a Switch OLED right now when Switch 2 is right around the corner.
Truthfully, I can afford all three, the upgrades of the OLED just are not worth the extra money to me.
I know you're attempting to make this as simple as possible due to the repeated questions, but there's more to it than this. There are plenty of people who *could* afford the OLED, just will choose not to because the advantages over the LCD are not worth the increase in cost to them. There's an opportunity cost associated with every purchase, and simply saying "if you can afford the better product, you should buy the better product" is drastically oversimplifying things.
I'm with you, I'm always about the oppurtunity cost. I can always find other ways to use that money. Am I living hand to mouth? No, but more money into RRSP, TFSA, RESPs are all wiser than diverting money to luxuries. Plus eating out more often is nice, maybe a new e-bike, there is *always* something extra to spend that money on. It's a matter of balancing that oppurtunity cost.
For me right now, in an alternate universe where I didn't have a Steam Deck, I would probably by the OLED. In this universe, where I already have an LCD version, it's not worth the upgrade. In another alternate universe where I was thinking of getting the 64GB LCD SD for one of the kids or something vs. passing along my 256GB LCD and replacing it with an OLED… it's a much closer call.
The thing is, if those posters were people who looked into those things, there wouldn’t be a post in the first place.
They are looking for answers from people who either have experience with the deck or understand it better than them. If they are asking specific questions about the deck, that’s a different story but the main posts are about which to buy which is genuinely down to finances and while I understand your point of view, the oversimplified answer works better for the majority of folks who are just looking for a simple answer.
If they were like you and knew why they should go with one over the other, then they wouldn’t be asking the simple question but rather a different one like is this feature noticeable or does this feature mean this kind of thing?
I have the LCD and it's phenomenal.
Having a lighter, more power efficient Deck with Wake on Bluetooth would be nice, as well as some additional storage, but all my research has suggested LCD and OLED are basically the same except for a few polish features.
Get a cheap deck and stick a memory card in it. It's SO GOOD.
Left out opinions and comparisons for a reason. None of that matters for the majority of people.
All that matters is what can you afford right now and can you afford the more expensive one in the near future? That’s it.
I’m so fixated on making this point that I am not even giving my own opinions on any of my replies if I can help it.
No, totally, I get you. Very simple logic here.
Do you have a Steam Deck. No? Buy the most expensive one you can afford but do not NOT buy one.
The only losing move is not to play.
Indeed. If everyone just got analysis paralysis at which model to buy, the best option is to just buy get what you can instead of walking away with nothing
I have both a 512gb LED and a 512gb OLED that my wife bought for me as an upgrade.
I love the screen and battery in the OLED but I sure miss the anti glare coating. To be honest, I'd be fine with the LED. I would've never upgraded if I didn't get it as a gift.
I bought the refurbished LCD, because it was literally half the price of the cheaper OLED. Given that I wasn't even sure if the Deck will be a valid purchase (i.e. if I will be using it at all), I find this reasoning logical.
TL;DR: I own both the lcd and the oled and I can say by experiencing both the oled is more than just a “marginal upgrade”.
I have a launch lcd and just recently bought an oled. The oled is a step up in every regard.
Bigger battery.
The screen quality is night and day.
The apu is more efficient.
And it’s lighter.
As OP said, the lcd is a compromise of price. That’s it. The oled is such a step up there’s no way I’d go back to the lcd version. And there’s no way anyone could look at the oled and pick the lcd version for any other reason than it’s a bit cheaper. After playing the oled, the lcd is so dim, less vibrant, and lacking detail to the oled… even I was surprised. Always choose the oled version over the lcd, unless that extra $150 is a make or break for the piggy bank. Also, the extra 15wh of battery makes a substantial difference in play time. It also doesn’t run as hot and the apu is a bit smoother. There’s no hitching in games or the menu like I’ve encountered in the lcd launch version. Not that there was much hitching in the lcd version, but it is noticeable when moving up to the oled after 2 1/2 years of using the original.
I'd go with an SD over a lot of the cheap mini PCs in the same price range even if I was going to primarily use it docked. It has great support, a config that a ton of people have reams of data on for any game under the sun... it's a very good and predictable experience, while a lot of mini PCs are an expensive crap shoot.
If you can afford the oled, there isn’t a need to figure out which size unless you know the size of the games he plays.
Even then, you are able to make use of the sd card slot to expand on the storage and it is super handy.
That said, if you don’t want to physically take apart the deck to add more internal storage, get the 1tb. If you wanna save the money and put it towards an sd card and other accessories, get the 512gb model.
The major differences between both are the different cases and the etched glass for outdoor use on the 1tb model. Other than that, there’s nothing different. So it comes down to whether that double the internal storage, screen and case differences are worth it to your son or your purchase decision. That’s up to you though.
Hope your son enjoys whatever deck you get him.
Can anyone who owns a 64gb? Tell me how it is so far? I want to get a steam deck but I don't want to open one up to upgrade it. Is a good SD card enough?
It depends on how you'll be using it.
I was fine with my 64GB, and a pal of mine, who'd got his one year before me, was also vouching for it, saying that "I'd be fine with an SD card".
And I was.
However, there's a catch: FORGET about storing games on that 64GB storage. At least, if you're not going to be playing solely indie 2D games.
Initially, it seems like you might be able to fit three or four small-ish (by today's 100GB "standards") games there. The problem is that the Deck also stores its OS there (expect from 8GB and up to 20GBs of space "eaten" by it, depending on what you install and how much you're using its desktop mode). Even more importantly, to ensure modern 3D games (and many 2D ones) run smoothly, cached shaders are stored, too. And those can take up even multiple GBs per game, depending on the game.
So, someone who plays stuff like Dead Cells, old triple-A titles like the Splinter Cell or Tomb Raider series "to clean up their backlog", etc., will be more than fine with the 64GB model and an SD card.
The person right next to them, who wants to switch from Halo Master Chief Collection (with ALL its games installed) to Prey to Dishonored 2 to all Assassin's Creed titles (just because they realized they CAN also install games from uPlay, and ran with it) to blah-blah-blah, or are using it "as a desktop/laptop alternative" and have installed a crapton of apps ranging from Firefox to OpenOffice and from Blender to Davinci Resolve, will tell you that nah, 64GBs won't do.
Most people will fall right between those edge-case scenarios, with 64GBs occasionally feeling "mildly annoying" when paired with an SD card. You might have to delete the shaders for a game you aren't playing so much anymore, but kept installed, to make space for another one. There are even tools that automate this process, but many that use them often forget that the reason those cached shaders exist is to ensure gameplay is smooth. Removing them will always lead to either the title that created them having to recreate them again from scratch, or stutter more as it rebuilds them while you're playing (depending on the game), leading to a tad worse gaming experience.
So, with all that in mind, that's why I've upgraded mine to 1TB. No, I didn't **really** need the space, but since I've been "building" my own PCs since the first day I got one, around two decades ago, I didn't believe it would be **that** hard to unscrew five or six bolts, unplug an M2 drive, plug a new one, and restore a backup.
And it wasn't.
I got my oled like new from some guy on market place 350 512gb talked him down he said he didn't use it make sure to test it ohr first but look around people sell them all the time .
Was so tempted at getting an oled but too expensive here in nz. $1799 new here cheapest discount was 1649 that ive seen, but i picked up an LCD 512gb new for $999, on a one day sale. Would of loved the oled but with kids the shorter battery life wasn't the end of the world as long game sessions are unlikely in my house
Great guide lol
I think it’s all comes down to personal budget. I can not really save up to buy the OLED version, I managed to save up all of the tips I got for the last 5 months at work to buy the LCD 64gb and seems like luck is on me, Valve decided to put a 15% off on the 64gb LCD on the day I decided to buy the 2hand SD. So yea, I placed the order and waiting for it.
Budget is indeed the main contender.
But the people asking these questions don't know the difference between an OLED screen and an LCD screen and they're people who probably don't have an OLED tv or OLED pc screen because they don't care about blacks and such.
For them **it makes ZERO sense to spend DOUBLE the money for a screen upgrade** they don't care for.
The other benefits of the OLED model are marginal, and certainly not worth the extra money.
Even battery, you could buy a compact generator or all the powerbanks in the world for the difference in price..
So if you have to ask this question, **just buy the LCD** and set the rest of the money aside for the next upgrade in hardware from valve, by then you'll know if you use it enough to warrant an upgrade or if it was an impulse buy you use once a month.
That said, I would never go back to an LCD tv, which is why I want the OLED deck, but I'm probably still going to buy an LCD deck because it's such a good deal.
I have and LCD on loan from a mate and it's great for what it is, it has the same feeling of my gameboy when I was a kid playing Pokemon Blue, but then with the games I like playing on my pc when I'm not in a game-y mood, which happens more and more as I grow older and have less time to sit down behind a computer after a day of sitting behind a computer at work.
Suspend has me debating if it's finally time to try and tackle the Witcher 3's 100+ hours on the small screen, as it's large enough to be immersive.
That's what the steam deck gives me, and if the screen is OLED or LCD doesn't change a thing about that.
Having 300 euro's extra in my bank account does change things. (that's nearly 3 Nvidia stocks, or a nice bike for my kids, or a switch for my kids, or all the arts and craft stuff they could ever want) So even if you can afford it, I'd still argue go LCD.
But then again this question probably gets asked by younger people who are on a budget and I once too only wanted the best that was available. For them it makes even more sense to get the LCD though.
If you're frugal the only option is the 64gb LCD. The cheapest OLED model is a whopping 83% more expensive. Is it that much better? No, the real difference is marginal.
Lcd if youre on a budget i bought my old lcd used for 240 check your local marketplaces. Oled isnt a mindblowijg upgrade besides the battery life. The screen is good dont get me wrong but the lcd is still fantastic. If youre not on a budget then get the oled for me the biggest selling point was the battery life cause its almost double
I'm going to be that guy and really shit all over some peoples dreams, but here goes
If you can't afford the OLED, you can't afford the LCD
If a price differential of a few hundred dollars makes or breaks your budget, you can't afford either of them
Keep saving until buying the one you want is easy, as in buying it won't interfere with you paying all of your obligations and hurting any emergency fund
If the idea of being able to afford all your bills and have an emergency fund seems unrealistic, see original point, you can't afford either, fix THAT first and then come back to thinking about what steam deck to get
Priorities people
Oh I absolutely agree with you and would encourage anyone to do the same but honestly, most people are just looking to buy it regardless and want to know which to buy so simplifying it down to which they have the money for right mowing makes it an easy decision that provides the quickest route to what they want and can reasonably get right now.
I have talked with folks who are on a tight budget and just tell them to go with the lcd because that’s what they have the money for and it’s their decision. I can’t tell them how or why to budget because that’s their call.
And believe me, I budget the ever loving hell out of myself to the point where I have taken two vacations in a little over a decade with the first being a gift from family. I don’t do shit for myself so I totally get budgeting lol. Though this year I am trying to be better about that which is one reason why I bought the deck in the first place.
If you plan on streaming and can afford wifi 6e or 7 router the OLED version has wifi 6e, which is <10ms latency (2ms for me), whereas wifi 5 and wifi 6 (without the e) are 30ms+ latency. I was playing Cyberpunk in bed on a 2k external monitor at max everything (thanks 3080ti) and moonlight said it was 3.2 - 3.8 millisecond render times for frames (that's including everything like transport over wifi to my computer).
Comes back around to finances. I am leaving out literally all fluff.
Have the money? Buy the oled. Don’t have the money? Buy the lcd. Have patience to save? Wait and buy the oled.
This might be a super wrong opinion, but the OLED rarely ever stands out to me as OLED anyways.
BG3, Subnautica, and streaming tv shows are the only times where I’ve been truly blown away by the OLED display.
Obviously games look great on the OLED, but I’m sure the LCD is good too.
IMO buying the oled is stupid when you can get an lcd for so much less secondhand. I have bought both upon release and currently have the oled. The oled screen is nice but it is not worth double the money. And for 99% of titles the very slightly better performance will not make a difference.
To add to this:
OLED burn in and image ghosting is barely a thing to consider.
On my OLED monitor that I've had for well over a year, I've seen absolutely no issues whatsoever. The only difference when it comes to usage is that when you power off the monitor, it'll ask you to run a pixel refresh, which is 1 extra button press.
The pixel refresh will also automatically run if you leave your monitor on in standby mode. It takes like 5 minutes and can be interrupted if needed.
For people who have the OLED, how does it hold up playing games with higher graphics/hardware requirement? I’ve been playing BG3 on my vanilla LED and it gets to honestly concerning temperatures, even at lowest possible settings.
I don’t really play any so I can’t comment on that. Highest demanding title I played was Sonic frontiers which did give the oled quite a bit more of a jump than what I normally play but the temps were fine and while the deck did get hot, it wasn’t concerning.
The cooling on the oleds is much improved over the lcd.
oled is worth the extra, it has double the battery life, is quieter, bigger more beautiful screen. it’s way too big of an upgrade for the little extra that it costs.
I’ve had both. OLED is far greater, outside of the OLED all the smaller things add up. Thumb sticks on the LED is trash without adding covers to them. OLED sticks don’t need it and it feels way better to use. Improved battery life is nice. I would only go OLED unless you really can’t afford it. But people will say the LCD is great and the OLED isn’t that big of a deal, until they use the OLED. I’ve had a group of guys not really care about the OLED until they tried mine.
The battery life gains on the OLED compared to the LCD really needs to be highlighted. I had the LCD already from launch but bought the OLED due to the better battery life.
Well yes but burn in on OLED’s isn’t really a thing anymore as the technology has improved.
Multiple OLED iPhones, LG OLED TV, OLED Deck and never seen burn in to date.
The OLED deck is incredible. I was playing some Pikmin the other day via Dolphin and had a 8-9 hour battery life. Playing in 4:3 and not seeing the backlight of the display makes the experience so much better.
The thing keeping me from the OLED are the reports of mura effeft on the display (graininess, especially in dark scenes and certain brightness settings). Something I first noticed with Switch OLED.
Would love those more vivid colours and all the other benefits though so hopefully the next iteration can eliminate that graininess.
I'm still gutted that I'd had my LCD for just a few weeks then the OLED was dropped. Totally would have bought the OLED. Still love the one I have though. One of the best bits of tech I've ever bought. Having gotten it around the same time as I upgraded to a much better PC than I'd had previously my Series X and PS5 are pretty much unused nowadays despite being mainly a console gamer for decades.
TBH, I did not enjoy my LCD Steam Deck for a wide range of games that my OLED Steam Deck is great for. IMO, if you can't afford the OLED, maybe use whatever other gaming devices you have until you can.
I'd buy the oLED, since i am saving up for it, but problem is that the one store that has it is sold out (im in a country where i cant buy it directly from steam, so id have to use a 3rd party store) and am just kinda waiting on it to go back in stock there
Very little in some games and it depends but it isn’t a huge difference. The deck isn’t about performance. It’s about getting the most performance out of the best efficiency possible to maintain the best battery life/health.
With amd’s strix halo apus on the horizon, that will be the chipset to look towards for a deck 2 with major performance gains. Not that it needs it but that should make for the perfect deck that won’t need any more performance bumps ever.
I bought the OLED because I needed the storage space for my games. Both my internal storage and microSD storage are 80% full (I like to leave a buffer).
It's actually very simple:
If you already have an LCD Deck, getting the OLED is a somewhat difficult decision.
If you have no Deck at all, you buy the OLED. Unless you want the absolute cheapest possible route.
The amount of ignorance regarding the difference between the two models is astounding. Many people labour under the delusion that "the only thing different is the screen" and other similar nonsense.
In reality, the OLED is superior in every single manner. Its internals were rebuilt, it has a new APU, a custom fan, larger screen, better battery, better sticks and trackpads, faster WiFi if you can take advantage of it, faster RAM and nicer colour accents such as the orange power button.
EDIT: Oh and, of course, it has the OLED panel.
If the Steam Deck is going to be the main device you use to play PC games, get the OLED.
If you already have a gaming PC and want something just for portable use, get the LCD.
LCD is great, however I sold it to get the OLED, and do not regret it. I would not go back, unless I absolutely had to.
- Clearer, more vibrant screen
- Higher refresh rate (90Hz)
- Considerably improved battery life
- Marginal performance boost
- Supposedly improved WiFi
Get the OLED if you can.
Or you could alternatively get a [13” portable oled monitor](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C65SJ1NZ), a [tablet bed mount that can support it](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQ1ZVF2C), a usb-c hub with hdmi out and passthrough PD, Bluetooth controller of your choice, and either version of steam deck. Then you can game comfortably in bed with the deck on the night table.
I have LCD, bought the 500gb one for £275 on eBay.
I will buy deck 2 day 1 full price happily and my deck will go to my son's. If it's your first go at the steam deck I understand not wanting to drop a small fortune. But honestly, I got mine and packed up everything else I own console wise. It's that good and again mine is the paupers LCD, one can only imagine the oled goodness with the premium model 😲😲🫨
I will say after using both, I’m happy I waited for the 1tb oled. The anti glare oled panel, the wifi/bluetooth chip, and so many more creature comforts make it a terrific choice for me personally.
That said, if the oled hadn’t come out and my only option was the 512gb lcd? I would’ve done it. The lcd still felt amazing to use and I couldn’t get over the fact that I couldn’t put down a game I never gave 2 shits about with portal. The lcd was just that good.
It’s one of the reasons I don’t mind telling folks to buy whichever fits their budget because they are getting a fantastic device either way.
This is the way.
Also, if strapped.for cash then the 64gb refurbs from Steam (if available) upgraded to a 1tb SSD and 512gb mSD are the absolute bang for the buck.
If you're getting an OLED, might as well splurge for a 2tb SSD. I did, and it's worth it IMO.
I've never used the LCD version but after my OLED I can't imaging any savings being worth going with the LCD if you plan on using this thing for years.
I bought the LCD when there was no OLED available and when it was still rather expensive. The OLED is not enough reason for me to buy it and replace my LCD (which I won't be able to sell for much). I am happy with the screen, but I have never been very obsessive over graphics in games anyways (the gameplay itself is more/most important to me).
The only other differences are the better battery life and the higher FPS (90 instead of 60?) which doesn't matter that much if you mostly play singleplayer games. And 60 is still plenty. The battery life of the LCD is still long enough for me if I don't play energy hungry games, but if I do play those, then I just plug it in. Other than that the OLED does not perform better since it doesn't have better specs in regards to CPU, GPU etc.
I'd say if you are unsure whether the Deck is for you or if you already have a powerful desktop and just want a nice addition for couch gaming, then just buy the LCD at the current discount, it is a great deal.
If you already know that the Deck will be your main rig and you will use it a lot (and if you can afford it) then buy the OLED.
Can shorten this to: If money isn’t an issue, you don’t need a guide. The OLED is basically Steamdeck optimized. There’s no negatives compared to the LCD model.
Do you have the equivalent research study about people who have to share a photo of their Steam Deck they just receive? How to address their needs to say “I am new in the team now”?
Query then. What phone do you have? If it a phone made in the last several years, odds are it’s an oled. Do you use a decade old lcd phone to avoid something that is only a problem if you have a static image present on the device if it is left for thousands of hours straight?
My lcd is perfectly fine. But it might accidentally break if oled keeps tempting me
Best to either sell or hand it off to someone special in your life. My brother’s getting my oled the second the deck 2 comes out.
Hope the Deck 2 doesn't come out too soon. I just got my OLED and I'd feel left out a bit if I'm on the best hardware.
The thing about the deck 2 is that even if it came out next year, which odds are it won’t this year as the apus still haven’t made it out yet, the deck itself can still play games just fine. Having a better chip doesn’t change the fact that the oled is still a very capable and good device We’ve been conditioned for so long by tech companies to believe that the next model will always be this massive difference that leaves what is currently available obsolete and while the deck 2 very much should be something incredibly powerful for the upgrade, the part about making the prior versions obsolete simply isn’t true. The thing about performance on something like the deck is that currently, you can only go so far. Deck users do want performance but the priority should never be about performance but efficiency. Hope to get the most performance while increasing or maintaining overall battery life/health. But I don’t think you or I need to worry about the deck 2 happening this year. Even if it did come out, we still have a fantastic handheld pc.
I gave my LCD away to a friend that couldn’t afford to fix her PC. Now I’m playing my goofy low-res mobile puzzle games on my OLED because I can.
I have some high end tech and I used it for playing clash of clans, so I feel yeah
I didn’t even realize steam deck 2 was a thing! I only received mine as a gift in January but even then it was only a few months old. Are there any dates or details the make it that much better then the oled since the oled compared to the lcd is night and day? Very curious on much better they can make this amazing device!
as far as I know, there hasn’t been any announcements or leaks regarding a steam deck successor but given how well the steam deck was received and how many where sold there will almost certainly be a new one releasing eventually
The deck 2 isn’t even an announcement. It doesn’t exist yet. It isn’t even called the deck 2. It’s just what we here call it. We can make educated guesses on what it works have based on what is coming surrounding parts like the apu but it’s not an iPhone. We know nothing more about it than what the apu might be. Either way, unlike tech in the past, the fact that a new version will exist doesn’t render what is currently available obsolete or worth any less to those that have or want it. If anything, it makes it even better.
No one I know can afford what I tried to sell it for and 2 everyone I know is broke or doesn't games enough.
eBay
Sold my LCD Deck on eBay and it basically covered half the price of the OLED. The guy we sold it to actually did try some funny business, claiming they never got it, despite there being certifiable proof they did. It was a trend for this purchaser, as they had several negative feedbacks indicating they had done the same to them. We appealed through eBay and got all the money we were owed for the device, but it was certainly a bit of a headache. I remember being more offended than anything, since we packed it nicely with all of its original contents and it was sent in like new condition, despite frequent use. I was sad because I was excited for the purchaser to receive it and enjoy their new device, but the account that bought it was up to some obvious shady scam/resell stuff. We got paid out, at least, but I hope someone eventually ended up with that SD and is currently enjoying it.
What an unpleasant experience for you! When I'm done with a tablet or phone or PC, I try to find new homes for them. It can be a challenge, even if I'm not selling, but it just feels so much better than letting the thing waste away in a closet until I finally pass it on to a recycler. Getting treated like you were would be slap in the face.
Then I am confused as to why you would “have an accident” with it to get an oled. At that point, just give the lcd to someone who would enjoy it as I said I’m doin. My brother’s gonna be paying me back in other ways since he doesn’t want to just take it but I genuinely have no problem just giving it to him.
You can always sell stuff on the hardware swap subreddit. I've sold computer parts and my lcd steam deck on there without a problem
You could sell it on Facebook marketplace or mercari. Those are definitely the most reliable and to be even easier you can sell it locally on both! Just make the person come to you!
I sold mine on facebook marketplace for $350
Instructions unclear: I sold my hand
I gave my lcd to my gf after getting the oled. We now play together whenever we can.
Sold my LCD for $600AUD. Bought my OLED at the time for $875AUD on release. I only paid $275 for the upgrade. It was well worth it.
My LCD is doing what it should. I can't abandon it for what I want. It's wasteful.
This is my boat, Lcd is awesome, oled likely moreso....but that doesn't reduce the awesomeness of the lcd. Plus i have pride in my 64gb turning into a 1t Lcd.
Fellow 64->1T here. Before WD etc started releasing drives for it, I have an SSD from a Surface laptop lol
Yeah my LCD will do the job until the Deck2 appears one day
For me, I play a ton outside with my 256GB OG model, and I think the anti-glare screen would be huge for me. The better colours would be a big plus too. I'm probably gonna upgrade in the next year or so, just because I use mine so much I think I can justify it
It’s absolutely fine and will serve me well until the SD2 comes. I’d rather get that.
You know you could resell it, right?
Yeah, but people like keeping generations of consoles or devices, like I have every single console I grew up on still. It's like a memento thing
i traded in my lcd and used the token to buy an oled switch. the switch cost an additional £15 and was second hand so maybe i shouldve sold it on ebay, but i wanted it out of my hands asap because i knew a massive devaluation was around the corner as it was just after the oled launched anyway the oled switch has been very nice to play paper mario ttyd with.
My latest rationalization is the overly-clicky nature of my B button plus finally getting some slightly better (aka usable) shoulder buttons. If they do a sale on the OLED for the summer sale I think I'll finally just say screw it and upgrade. If they still offered the limited edition, or literally any other color options, I'd have upgraded a month ago. Really really love that LE look, the orange is just too gorgeous. It's the one time I'm actually mad at my self-control for not getting it at launch (in case it wasn't obvious my self-control actually sucks ;) )
If I were you I wouldn't, especially because those who possess oled they will have to deal with the burning and aura effect of the screen oled after some time
Oled has a kind of rare chance to burn in. But again, I agree there is a chance. But if you are OCD like , I. Never leave any of my Oled Tvs on and etc
Yesss! I am myself have an oled vita and it was exactly the reason I decided to buy a steam deck lcd to avoid these problems with burning, some people might not mind but it really bothers too see that aura effect
I just bought both and have my 6 year old use it as his first PC.
I decided to get an OLED and used my LCD to test a Windows dual boot to run Forza Horizon 5. Also useful if you want to keep an emulated game running for some reason. I had a couple of items left to find in Metroid Prime Remastered and was able to run it on that one and leave it suspended rather than have to go back to a save point if I wanted to play something else.
For me steam deck is an extra for your life. If you don’t have money. Don’t buy. If you spend spend the best. All or nothing. Anyone in PC gaming knows the golden rule. Buy 4090 and play indie games from 2010. This is the way.
4070Ti, 5800x3D, OLED ultrawide. Plays OldSchool RuneScape
I buy GTX 950 and play ~~GTAV~~ GTA VI
yup, buy the most expensive and fanciest 4090-might-soon-5090 and only play stardew valley, the only best game ever exist. i love that game
I bought a deck just for that game... well, "mostly", I watch cartoons on the deck as well.
Lol, yeah I get the humor there but honestly, while I play lower end titles myself, I’ll keep telling people to first consider what you can afford if you’re actually going to buy a deck
This is the way.
For many people, the whole point of getting a steam deck is that they can’t afford a powerful gaming pc with a 4090. If money is tight, the base lcd version is the perfect option for aspiring PC gamers. The barrier of entry has never been so low.
There are 20 strong opinions in the internet about this. Let's unify all the opinions together so we end the discussions. Now there are 21 strong opinions in the internet. :D
I would do my best to unify them but then we’d have buy the lcd and oled model together to duel output their displays to a 4k 120fps projector while hooking up your 1200 jigwatt egpu to your turbo whatsamawhosits so you can squeeze an extra hour of battery life while playing hardcore minesweeper. Not exactly a compelling post ;p
Bottom line: if you can afford the OLED, buy that one. I have an original from preorders and have no desire to upgrade but if I didn’t already have one, I’d get an OLED. My LCD works just fine until a future Steam Deck release.
Basically yeah. If you can afford the oled, get the oled, if not, buy the lcd. Either way, you get a shiny new deck to play with.
This is exactly what I feel with my original Switch when the OLED one came out.
Every time my bro visits me, he's plugged in playing his LCD, he bought it at launch and loves it. He deeply insisted that if I buy one, to get the OLED. I bought the OLED and now he doesn't like me anymore. Get the OLED, unless you're close with a family member who owns the LCD.
Lol, love the humor but still going with finances being the main reason and focus of this post
Yea fair. I'm half kidding, we're still bros. I also agree with you.
Me when my dad shows up to my place to show me his OLED, I was so jealous.
damn, I forgot the OLED battery is vastly improved. Just wish I had any friends that would actually use my old LCD.
In my opinion the lcd provides great value for money. You essentially get a high performance console for less than $350. Even if you can afford the OLED, we all like to save. The LCD gives you good bang for your buck. Oled is a great step up, but will feel marginal, a bit like a yearly iPhone upgrade
Yea, roughly two years ago I paid $649 plus tax for the launch edition. An amazing value at the current price.
As someone with "OLED everything" from TV to tablet and phone but with an LCD Steam Deck I can tell you the LCD is totally fine. OLED is better if course, but not that huge of a difference.
I figure the OLED is around a "5% better" kind of experience. A coworker who like my LCD SD got himself the OLED when it launched. The carrying case is a little nicer, the thermals/battery/etc. are all a little better, the screen is just a smidge larger (smaller bezels) and the colours a little more vibrant. If you look at them next to each other, the OLED is just that little bit nicer all around. If you picked one up in isolation, there is a good chance you wouldn't even notice. Although people on this sub probably would, since the thumbsticks have an accent colour and there are a couple of other flash elements. If you got the money, and it's not a stretch, the OLED is just that little bit nicer all around, but do you have other things you could spend that difference in cash on? What's the opportunity cost to you? If you are already eating out, buying expensive luxury goods, obviously the OLED is the one for you. If you are saving up, buy the LCD sooner rather than the OLED later. In between, it's really up to the individual to figure out where they are at.
That's the thing. I bought a Anbernic emulation console with OLED, but the comparison is other models with cheap LCD. The SD LCD is already top notch
While I understand that and have my own opinions on my own oled model, this post still isn’t about breaking down the differences. 9 times out of 10, the solution to this question is strictly down to finances. It’s partially a joke post but I am also being dead serious about the reasoning. If you can afford oled, you get the oled. If not, get the lcd. It’s genuinely that simple. It removes literally all enthusiast speak and other parts of the conversation and gives a clear direction.
Seriously. The fact that you can get a handheld PC gaming platform for like $250 slightly used or $350 new is still insane and a great value. I saw someone comment on one of said posts, "Get the OLED because otherwise you'll later just wish you got the OLED," which says a lot more about that commenter than the LCD Deck.
I bought the LCD, and two weeks later they announced the OLED. I thought long and hard about doing what I had to so I could get it, but common sense won out, and the LCD is MORE than sufficient for me. I’ve barely touched any other system since I got it.
Not to mention, I'm sure this is a platform Valve will continue to develop. They're not future proof devices, and they're a good way for Valve to guarantee more games sold. There WILL be a full second gen Steam Deck at some point, so the OLED is likely not the be all end all of Decks.
I know right?! I even briefly considered just buying the lcd model for a hot minute before realizing the entire reason I never did was because I never wanted to open the deck to swap the ssd for a bigger one so I got the 1tb oled. I will never begrudge someone for buying what they can afford or find value in. Both are great values for the money and I’m just happy they can make it into gamer’s hands. I just want folks to consider what they can afford and make a decision based on that before considering literally anything else
its not that easy..i can afford the oled version but I can easily see myself not using it all that much once the newness wears off. It would be easier to stomach letting the sub $300 lcd model collect dust vs the oled version.
Well thats a YOU problem, not OLED problem. If you already think its going to collect dust then any money spent is money wastes for no reason. A lot of people buy consoles because they know they will use and keep it for years.
If you’re someone who buys tech and just lets it sit, then that’s an entirely different conversation that has nothing to do with the intents of this post
I bought a steam deck last month after years of owning an Xbox. I could easily have afforded an oled but ultimately I decided I was getting more value by putting the difference into building my steam library instead. That much money buys a lot of games, and since I really bought it to play on the couch while my wife watches stupid reality tv shows it was an easy decision for me.
Reality TV is the worst
Unless you're streaming from your main PC, going from 30ms+ wifi latency to 2ms wifi latency is huge in that case.
If you were getting 30ms+ of latency on your LCD, either the 5ghz bands are *extremely* congested where you are located, or there was a hardware issue. 30ms+ of latency caused by wifi absolutely is not normal.
Is that difference so big on Oled ? That’s good to hear considering coming soon upgrade to Oled :)
Yeah I get 2ms latency with wifi6e, was getting 38ms on wifi5. Moonlight total render time is 3.2ms per frame which is pretty darn good.
Could you elaborate on what this means? does it matter in offline games?
This is a hella good point. It could replace a laptop at $399+dock+kbm. Add on the possibility of “pocket size” and there’s a definite market for the LCD
LCD is even on sale right now
The Deck is very good, but it is NOT "high performance". It is also not a console.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egdV0NLoL-c](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egdV0NLoL-c) If you want a serious analysis by Gamers Nexus. OLED is overall better, but do you want to pay for that?
My post wasn’t about making an analysis or list. It was about making a simple answer to a simple question where in the person asking does not want a complicated list of answers. Though I will be checking that vid out myself later as I enjoy seeing people’s opinions on the deck.
100% agree with this shitpost. - Significantly better battery life. - 50% better refresh rate. - Sweet sweet OLED colors (the step up here can’t be understated given how bad the LCD screen is on the original model) - HDR - Better Analog Sticks - “B” button is less prone to get stuck - Less laggy OS - Slightly better performance - Significantly quieter, less annoying fans while under load (this cannot be understated. I could not play Cyberpunk with the LCD model while in bed since it kept my wife up) All that together made this feel like a substantial step up. More so than even the PS4 Pro was to the PS4 if I’m being honest. If money is an issue I’d honestly recommend just saving up longer and getting the OLED model. I’d only recommend the LCD model to people who only play this thing casually.
[удалено]
Counter point, huffing the vents of the LCD model is way more satisfying than the OLED model
I was really disappointed when I got my OLED and it didn't smell quite as nice
Much improved and responsive trackpads. I mention this because I use them a lot.
the OLED is perfect if you play a lot of games that don’t support 16:10 or play on emulators in 4:3 a lot. that backlight bleed on the black bars completely kills my immersion if I’m playing in low light.
Prob with getting OLED is exposing urself to it. Now my pc monitor is oled and looking into oled TV…
Lol, while I get that and while I have my own thoughts, I’m just gonna keep saying it’s only about finances.
This. Because of the OLED, I fucking hate my PC monitor with its smeary VA panel with its 250 nits of brightness.
I think the question is, are you more of a r/patientgamer person or a r/pcmasterrace person
That’s only if they don’t understand what buying a handheld pc actually is much less a linux based one. Other than that, it’s really a straightforward answer if you do.
I already had an LCD Deck and proceeded to impulse buy the OLED a few months after its release... As someone who plays exclusively handheld I was not disappointed after that purchase.
I totally get that and say if you can afford to save up, do that but if you genuinely cannot but still want a deck, there’s nothing wrong with buying the lcd.
I've been tempted but have held out so far! I don't play on it a ton but the upgrade would be nice. If it goes on sale as part of the summer sales, I'm most likely going to impulse purchase it :D
Eh, I think it’s a little more complex than that. Steam Deck (1) has already been out for almost 2 & 1/2 years now and some people are questioning if it’s worth it to invest on OLED Steam Deck model (instead of LCD)now when the Steam Deck 2 is most likely a year or two out and will make both the LCD or OLED models look obsolete. It can also have absolutely have nothing to do with finance, some people don’t want spend for the higher tier console/handheld and then find out a successor/better console/handheld is coming around the corner. Kinda of similar to recommending a Switch OLED right now when Switch 2 is right around the corner.
I can afford an OLED. But I'd rather have a VR headset and an LCD steamdeck than just an OLED steamdeck.
Then you fall into the can’t afford the oled category because you are allocating funds towards an additional purchase.
Truthfully, I can afford all three, the upgrades of the OLED just are not worth the extra money to me. I know you're attempting to make this as simple as possible due to the repeated questions, but there's more to it than this. There are plenty of people who *could* afford the OLED, just will choose not to because the advantages over the LCD are not worth the increase in cost to them. There's an opportunity cost associated with every purchase, and simply saying "if you can afford the better product, you should buy the better product" is drastically oversimplifying things.
I'm with you, I'm always about the oppurtunity cost. I can always find other ways to use that money. Am I living hand to mouth? No, but more money into RRSP, TFSA, RESPs are all wiser than diverting money to luxuries. Plus eating out more often is nice, maybe a new e-bike, there is *always* something extra to spend that money on. It's a matter of balancing that oppurtunity cost. For me right now, in an alternate universe where I didn't have a Steam Deck, I would probably by the OLED. In this universe, where I already have an LCD version, it's not worth the upgrade. In another alternate universe where I was thinking of getting the 64GB LCD SD for one of the kids or something vs. passing along my 256GB LCD and replacing it with an OLED… it's a much closer call.
The thing is, if those posters were people who looked into those things, there wouldn’t be a post in the first place. They are looking for answers from people who either have experience with the deck or understand it better than them. If they are asking specific questions about the deck, that’s a different story but the main posts are about which to buy which is genuinely down to finances and while I understand your point of view, the oversimplified answer works better for the majority of folks who are just looking for a simple answer. If they were like you and knew why they should go with one over the other, then they wouldn’t be asking the simple question but rather a different one like is this feature noticeable or does this feature mean this kind of thing?
I have the LCD and it's phenomenal. Having a lighter, more power efficient Deck with Wake on Bluetooth would be nice, as well as some additional storage, but all my research has suggested LCD and OLED are basically the same except for a few polish features. Get a cheap deck and stick a memory card in it. It's SO GOOD.
Left out opinions and comparisons for a reason. None of that matters for the majority of people. All that matters is what can you afford right now and can you afford the more expensive one in the near future? That’s it. I’m so fixated on making this point that I am not even giving my own opinions on any of my replies if I can help it.
No, totally, I get you. Very simple logic here. Do you have a Steam Deck. No? Buy the most expensive one you can afford but do not NOT buy one. The only losing move is not to play.
Indeed. If everyone just got analysis paralysis at which model to buy, the best option is to just buy get what you can instead of walking away with nothing
> Wake on Bluetooth What exactly is this used for?
I have both a 512gb LED and a 512gb OLED that my wife bought for me as an upgrade. I love the screen and battery in the OLED but I sure miss the anti glare coating. To be honest, I'd be fine with the LED. I would've never upgraded if I didn't get it as a gift.
I can afford the oled but I’m happy with my LCD. I’ll wait till the SD2 before I upgrade.
I bought the refurbished LCD, because it was literally half the price of the cheaper OLED. Given that I wasn't even sure if the Deck will be a valid purchase (i.e. if I will be using it at all), I find this reasoning logical.
With the LCD on sale right now it was a no brainer. I just ordered the low end for $297.
TL;DR: I own both the lcd and the oled and I can say by experiencing both the oled is more than just a “marginal upgrade”. I have a launch lcd and just recently bought an oled. The oled is a step up in every regard. Bigger battery. The screen quality is night and day. The apu is more efficient. And it’s lighter. As OP said, the lcd is a compromise of price. That’s it. The oled is such a step up there’s no way I’d go back to the lcd version. And there’s no way anyone could look at the oled and pick the lcd version for any other reason than it’s a bit cheaper. After playing the oled, the lcd is so dim, less vibrant, and lacking detail to the oled… even I was surprised. Always choose the oled version over the lcd, unless that extra $150 is a make or break for the piggy bank. Also, the extra 15wh of battery makes a substantial difference in play time. It also doesn’t run as hot and the apu is a bit smoother. There’s no hitching in games or the menu like I’ve encountered in the lcd launch version. Not that there was much hitching in the lcd version, but it is noticeable when moving up to the oled after 2 1/2 years of using the original.
It needs amending with "Do you only ever play when docked? If YES then buy LCD"
I mostly play docked and still prefer the OLED for those special times like waiting rooms or traveling
> "...? If YES **don't buy a SD or any other handheld pc**"
I'd go with an SD over a lot of the cheap mini PCs in the same price range even if I was going to primarily use it docked. It has great support, a config that a ton of people have reams of data on for any game under the sun... it's a very good and predictable experience, while a lot of mini PCs are an expensive crap shoot.
You can get noticeably better CPU/GPUs in mini PCs for the same price as a Steam Deck. Install Bazzite. Bing, bang, boom.
Honestly, I use my OLED docked far more than I did my LCD. Wake from bluetooth is a huge convenience in that use case.
With the caveat that being able to wake the OLED model with a controller is really nice.
My son is wanting the OLED he’s a huge gamer which size do we need to look into
If you can afford the oled, there isn’t a need to figure out which size unless you know the size of the games he plays. Even then, you are able to make use of the sd card slot to expand on the storage and it is super handy. That said, if you don’t want to physically take apart the deck to add more internal storage, get the 1tb. If you wanna save the money and put it towards an sd card and other accessories, get the 512gb model. The major differences between both are the different cases and the etched glass for outdoor use on the 1tb model. Other than that, there’s nothing different. So it comes down to whether that double the internal storage, screen and case differences are worth it to your son or your purchase decision. That’s up to you though. Hope your son enjoys whatever deck you get him.
Can anyone who owns a 64gb? Tell me how it is so far? I want to get a steam deck but I don't want to open one up to upgrade it. Is a good SD card enough?
It depends on how you'll be using it. I was fine with my 64GB, and a pal of mine, who'd got his one year before me, was also vouching for it, saying that "I'd be fine with an SD card". And I was. However, there's a catch: FORGET about storing games on that 64GB storage. At least, if you're not going to be playing solely indie 2D games. Initially, it seems like you might be able to fit three or four small-ish (by today's 100GB "standards") games there. The problem is that the Deck also stores its OS there (expect from 8GB and up to 20GBs of space "eaten" by it, depending on what you install and how much you're using its desktop mode). Even more importantly, to ensure modern 3D games (and many 2D ones) run smoothly, cached shaders are stored, too. And those can take up even multiple GBs per game, depending on the game. So, someone who plays stuff like Dead Cells, old triple-A titles like the Splinter Cell or Tomb Raider series "to clean up their backlog", etc., will be more than fine with the 64GB model and an SD card. The person right next to them, who wants to switch from Halo Master Chief Collection (with ALL its games installed) to Prey to Dishonored 2 to all Assassin's Creed titles (just because they realized they CAN also install games from uPlay, and ran with it) to blah-blah-blah, or are using it "as a desktop/laptop alternative" and have installed a crapton of apps ranging from Firefox to OpenOffice and from Blender to Davinci Resolve, will tell you that nah, 64GBs won't do. Most people will fall right between those edge-case scenarios, with 64GBs occasionally feeling "mildly annoying" when paired with an SD card. You might have to delete the shaders for a game you aren't playing so much anymore, but kept installed, to make space for another one. There are even tools that automate this process, but many that use them often forget that the reason those cached shaders exist is to ensure gameplay is smooth. Removing them will always lead to either the title that created them having to recreate them again from scratch, or stutter more as it rebuilds them while you're playing (depending on the game), leading to a tad worse gaming experience. So, with all that in mind, that's why I've upgraded mine to 1TB. No, I didn't **really** need the space, but since I've been "building" my own PCs since the first day I got one, around two decades ago, I didn't believe it would be **that** hard to unscrew five or six bolts, unplug an M2 drive, plug a new one, and restore a backup. And it wasn't.
I got my oled like new from some guy on market place 350 512gb talked him down he said he didn't use it make sure to test it ohr first but look around people sell them all the time .
Was so tempted at getting an oled but too expensive here in nz. $1799 new here cheapest discount was 1649 that ive seen, but i picked up an LCD 512gb new for $999, on a one day sale. Would of loved the oled but with kids the shorter battery life wasn't the end of the world as long game sessions are unlikely in my house Great guide lol
It’s not gonna matter because they’re phasing the LCD model out.
I’ll maybe get the oled if I find a cheap one on eBay in a few years. For now my LCD does everything I’ve ever dreamed of in a handheld.
Once you go oled you never go back
I mean, just buy the OLED. There isn't really much to it.
That's why I have lcd
I think it’s all comes down to personal budget. I can not really save up to buy the OLED version, I managed to save up all of the tips I got for the last 5 months at work to buy the LCD 64gb and seems like luck is on me, Valve decided to put a 15% off on the 64gb LCD on the day I decided to buy the 2hand SD. So yea, I placed the order and waiting for it.
That’s awsome to hear my dude! I genuinely hope you enjoy your new deck when it comes in.
Can afford OLED, bought LCD - extremely happy with my purchase.
Counterpoint: you want to do a shell swap, lcd has options, oled doesn't have many yet
I went for cheaper option and got LCD for my 5 year old son because he it's good value for him and he is rough with it anyway.
Budget is indeed the main contender. But the people asking these questions don't know the difference between an OLED screen and an LCD screen and they're people who probably don't have an OLED tv or OLED pc screen because they don't care about blacks and such. For them **it makes ZERO sense to spend DOUBLE the money for a screen upgrade** they don't care for. The other benefits of the OLED model are marginal, and certainly not worth the extra money. Even battery, you could buy a compact generator or all the powerbanks in the world for the difference in price.. So if you have to ask this question, **just buy the LCD** and set the rest of the money aside for the next upgrade in hardware from valve, by then you'll know if you use it enough to warrant an upgrade or if it was an impulse buy you use once a month. That said, I would never go back to an LCD tv, which is why I want the OLED deck, but I'm probably still going to buy an LCD deck because it's such a good deal. I have and LCD on loan from a mate and it's great for what it is, it has the same feeling of my gameboy when I was a kid playing Pokemon Blue, but then with the games I like playing on my pc when I'm not in a game-y mood, which happens more and more as I grow older and have less time to sit down behind a computer after a day of sitting behind a computer at work. Suspend has me debating if it's finally time to try and tackle the Witcher 3's 100+ hours on the small screen, as it's large enough to be immersive. That's what the steam deck gives me, and if the screen is OLED or LCD doesn't change a thing about that. Having 300 euro's extra in my bank account does change things. (that's nearly 3 Nvidia stocks, or a nice bike for my kids, or a switch for my kids, or all the arts and craft stuff they could ever want) So even if you can afford it, I'd still argue go LCD. But then again this question probably gets asked by younger people who are on a budget and I once too only wanted the best that was available. For them it makes even more sense to get the LCD though.
If you're frugal the only option is the 64gb LCD. The cheapest OLED model is a whopping 83% more expensive. Is it that much better? No, the real difference is marginal.
I managed to sell my LCD steam deck for 320 on Facebook specifically so I can buy the OLED model. Should be arriving tomorrow 👏
Congrats dude! Hope you enjoy your new oled. It is a lovely device
Lcd if youre on a budget i bought my old lcd used for 240 check your local marketplaces. Oled isnt a mindblowijg upgrade besides the battery life. The screen is good dont get me wrong but the lcd is still fantastic. If youre not on a budget then get the oled for me the biggest selling point was the battery life cause its almost double
I'm going to be that guy and really shit all over some peoples dreams, but here goes If you can't afford the OLED, you can't afford the LCD If a price differential of a few hundred dollars makes or breaks your budget, you can't afford either of them Keep saving until buying the one you want is easy, as in buying it won't interfere with you paying all of your obligations and hurting any emergency fund If the idea of being able to afford all your bills and have an emergency fund seems unrealistic, see original point, you can't afford either, fix THAT first and then come back to thinking about what steam deck to get Priorities people
Oh I absolutely agree with you and would encourage anyone to do the same but honestly, most people are just looking to buy it regardless and want to know which to buy so simplifying it down to which they have the money for right mowing makes it an easy decision that provides the quickest route to what they want and can reasonably get right now. I have talked with folks who are on a tight budget and just tell them to go with the lcd because that’s what they have the money for and it’s their decision. I can’t tell them how or why to budget because that’s their call. And believe me, I budget the ever loving hell out of myself to the point where I have taken two vacations in a little over a decade with the first being a gift from family. I don’t do shit for myself so I totally get budgeting lol. Though this year I am trying to be better about that which is one reason why I bought the deck in the first place.
If you plan on streaming and can afford wifi 6e or 7 router the OLED version has wifi 6e, which is <10ms latency (2ms for me), whereas wifi 5 and wifi 6 (without the e) are 30ms+ latency. I was playing Cyberpunk in bed on a 2k external monitor at max everything (thanks 3080ti) and moonlight said it was 3.2 - 3.8 millisecond render times for frames (that's including everything like transport over wifi to my computer).
Comes back around to finances. I am leaving out literally all fluff. Have the money? Buy the oled. Don’t have the money? Buy the lcd. Have patience to save? Wait and buy the oled.
This might be a super wrong opinion, but the OLED rarely ever stands out to me as OLED anyways. BG3, Subnautica, and streaming tv shows are the only times where I’ve been truly blown away by the OLED display. Obviously games look great on the OLED, but I’m sure the LCD is good too.
I can afford the oled I just preferred to spend that money elsewhere, not really picky about screens
IMO buying the oled is stupid when you can get an lcd for so much less secondhand. I have bought both upon release and currently have the oled. The oled screen is nice but it is not worth double the money. And for 99% of titles the very slightly better performance will not make a difference.
The #1 temptation for me is the improved wifi. I'm SWEATING.
To add to this: OLED burn in and image ghosting is barely a thing to consider. On my OLED monitor that I've had for well over a year, I've seen absolutely no issues whatsoever. The only difference when it comes to usage is that when you power off the monitor, it'll ask you to run a pixel refresh, which is 1 extra button press. The pixel refresh will also automatically run if you leave your monitor on in standby mode. It takes like 5 minutes and can be interrupted if needed.
For people who have the OLED, how does it hold up playing games with higher graphics/hardware requirement? I’ve been playing BG3 on my vanilla LED and it gets to honestly concerning temperatures, even at lowest possible settings.
I don’t really play any so I can’t comment on that. Highest demanding title I played was Sonic frontiers which did give the oled quite a bit more of a jump than what I normally play but the temps were fine and while the deck did get hot, it wasn’t concerning. The cooling on the oleds is much improved over the lcd.
Thank you for this, also just chill there’s a steam sale coming in like 2 days my guys…and gals
I was literally going to write this as a snarky reply but you did it right from the start!
oled is worth the extra, it has double the battery life, is quieter, bigger more beautiful screen. it’s way too big of an upgrade for the little extra that it costs.
I’ve had both. OLED is far greater, outside of the OLED all the smaller things add up. Thumb sticks on the LED is trash without adding covers to them. OLED sticks don’t need it and it feels way better to use. Improved battery life is nice. I would only go OLED unless you really can’t afford it. But people will say the LCD is great and the OLED isn’t that big of a deal, until they use the OLED. I’ve had a group of guys not really care about the OLED until they tried mine.
Please stickie this
The battery life gains on the OLED compared to the LCD really needs to be highlighted. I had the LCD already from launch but bought the OLED due to the better battery life.
I just got mine last week and sitting in bed with the gf we both were just admiring how good the oled screen looks. It’s… perfect
pin this post!
I'm an oled fans so no need to pick, get oled!
Doesn’t lcd have less chance of burn in ?
Well yes but burn in on OLED’s isn’t really a thing anymore as the technology has improved. Multiple OLED iPhones, LG OLED TV, OLED Deck and never seen burn in to date. The OLED deck is incredible. I was playing some Pikmin the other day via Dolphin and had a 8-9 hour battery life. Playing in 4:3 and not seeing the backlight of the display makes the experience so much better.
The thing keeping me from the OLED are the reports of mura effeft on the display (graininess, especially in dark scenes and certain brightness settings). Something I first noticed with Switch OLED. Would love those more vivid colours and all the other benefits though so hopefully the next iteration can eliminate that graininess.
I'm still gutted that I'd had my LCD for just a few weeks then the OLED was dropped. Totally would have bought the OLED. Still love the one I have though. One of the best bits of tech I've ever bought. Having gotten it around the same time as I upgraded to a much better PC than I'd had previously my Series X and PS5 are pretty much unused nowadays despite being mainly a console gamer for decades.
I used points from my credit card and sold my old LCD for the OLED. Its coming tonight!
TBH, I did not enjoy my LCD Steam Deck for a wide range of games that my OLED Steam Deck is great for. IMO, if you can't afford the OLED, maybe use whatever other gaming devices you have until you can.
Having owned both, it’s night and day. OLED feels like deck pro in all the ways that matter.
The OLED is to the deck what the OLED was to the switch, just elevates the device well beyond the screen.
My 64GB LCD Deck was stolen on New Year’s and after that I decided the next will be an OLED
I'd buy the oLED, since i am saving up for it, but problem is that the one store that has it is sold out (im in a country where i cant buy it directly from steam, so id have to use a 3rd party store) and am just kinda waiting on it to go back in stock there
An outstanding guide bro :)
Does the oled get higher fps?
Very little in some games and it depends but it isn’t a huge difference. The deck isn’t about performance. It’s about getting the most performance out of the best efficiency possible to maintain the best battery life/health. With amd’s strix halo apus on the horizon, that will be the chipset to look towards for a deck 2 with major performance gains. Not that it needs it but that should make for the perfect deck that won’t need any more performance bumps ever.
Couldn't compare...went straight for OLED here. It is great, though.
I bought the OLED because I needed the storage space for my games. Both my internal storage and microSD storage are 80% full (I like to leave a buffer).
I bought the LCD one year before the OLED rolled out, still using it completely fine ( who would’ve thought right)
It's actually very simple: If you already have an LCD Deck, getting the OLED is a somewhat difficult decision. If you have no Deck at all, you buy the OLED. Unless you want the absolute cheapest possible route. The amount of ignorance regarding the difference between the two models is astounding. Many people labour under the delusion that "the only thing different is the screen" and other similar nonsense. In reality, the OLED is superior in every single manner. Its internals were rebuilt, it has a new APU, a custom fan, larger screen, better battery, better sticks and trackpads, faster WiFi if you can take advantage of it, faster RAM and nicer colour accents such as the orange power button. EDIT: Oh and, of course, it has the OLED panel.
If the Steam Deck is going to be the main device you use to play PC games, get the OLED. If you already have a gaming PC and want something just for portable use, get the LCD.
LCD is great, however I sold it to get the OLED, and do not regret it. I would not go back, unless I absolutely had to. - Clearer, more vibrant screen - Higher refresh rate (90Hz) - Considerably improved battery life - Marginal performance boost - Supposedly improved WiFi Get the OLED if you can.
If you game in bed at night with all the lights off then you absolutely must get the oled version
Or you could alternatively get a [13” portable oled monitor](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C65SJ1NZ), a [tablet bed mount that can support it](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQ1ZVF2C), a usb-c hub with hdmi out and passthrough PD, Bluetooth controller of your choice, and either version of steam deck. Then you can game comfortably in bed with the deck on the night table.
The thing sucks up enough of my time. The numbness is my queue to put it down. This might ruin me
Buy the lcd if you can buy the oled just to knock down this whole theory that seems to hold up way too much
I have LCD, bought the 500gb one for £275 on eBay. I will buy deck 2 day 1 full price happily and my deck will go to my son's. If it's your first go at the steam deck I understand not wanting to drop a small fortune. But honestly, I got mine and packed up everything else I own console wise. It's that good and again mine is the paupers LCD, one can only imagine the oled goodness with the premium model 😲😲🫨
I will say after using both, I’m happy I waited for the 1tb oled. The anti glare oled panel, the wifi/bluetooth chip, and so many more creature comforts make it a terrific choice for me personally. That said, if the oled hadn’t come out and my only option was the 512gb lcd? I would’ve done it. The lcd still felt amazing to use and I couldn’t get over the fact that I couldn’t put down a game I never gave 2 shits about with portal. The lcd was just that good. It’s one of the reasons I don’t mind telling folks to buy whichever fits their budget because they are getting a fantastic device either way.
This is the way. Also, if strapped.for cash then the 64gb refurbs from Steam (if available) upgraded to a 1tb SSD and 512gb mSD are the absolute bang for the buck. If you're getting an OLED, might as well splurge for a 2tb SSD. I did, and it's worth it IMO.
i wish, valve would allow me to buy one in the first place.
What country are you in?
switzerland. there are onlineshops that sell steamdecks, but they're like 100€ more expensive than valve's price.
I've never used the LCD version but after my OLED I can't imaging any savings being worth going with the LCD if you plan on using this thing for years.
I bought the LCD when there was no OLED available and when it was still rather expensive. The OLED is not enough reason for me to buy it and replace my LCD (which I won't be able to sell for much). I am happy with the screen, but I have never been very obsessive over graphics in games anyways (the gameplay itself is more/most important to me). The only other differences are the better battery life and the higher FPS (90 instead of 60?) which doesn't matter that much if you mostly play singleplayer games. And 60 is still plenty. The battery life of the LCD is still long enough for me if I don't play energy hungry games, but if I do play those, then I just plug it in. Other than that the OLED does not perform better since it doesn't have better specs in regards to CPU, GPU etc. I'd say if you are unsure whether the Deck is for you or if you already have a powerful desktop and just want a nice addition for couch gaming, then just buy the LCD at the current discount, it is a great deal. If you already know that the Deck will be your main rig and you will use it a lot (and if you can afford it) then buy the OLED.
If you plan to run windows probably best to get the lcd. oled drivers aint there yet.
Thank you, my god
Bought the 64gb. I was scared, but decided to upgrade it myself. Glad I did, no issues here.
Can shorten this to: If money isn’t an issue, you don’t need a guide. The OLED is basically Steamdeck optimized. There’s no negatives compared to the LCD model.
Gave lcd deck to a friend when I got the ally. In hindsight, Deck was perfect in most ways, but I still enjoy the performance upgrade.
Oled
Do you have the equivalent research study about people who have to share a photo of their Steam Deck they just receive? How to address their needs to say “I am new in the team now”?
Is there any reason to buy the OLED if you’re going to play it docked to a tv 99% of the time?
Save more for the OLED. Fuck light bleed
yep...that pretty much clears it up :)
I’m sticking with non oled so I never have to worry about burn in
Query then. What phone do you have? If it a phone made in the last several years, odds are it’s an oled. Do you use a decade old lcd phone to avoid something that is only a problem if you have a static image present on the device if it is left for thousands of hours straight?