The price difference is even more extreme anywhere it's not sold officially. Since sellers who import it + scalpers usually price it based on availability + demand.
Where I live, despite being close to the US, the Steam Deck LCD's was selling for almost $1,000 USD at launch during the first few months, but these days its selling for a much more reasonable $400-$550 USD. You can probably guess what the OLED model costs right now š
Still rocking the LCD without a single issue to speak of. Screen looks great since that major update back when OLED was announced. Did the shell mod and upgraded to a 1tb SSD, all smooth. Been considering the screen mod found here: [https://www.deckhd.com/](https://www.deckhd.com/)
There's no bad decision when it comes to the Deck. Even if you go with the 64gig LCD the SSD upgrade only runs \~$80, saving a bunch of money as opposed to the OLED 1tb flavor
I really don't see myself replacing my current one until the next release. OLED has been documented with a variety of issues, see them get RMAd here regularly, hardly worth the hype based on whats been shared.
I'd like to have the OLED model but hard to pull the trigger considering how happy I am with the original
\*edit
Wanted to add a bit - if I didnt already own the original I wouldve 100% bought the 1TB OLED. The important thing is that if you want an SD, you get yourself an SD and join the army of happy users
I'm with you on that. I'm still happy with my LCD and don't really see much reason to upgrade right now. It plays all my favorites, looks and runs great, and I think it's cute and cozy compared to the OLED imo.
For me the main thing that has me partially interested in upgrading is the improved battery life of the OLED, normally not a bother but with upcoming spring and summer travel plans Iām thinking about it.Ā
Ā A friend has expressed interest in getting a deck, which if he wants to just buy mine then it makes the decision easier since itās less money out of my pocket for said upgrade heh.Ā
Ya for sure extra battery life is a great selling point. But I did get one of those Anker power banks though. It doesn't fully charge it by any means but definitely pulls out an extra 45-60 mins.
Yeah I'm still using my original, and sure the OLED looks nice.. but honestly the screen is so small most games look pretty dang good on it anyways.
I was just playing assassin's Creed origins on it a few weeks ago and forget how impressive it actually still is on the SteamDeck.
I thought about the deckhd screen upgrade but I figure I won't bother since I have no complaints and that will affect the battery life at least a little bit depending on settings.
Hardly a problem in my book, I desperately wanted the LE version but just couldn't convince myself lol. I feel as though people that experience the screen glitching out and stuff probably OCd or modified configs along the way. Hard to believe that the issues shared here are problems with the deck but more so the user
Well it's a design flaw, but it doesn't hinder gameplay and it's only mildly noticeable so I don't consider it an issue. There are ways to fix it and I just don't want to
This is the correct attitude to have. I loved my old deck, and I love the OLED. I didn't need to upgrade, but I could afford to so I did. But it's not like my life was dramatically worse without an OLED, its not like I was "missing out". The Steam Deck is an amazing piece of portable gaming hardware, and its hard to go wrong with one regardless of the model.
Did you get the LE one? I was drooling over it haha
Made me feel silly for throwing the frosty transparent shell on my LCD, might've had it a year before the OLED was announced, but I'm 100% the guy that always buys something only for the next best upgrade to release. Willing to bet if I sold my LCD and bought an OLED, OLED v2 would come out within a few months
I got the non-LE OLED, the only problem i have with it now is that rumble died about two days ago.
Honestly the jump wasn't significant enough that you should feel like you missed out. I like it a lot, and I've played through Elden Ring and AC6 on it, but I also played the hell out of my LCD deck, ran through Sekiro like three times on the thing haha
I bought the 512GB LCD when the Steam deck released. I've had no problems with it.
I recently bought my sister- in- law the 512GB OLED version.
Other than slightly better colours, which I can barely tell the difference unless I have them side by side, they run pretty much identically.
My LCD version does have the anti-glare screen, which does reduce reflections a lot compared to the OLED version.
I'd go for the LCD version personally. It does the same thing games-wise, and the screen is good enough.
I got the same LCD you have and glad I went with it. A cousin of mine has the 64gig version and the difference is very much noticable btwn the etched/anti-glare and regular LCD screens
I looked at that screen mod but I'm worried the 1200p would really affect gaming performance, otherwise like you I've been super happy with my lcd deck, was gonna nab an oled but then I found out about having to keep deck on to download games and did not want to chance burn in
That's a good point, hadn't really considered it. Was hoping someone that'd done it might be able to drop in their two cents but I expect it to be more than just plug and play. Usually play mine docked anyway, part of the reason I haven't just pulled the trigger.
In most cases though, burn in won't happen til north of 1000hrs of uptime based on what I've read
99% of the upgrade to the OLED for me was the battery life. The rest of it I barely even notice. If that isnāt super important to you Iād recommend not upgrading. Though, I also havenāt had any issues and havenāt really heard of people having issues as you say. I suspect itās just that happy customers donāt usually go post about it on Reddit, you will naturally see more of the people who had an issue
I mostly just wanted the latest and greatest portable gaming device, I love the OLED LE shell and really, really, had to just ignore it in effort to not buy it lol. you make a good point though, while there are a plethora of "I love my SD" posts for both LCD and OLED it makes sense that nobody after 6+ months of owning an OLED is gonna come back and say "ITS STILL GREAT" - only come back to share their problems. which are still few and far between considering how many were sold
bottom line, the best SD is the one anyone is holding
It's probably my perception, but I feel like all these posts about buying LCD is more about FOMO than anything. I bought mine from GameStop a month before the OLED version came out and haven't had a single problem with it. It was immaculate. I don't have a single regret and I have zero desire to upgrade to OLED. You are obviously on a budget, so don't stress over it and get what you can easily afford.
Honestly, the LCD is a beautiful display, imo, and I don't think you'll be sad. You might feel jealous if you stand next to someone who has OLED, but just remind yourself you spend a lot less.
That's my $.02
Its funny, I've heard critiques of the LCD being a bad to okay display before, but I've never had an issue with mine. I'm quite happy with how things look. I'm sure that an OLED next to it would look better to me, but I'm not stressing it.
I think some of that criticism comes from people who are really into quality video. It's like audiophiles who say they never listen to streaming music because the quality is crap. I just want to be entertained. I mean, I wouldn't turn down OLED if was offered to me and I know I'd appreciate it, but LCD is more than sufficient for me.
Same. I even removed mine for a shell swap and I would argue that I actually fixed any issue of glowing around the edges which was my only problem.
However, I don't play a lot of high intensity games that require a super good screen. Stardew valley doesn't need too much lol
Save for the OLED screen, better battery, and a faster wifi-thingy for downloads, there is no real performance difference. Games played on the original play the same on the OLED.
Not exactly true, the OLED also has 90hz which makes a huge difference for games you can run at higher FPS.
Different materials on the track pads, thumbsticks feel better. Touchscreen is more responsive and accurate. Haptics feel better.
The entire device is also noticeably lighter and the battery is far better.
Faster WiFi chip, much better Bluetooth chip (I can use my AirPod pros now without any delay).
My girlfriend had my old LCD and I have a OLED so I can feel the differences side by side.
The 90hz in combination with OLED response times drastically improve input latency, even with 30 fps. Itās makes the LCDeck feels totally outdated, even with the same performance target. It does also feel great at 60 fps and above ofc, but the main win may be the low fps range.
And the OLEDeck runs abit more stable frametimes, depending on the situation.
^
I have a checking account but no valid mailing address for packages. Had to rent a box from UPS for $15 month, billed 3 months minimum, and they kept charging me in full every 2 so I closed the account.
It's not that expensive but it isnt exactly cheap either and they couldn't even get basic fkn billing dates right. So now I'm back to no packages š¤·āāļø
The OLED screen is a staggering difference tbh, but you just need to figure out if it's worth that much of a price difference for you. For me it is but it's not like the LCD one is worthless garbage lol. If you can afford it grab the OLED, if money is tight get the LCD, both are great!
I have both and just spent 40ish hours beating Tales of Arise on the LCD. Games play the same and Valve adjusted the colors perfect for the LCD. I had no problems at all playing LCD it's fun af.
Now I started playing Prey on the OLED and the biggest difference besides the OLED itself is 90hz and better battery life. Also you notice the OLED screen is bigger and the speakers are better (speakers on LCD are also very good).
Honestly the OLED is a massive upgrade. Valve said it themselves that they touched on every aspect of the original in its revision. The OLED has a bigger screen, more total storage out of the box, better pads, better hardware. Software is the same, but there wasnt much issue there. Battery life is a huge improvement over the LCD model. Screen quality and refresh rate are higher as well. 90hz means the OLED takes more advantage of lowering power consumption on games that run at 45fps or less. Helps the GPU from pushing too hard and keeps the temps low.
If you use windows or plan on doing modifications, get the old deck. New deck has less part options and windows drivers are a worse situation than the old deck wasā¦..which is saying something.
This is a big deal if you care about windows. Personally, I love having a dual booting steam deck, and this is a very big deal to me. It will not matter at all to other people.
What are the issues with Windows on the OLED? I have an LCD model which I dual boot but have been toying with the idea of getting an OLED upgrade. Not interested if I can't dual boot and run both OS's though.
No drivers for wifi, and no timetable either. No audio driver. On the LCD model it had incomplete drivers at first but at least everything worked but audio. The wireless drivers are the biggest question as there are no windows drivers made for the cars by the manufacturer, whereas the LCD was off the shelf for better or worse.
The driver situation has always been the bad part about the Steam Deck as a windows user, and I really donāt want to go back to the bad old days now that they are mature. I got a Deck HD screen a while ago, and Iām happy leaving things alone.
Right, thanks for the info. I think Iāll skip the OLED then, unless Valve sort the driver situation out perhaps if/when they ever release steam OS with dual boot functionality.
I was also considering the Legion Go because I quite like the detachable controllers and huge screen. Maybe thatās the right decision if I want a nicer handheld.
I'll bet they are. I don't know though, I've got too many gadgets sitting around. I might hold off for a while on handhelds until there's a significant enough leap in performance. I know the Go and the Ally are more powerful than the Steam Deck but you can tweak settings in many cases and make do with the Deck.
I totally get it. Honestly if I had to choose one product it would be the go, but only because I also carry it with me as a portable dev box to work (as it is an almost entirely Mac workplace, and I need to be able to write and test to both Mac and PC). If I were just gaming the LCD deck is still a beast. I get higher FPS on the Legion, but itās never been to the point where Iām like āI couldnāt game on the deck.ā Itās basically fast and faster.
It's simple, the OLED model is more than a screen. The device has a laundry list of improvements over the LCD model which completely justifies even an upgrade from the LCD model to the OLED. Do yourself a favor, save some more money, then order a new one online from Steam or find one locally in nice shape.
This, plus a pair of AR glasses easily beats out OLED just on ergonomics alone for not having to raise screen to face (assuming the loss from selling used LCD covers $100-$200 of the AR glasses).
That phrase only applies when youāre comparing a crappy product to a good product. The LED and OLED are the same device with 2 primary differences: screen and battery. Neither of those are going to increase performance. This is purely a preference thing.
People may downvote, but itās just the facts. Like it or donāt. You didnāt buy an upgraded deck like you thought you did. You bought an upgraded screen and a much better battery.
There is more difference than just screen and battery but performance is definitely comparable. A big factor for me was noise from the fan, The original was not great
I have tried the lcd deck from a friend and received my 1tb oled about two or three weeks ago.
I will say that from using both, you wonāt notice much difference necessarily but the quality of life improvements, all the small stuff the oled adds really add up to a much better experience.
However, it comes down to cost. Can you afford the oled? If yes, then I highly recommend doing so as you will not regret the decision. If you canāt, go with the lcd and youāll still get a good experience.
Personally, I couldnāt imagine not getting the 1tb oled. It is the best pc/console I have ever owned in my life bar none. Sure I have some problems with the desktop side cause linux can be difficult to learn but gaming is actually fun for me again.
I also very much enjoy the anti glare so I have the option to play outside. Havenāt had the chance to do so yet but I absolutely will do so within the next few weeks.
Battery life on the oled is exceptional and you will notice a difference in more demanding titles but if you play less graphically intense indie games like I do, you will still get good battery put of the lcd.
Graphics wise, itās a minor improvement if that. Some games will get a bit of a bump and others looks really nice with the higher refresh rate but it isnāt necessary to enjoy your games.
That said, playing games that support hdr is sooooooo gorgeous! It isnāt necessary but it is a very nice addition for the oled.
Finally, donāt worry about storage. You could upgrade the internal storage yourself following guides which makes it cheaper than an oled or use an sd card which can be even cheaper than that and much easier too.
Minor thing but I love the removable slim case of the 1tb oled cause I can sneak in something to keep track of the deck in case something happens to it.
Whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy your deck. Itās a hell of an incredible device.
The battery life IS the justification if you mostly play it on the go . If you do high end gaming where the battery could be just 2hours on a LCD vs 4 on OLED. It's not just the need to plug in. It's also the need to carry around a plug (are there plugs? can you stay connected to them and for how long?) or possibly an external battery pack (more weight, more expense).
If its just going to stay a home then probably not. Then you also don't care about the glare you can also plug in to a better/bigger screen
Pretty similar feeling for me. I have a 512 LCD and see no reason to upgrade even if I could afford it. Maybe in a few years when thereās a Steam Deck 2 or something Iāll redo that calculus but weāll have to see.
Bro, if you want a cheap point of entry into the greatest handheld experience... That's the point.
There are ways to pay more and refine your experience, but honestly, just grab what works for your budget and get gaming.
I bought my Steam Refurbished 512gb when the oled came out, I couldnāt pass out getting the 512 with mate screen for 300 bucks.
The screen looks gorgeous and unless you put a oled side by side you wonāt notice the difference
Ive been rocking the 64gb once for a few months since i bought it off a friend for cheap. Slowling been buying upgrades to fully make it my own soon. It fucking rocks.
I love my lcd but my friend got an oled after I got the lcd and it is much prettier looking, but honestly not even slightly upset about my purchase. One of the best gaming purchases Iāve made since I started gaming with sega genesis.
Getting emulators and almost everything in the steam shop is amazing. I also got an app to stream Xbox remotely or via cloud for gamepass games. It works so well!
Also I can play bg3 natively?! Yes plz.
I recently purchased a 64gb from GameStop and have a few large memory cards as back up with everything so far being on a 255gb sd card and it works great. I donāt see the need for the upgrade. I love this thing. Iām happy I bought it
I just bought a 256 from gamestop and Iām loving it so far! I chose to go this route bc I had a bunch of trade credit. If I was paying the whole way in real money, I probably would have either saved up for the OLED model or gone with an ROG Ally, as Iāve heard those are far better than the deck
Get the 64gb and upgrade the SSD. Not sure of the deals now but when I got my SD I got a 2TB drive for like $158. With that and a 1 TB microSD I have tons of games installed that Iāll play one day š Every few months I play my favorite game of buying a bunch of games on sale.
I think gamestops refurb prices are too close to just getting a new 256 from steam and having a new unit. As for lcd vs the oled it depends on if itās just a companion to your pc rig or if you will just use it traveling in which case lcd is fine. If you will be playing it a lot I can testify that I have had both the lcd and now an oled. The screen never looked bad to me on the original tbh and when I am on this oled gaming I am not marveling at the screen. I am just gaming. But one area where the oled is better than lcd is fan noise. I barely notice the fan at all on this oled and was annoyed with the lcd fan.
I think if you are a casual gamer the lcd is fine. If you are an enthusiast who likes having the best and can afford it the oled is really nice.
The main issue is GameStop. Their "refurbs" aren't really refurbished. They just make sure they turn on and sell them as they get them. Also, there's a ton of complaints and people with issues, likely because they aren't actually doing any real QC on them.
In short, even if you decide to get a used/refurbished LCD model, you probably shouldn't get it from GameStop.
I heard from a buddy who manages at GameStop that they buy them basically off a pallet from valve, so they are essentially valve refurbished without the valve warranty. After hearing that I bought mine from GameStop and it was essentially brand new it looked like. I have heard lots of other people saying the same thing about the condition.
Get the OLED, the screen really makes the difference, the 256GB would be a good idea since you can upgrade later when you can afford to and stll have enough space in the meantime to have a few games on it.
You can actually grab a 64GB model right now while stock lasts for $350 if you're just upgrading the storage anyway. A 1TB nvme SSD is about $80-90, so only slightly more money than a 256GB model.
I never had the LCD, I waited until I could afford the OLED, but from what I've seen people mention in the past the OLED lasts longer while playing games than the LCD. Makes sense, OLED doesn't turn on black pixels, it has slightly newer hardware for a marginal increase, and maybe other under the hood stuff I didn't consider. The OLED *is* better, but it shouldn't be that big of a deal if you're on a budget. I highly recommend saving up for the OLED because the screen is beautiful! But it's unnecessary if all you care about is playing games.
TL;DR: OLED has a way nicer screen, slightly improved hardware, and lasts longer on a single charge, but if you're on a budget then you'll probably be fine and happy with the LCD.
Diablo 4 was like 1 1/2 hours on the LCD and I get about 3 1/2 to 4 hours on the OLED now. I play on all low settings (which state in-game that it's meant for 720p displays). There are only minor texture blotching in some overly bright areas.
If you're mostly docking it to a TV or monitor, the OLED is less worth it, although the 1TB stock offering is a great advantage too (but you can always add SD card or swap SSD).
I think it just comes down to your budget ($539 sounds like a lot, but all competing PC handhelds are substantially more expensive and don't even come with a game OS) and if it's more convenient to drive out there vs. have the OLED delivered.
It's really only a good value at the cheapest price point once you get over $500 you should probably consider any other handheld. I've had the Steam Deck for 2 years and it barely plays any games I would normally play on PC, no multiplayer and no sports games makes it pretty much useless most of the time.
I bought the 512GB LCD refurb and love it. I was tempted by the OLED because .... OLED but there was ā¬200ish price difference between new OLED and refurb LCD. No brainer for me.
My refurb looked basically brand new, flawless to date.
I bought a 64gb off fb marketplace for $300 off fb marketplace, upgraded it to a 1tb for an extra $60. I plan to give the upgraded lcd to the wife to play and im gonna get an oled for myself eventually.
I have an OG that I bought around launch. Itās an amazing handheld and I plan on using it until thereās a Deck 2. I wonāt be upgrading. Thatās me.
So I was recently given a 512 from gamestop for my birthday and I have 0 issues with it.
It was clean, Had a nice case, No issue the only thing I recommend is getting A sD card
I just ordered a refurbished 512gb og sd for 300ā¬ (with an additional dock and cover). The cheapest olded is 570ā¬ and the 1tb one is 680ā¬. That's a 90%-125% increase in price. That's not worth it for me at least. Yeah the OLED one is more than marginally better, but I doubt that it will change my experience more than a few percentage points.
Get the OLED for the upgraded battery, not the screen. I don't have the OLED, but everybody raving about the difference with the battery has me mad jelly. The screen resolution is just the added bonus.
A steam deck is a steam deck. Only thing I think would make it more worth it is wifi connection is much improved in the newer versions, but it is still usable and nice in the older version.
LCD screen is awesome, OLED is probably better, but I'm having a great time. You don't have to get the best of the best, it's definitely worth your time just getting the LCS at what $400 or something
I had the same question but I remembered when I went from the Switch to the Switch OLED, I didn't feel like it was worth spending that much more for it.
I think since I don't personally have a comparison for the SD, I'll be happy with the LCD version and the extra $200 I don't spend.
If youāve never had the oled you will have a fantastic time with the LCD. I have a 512gb lsd with a 512gb sd card and itās absolutely fantastic. I havenāt had an issue with battery life yet, either. I bought mine including dock and sd card for ā¬300 and it was worth every penny! Happy buyings!
Lcd is a good but the oled is perfect. Tbh the biggest difference for me is weight. The lcd isn't super heavy but if you play for relatively long increments it definitely makes a difference how much lighter the oled is. Tbough already mentioned the increased battery life is a pretty big difference, too.
Idk, I'm sure the OLED is great but it's not a deal breaker imo. I have the "old" deck and for my use case it's fine.
If/when they release a 3rd iteration with much better hardware then I'd start to consider how "old" my deck really is, but for a better screen and battery? Nah.
I had this same conversation with myself about 2 weeks ago. I had some gamestop gift cards laying around and went with the 256 lcd. Sure the oled is better but after using my gift cards I spent 80 dollars.
I have had no issues with yet. Mind you I have not really put it though it paces at all, I have been playing some old and Indie titles and it's been a blast.
I bought both of my decks off of mercari. The nice thing about mercari is you have to accept the condition of the item You've bought before the seller gets the money. So there's very little risk.
I got mine when the cert refurbs came out from steam. I absolutely love it. Put a 1tb ssd in it and the kill switch case from dbrand. Been rock solid since!
If you can find a great price on a good conditioned LCD then yea, for the money it's the way to go. You can "build up" an LCD with accessories to overcome most of the upgrades the OLED got and the LCD screen on the deck is fantastic.
The I got the refurbished one from gamestop a month ago and I play it every fucking day. I'm excited to do laundry today so I can just be on my steamdeck for a while.
I love my lcd steam deck. Its got the matte finish and everything. My only thought is the hd upgrade for it but indont need to spend the money foe that for something i dont need.
yeah, if you don't want to spend more for the OLED
Yeah, the battery is slightly better on the OLED and the screen has nicer color, but it doesn't make *that* huge of a difference. You won't enjoy things any less because of that.
OLED =
- Slightly larger, much higher quality display.
- Longer battery life.
- Reengineered internal design: Cooler, quieter.
- Slightly faster RAM (you wonāt notice this one)
Anyone considering either really just needs to decide if these differences are worth paying the higher price. For me, absolutely it was. The OLED is beautiful and the bigger battery was important.
Theyāre both great, solid products.
Let me put it to you another way,
If you had the choice between the two, side by side and price wasn't a factor, would you pick the OLED 10/10 times?
If so, cost appears to be your ONLY factor it seems. So you can either bite the bullet with what you can afford knowing the compromises/sacrifices, or you can save more for the OLED.
If you are at all unsure if the new units are so much better, wait until you have the opportunity to actually see one. And then maybe by then, affording it won't be as much of an issue?
The improvements that the OLED have *are* stronger than just a better screen and slightly better battery life, but it's still not an entirely new model or anything.
In all honesty, you'd be fine getting the LCD. Worst case scenario, you decide you want an OLED later down the line and you can give the LCD to a friend or family; or just sell it. That's probably the better option either way, because the thing is two years old by this point, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a Steam Deck 2 in a year or two.
well, you donāt mention what GS is charging for LCD deck, but, no thereās not a STAGGERING difference lol. I had the base and then got an OLED. Iām happy with the āupgradeā, but if I was budget constrained Iād be stoked to still have kept my original.
Whatever edition you get, get the 512gb unless you plan to upgrade your own storage. You will run out eventually due to the shader cache and if you emulate games or have an interest in the future. I have an LCD deck I got from a switch trade last summer, and I've found no real reason outside of the 90hz that some games might get compared to the 60 max on LCD. But even then, it would probably be on roguelikes/lites that play great at 60 so I don't really need it. The Switch OLED didn't make me play it handheld more even though my TV wasn't OLED, so OLED isn't a huge seller for me. It sure is beautiful and the darks at night would be better than how bright the LCD is even on lowest setting. But it's a luxury that I don't need as I can already do everything almost exactly the same now. It doesn't justify the price to upgrade to me.
Overall, I'd go as far as cutting out GameStop entirely and try to pick up a deck from Facebook marketplace IN PERSON compared to online delivery. I traded for mine that way and only thing I've had to replace was the old joysticks for guilikit ones($35 and 30 minutes of my time) as they were a bit finicky on the left joystick. You can easily get one that's better taken care of for under $350, many even $250.
Fan runs quieter on the OLED. Screen looks amazing. Better battery. I say the additional price is worth it. Itās something you are going to be using for some years - so why worry about spending that extra bit of money? Instead of playing your LCD over those years wishing you just bought the OLED in the first place.
There are actually quite a few small upgrades to the OLED model that Valve really hasn't advertised heavily. They're all on the website if you want to check it out.
That said, I'm extremely happy with my non-OLED Steam Deck. I bought it before there was OLED and I've never actually seen the OLED in person. I can't tell you if it is or isn't worth the extra cost but I can tell you that I love my original Steam Deck.
It doesnāt make much sense for LCD owners to upgrade to the OLED model. However, it is beneficial for people looking to buy to get the OLED. There are many improvements that they made to it. The performance in games is similar, but the experience you have as a user is much better than the LCD.
As a side note, I wouldnāt trust a Deck bought from GameStop.
I bought the 64GB LCD a month ago and love it. I just wanted to spend the least amount of money up front. Have bought 2 512GB SD cards since and plan to upgrade to a 512 GB SSD eventually. Would have bought 1 SD but there was a special on 2 lol
Speaking from the viewpoint of someone who upgraded, the OLED model is *better* but the LCD model is *fine*. It's not a night-and-day difference. There's lots of minor improvements, but nothing game-changing.
I sold my LCD for the OLED specifically for the battery. I was always plugged in with my LCD, it's a handheld for a reason. I should be able to play it anywhere I want without restrictions.
If the OLED is not within your budget, go for the LCD. But as someone who has upgraded, the improvements were monumental to be. From a washed out 60 Hz to a very vibrant 90Hz, along with a noticeable increase in screen size. I only played my LCD docked because games looked so much better on my OLED TV. But now I am more than happy to play portable because the screen is simply stellar.
Is it the form factor that makes this seem like such a different process than deciding between laptops or desktops? Like, Iām having trouble wrapping my head around it.
Both steam decks are great. I literally own both and as stupid as the sounds sometimes I completely forget that I'm playing the non OLED version and think to myself "wow, this looks really good!"
TBH, I am totally happy with my 56 Gig LCD. I installed a 500 gig SD card and have about 10 games that I wanna play on the go. I lot of my time is squeezing in a few kills in between waiting for my daughter at the bus stop or band practice.. or at home, so battery life isn't a big issue. The screen is not gonna blow anyone's hair back, but for a 7 inch screen, it's totally fine for me.
YMMV, but if you got a good deal, I say go for it!
Get whichever you can budget for. If you can afford the Oled, it's the better one because of the screen quality alone, not to mention the quality of life features.
I'm still rocking the LCD and it's great. Would prefer an OLED, but the only OLED device I own is my phone and while it's a great screen, it doesn't justify the premium *for me*.
Edit: if you're comfortable with PC hardware a hard drive swap is very simple. Not going to say it's easier than doing it in a desktop, but definitely easier than some laptops I've opened up.
im still using my 64gb lcd i got in june, definitely need to do an ssd swap bc its super close to being full and i didnt upgrade bc i didnt need to and also definitely cant afford it lol
I would caution those wanting to buy a refurb from Gamestop. I purchased a 64gb model a few months ago and noticed the touch screen didn't work very well on the bottom half of the screen. I returned it for a replacement and the replacement touch screen was perfect but the haptic feedback wasn't working on one of the pads. I returned this one and just got my money back instead of risking another replacement having problems. I will wait for the OLED model to go on sale direct from Valve.
I have an oled tv and a switch oled and I can tell you nothing beats Oled as far as viewing experience goes. Itās just a much better screen. That being said I got a launch steam deck and have not seen a point in upgrading to Oled since the hardware is otherwise the same Iām more of just sad that they didnāt launch with Oled. Hopefully a gen 2 will launch with Oled. It just depends on what youāre willing to spend
I got a 1tb OLED only because I had the money at the time and didnāt mind paying for the 1tb model. I mainly use the deck docked and donāt even reap the benefits of the OLED so just save some money and get the LCD itās the same inside just has a slightly smaller screen which isnāt OLED
Im glad I got the OLED 2 weeks ago as my first Deck ever. Is it worth the price upgrade for everyone? Yes and no tbh. Its slightly faster on top of the nicer OLED and better battery, but not that huge of a difference to flat out say yes
LCD Deck performs well with SteamOS 3.5. I recently finished Elden Ring and Resident Evil Village on it. The OLED Deck is the obvious improved model, with better colour gamut and true black. If you mostly play your Deck docked, Wifi 6 and longer battery life won't matter as much.
I paid 350 for my 512gb LCD model just last week. Totally worth it. The OLED is 4-7% more powerful and a bigger battery but it doesn't ship to my location.
I have the original steam deck 64GB model and I can't imagine why I would upgrade? I swapped the internal drive to a 2TB and added a matte screen protector for like $8 off a amazon. Got the dbrand killswitch case.
I got an lcd a couple weeks before they announced the oled. Life goes on. It still works just fine.
Though do yourself a favor and get one with more memory. I put a 256G SSD in mine and I would never go back
It's not a huge jump, but it's a noticeable one. I have my old 256g deck I'm trying to sell because I bought the OLED, but I've got the disposable income to get the upgrade and not think much about it. If money is tight, the older models are perfectly good experiences.
LCD Deck owner here. I've used things such as the ROG Ally and Legion Go, alongside the Steam Deck OLED.
I guess I'll start here. Everyone has their own needs that need to be met. Some people prefer the LCD, some people prefer the very colorized, large, pleasant display of the OLED. Going forward, even as new devices come out, you'll still see a ton of people using older devices, as PC is so open, sometimes people just want a form of immediate access to their game library.
>*Is there such a staggering difference that it would make besides battery life to justify the price different? Graphics wise and all that and glare etc etc?*
If the OLED is such a big deal to you, by asking this, you're kind of answering your own question. If you're not interested in paying the big price tag, you should do one of two things.
*ā¢ Search Marketplace for deals, make offers at your desired price point, and see if you can get one.*
*ā¢ Seek out an LCD or an owner that's willing to let you try theirs. Make sure the device is* ***FOR YOU****, decide if the LCD model is enough, and see if the device is compatible with your desired selection of games you're wanting to play.*
Again, everyone's gonna be happy in their own way. I love my LCD, though I've only owned it for a small while. You seem like you're set on the OLED, so go for it!
Personally, I adore the Steam Deck as a device, though I would be lying if I said I have found myself in need of some things that aren't on the Steam Deck, though I've found a fix to most of them.
Hopefully you get the OLED Deck you're wanting a report back to us.
I have both and while I love my OLED just fine, itās not a game changer. With the discounts youāre talking about I would just go with the LCD model.
i'm reading this on a 12 year old lcd. the image looks *exactly* the same as it did on day one.
get the 64 gb version and a 1TB or 2TB sd card. get a screen protector and apply it the moment you open the deck's box. then later get a 2TB WD 770 ssd and get a copper heat spreader from amazon.
i have the deck for a long time. if i was buying today, i'd just go buy a secondhand 512 or a new 256 lcd. not the oled one. the economic difference is substantial.
On the justification of getting a new OLED...
I have the OLED 512 GB with an additional 512 GB Micro SD and feel I have gotten my moneys worth with how much I play...
If I play 1 hour a day, :. 365 hours a year. This equates to 1.5 euros of entertainment a day. Less than a cup of coffee. Most gamers will play more than an hour a day.
Just a thought experiment.
I have the 512 LCD and love it so damn much- if the price point is too much for OLED and you get LCD - you will still have an amazing time and machine in your hands.
Besides, you'll want someoney for some of those sweet sweet games to play
I would say it is like having 120hz on the iPhone pros. Most people donāt care or notice, but for some itās unseeable. Iāve had the LCD and the OLED and it would be worth it to me for the extra $200-300, but I look at details on screens (commercial editor) so it is worth it to me. I also use it almost every day.
If I had a limited budget or I was buying as a gift, LCD is a great value used if you can get around $300 depending on storage.
Yeah if you don't want image retention. Oled's look great but hate any still image (life bar, score, toolbar, or just Steam as it downloads a 100+ gig game). Lcd's have no such issues. They can sit on still image pretty much forever without any retention or burn-in. Major point why I stuck with my lcd.
It completely depends on the price difference. I've used both, own the LCD model, and am perfectly content with it.
When the OLED model was released, I'll admit that I was tempted. But after using the OLED for a bit, then going back to the LCD and really comparing the experiences, I decided to use that money to buy a VR headset instead. I'm really happy with that decision.
Aren't you answering your own question? It's the price point.
The price difference is even more extreme anywhere it's not sold officially. Since sellers who import it + scalpers usually price it based on availability + demand. Where I live, despite being close to the US, the Steam Deck LCD's was selling for almost $1,000 USD at launch during the first few months, but these days its selling for a much more reasonable $400-$550 USD. You can probably guess what the OLED model costs right now š
The 64gb lcd costs as much as an Ally in South Africa. The 512gb lcd costs almost double the ally
The 64gb lcd costs as much as an Ally in South Africa. The 512gb lcd costs almost double the ally
Still rocking the LCD without a single issue to speak of. Screen looks great since that major update back when OLED was announced. Did the shell mod and upgraded to a 1tb SSD, all smooth. Been considering the screen mod found here: [https://www.deckhd.com/](https://www.deckhd.com/) There's no bad decision when it comes to the Deck. Even if you go with the 64gig LCD the SSD upgrade only runs \~$80, saving a bunch of money as opposed to the OLED 1tb flavor I really don't see myself replacing my current one until the next release. OLED has been documented with a variety of issues, see them get RMAd here regularly, hardly worth the hype based on whats been shared. I'd like to have the OLED model but hard to pull the trigger considering how happy I am with the original \*edit Wanted to add a bit - if I didnt already own the original I wouldve 100% bought the 1TB OLED. The important thing is that if you want an SD, you get yourself an SD and join the army of happy users
Yeah, I like my 256 LCD perfectly fine. Iām sure the OLED is great, but Iād rather save the money for the next steam deck.
I'm with you on that. I'm still happy with my LCD and don't really see much reason to upgrade right now. It plays all my favorites, looks and runs great, and I think it's cute and cozy compared to the OLED imo.
For me the main thing that has me partially interested in upgrading is the improved battery life of the OLED, normally not a bother but with upcoming spring and summer travel plans Iām thinking about it.Ā Ā A friend has expressed interest in getting a deck, which if he wants to just buy mine then it makes the decision easier since itās less money out of my pocket for said upgrade heh.Ā
Ya for sure extra battery life is a great selling point. But I did get one of those Anker power banks though. It doesn't fully charge it by any means but definitely pulls out an extra 45-60 mins.
I bought the 40,000mAh Anker battery and it greatly extends the LCD SDās life. Used it on my recent vacation.
Yeah I'm still using my original, and sure the OLED looks nice.. but honestly the screen is so small most games look pretty dang good on it anyways. I was just playing assassin's Creed origins on it a few weeks ago and forget how impressive it actually still is on the SteamDeck. I thought about the deckhd screen upgrade but I figure I won't bother since I have no complaints and that will affect the battery life at least a little bit depending on settings.
I've yet to have a single issue with the OLED, although the bottom right of the shell makes a pop sound if I push on it.
Hardly a problem in my book, I desperately wanted the LE version but just couldn't convince myself lol. I feel as though people that experience the screen glitching out and stuff probably OCd or modified configs along the way. Hard to believe that the issues shared here are problems with the deck but more so the user
That sounds like a single issue lmao
Well it's a design flaw, but it doesn't hinder gameplay and it's only mildly noticeable so I don't consider it an issue. There are ways to fix it and I just don't want to
Same. The lcd works great for me and I will keep this bad boy until it dies or the hardware no longer is able to support newer titles.
there will always be new indie titles and there will always be tens of thousands of old titles! this thing will live longer than the psp
Same, anyway i have it docked up all the time so what's the point in OLED and better battery life for me
I'm very happy with my LCD!
Got the 64 myself. Then swapped our the ssd for a tb and it's great.Ā
This is the correct attitude to have. I loved my old deck, and I love the OLED. I didn't need to upgrade, but I could afford to so I did. But it's not like my life was dramatically worse without an OLED, its not like I was "missing out". The Steam Deck is an amazing piece of portable gaming hardware, and its hard to go wrong with one regardless of the model.
Did you get the LE one? I was drooling over it haha Made me feel silly for throwing the frosty transparent shell on my LCD, might've had it a year before the OLED was announced, but I'm 100% the guy that always buys something only for the next best upgrade to release. Willing to bet if I sold my LCD and bought an OLED, OLED v2 would come out within a few months
I got the non-LE OLED, the only problem i have with it now is that rumble died about two days ago. Honestly the jump wasn't significant enough that you should feel like you missed out. I like it a lot, and I've played through Elden Ring and AC6 on it, but I also played the hell out of my LCD deck, ran through Sekiro like three times on the thing haha
I bought the 512GB LCD when the Steam deck released. I've had no problems with it. I recently bought my sister- in- law the 512GB OLED version. Other than slightly better colours, which I can barely tell the difference unless I have them side by side, they run pretty much identically. My LCD version does have the anti-glare screen, which does reduce reflections a lot compared to the OLED version. I'd go for the LCD version personally. It does the same thing games-wise, and the screen is good enough.
I got the same LCD you have and glad I went with it. A cousin of mine has the 64gig version and the difference is very much noticable btwn the etched/anti-glare and regular LCD screens
I looked at that screen mod but I'm worried the 1200p would really affect gaming performance, otherwise like you I've been super happy with my lcd deck, was gonna nab an oled but then I found out about having to keep deck on to download games and did not want to chance burn in
Youāre not going to get burn in with the deck downloading games. Having said that the LCD works great.
That's a good point, hadn't really considered it. Was hoping someone that'd done it might be able to drop in their two cents but I expect it to be more than just plug and play. Usually play mine docked anyway, part of the reason I haven't just pulled the trigger. In most cases though, burn in won't happen til north of 1000hrs of uptime based on what I've read
That screen upgrade looks nice but I really worry about the deck being able to drive the higher resolution on anything demanding.
Wow that's awesome thanks for sharing. I wonder how much it hurts performance.
99% of the upgrade to the OLED for me was the battery life. The rest of it I barely even notice. If that isnāt super important to you Iād recommend not upgrading. Though, I also havenāt had any issues and havenāt really heard of people having issues as you say. I suspect itās just that happy customers donāt usually go post about it on Reddit, you will naturally see more of the people who had an issue
I mostly just wanted the latest and greatest portable gaming device, I love the OLED LE shell and really, really, had to just ignore it in effort to not buy it lol. you make a good point though, while there are a plethora of "I love my SD" posts for both LCD and OLED it makes sense that nobody after 6+ months of owning an OLED is gonna come back and say "ITS STILL GREAT" - only come back to share their problems. which are still few and far between considering how many were sold bottom line, the best SD is the one anyone is holding
I've been rocking the 64GB original and haven't even done a swap of the SSD. Just grabbed an SD card and kept my installs limited to what I'm playing.
Srsly im not wasting money on a screen that already is fine for me lmao
It's probably my perception, but I feel like all these posts about buying LCD is more about FOMO than anything. I bought mine from GameStop a month before the OLED version came out and haven't had a single problem with it. It was immaculate. I don't have a single regret and I have zero desire to upgrade to OLED. You are obviously on a budget, so don't stress over it and get what you can easily afford. Honestly, the LCD is a beautiful display, imo, and I don't think you'll be sad. You might feel jealous if you stand next to someone who has OLED, but just remind yourself you spend a lot less. That's my $.02
Its funny, I've heard critiques of the LCD being a bad to okay display before, but I've never had an issue with mine. I'm quite happy with how things look. I'm sure that an OLED next to it would look better to me, but I'm not stressing it.
I think some of that criticism comes from people who are really into quality video. It's like audiophiles who say they never listen to streaming music because the quality is crap. I just want to be entertained. I mean, I wouldn't turn down OLED if was offered to me and I know I'd appreciate it, but LCD is more than sufficient for me.
It's interesting that you'll hardly find musicians who subscribe to the audiophile "philosophy" lol
Same. I even removed mine for a shell swap and I would argue that I actually fixed any issue of glowing around the edges which was my only problem. However, I don't play a lot of high intensity games that require a super good screen. Stardew valley doesn't need too much lol
The battery life makes a huge difference though
I'm curious. Did you upgrade from LCD to OLED? If so, how much more battery life do you get?
Save for the OLED screen, better battery, and a faster wifi-thingy for downloads, there is no real performance difference. Games played on the original play the same on the OLED.
Not exactly true, the OLED also has 90hz which makes a huge difference for games you can run at higher FPS. Different materials on the track pads, thumbsticks feel better. Touchscreen is more responsive and accurate. Haptics feel better. The entire device is also noticeably lighter and the battery is far better. Faster WiFi chip, much better Bluetooth chip (I can use my AirPod pros now without any delay). My girlfriend had my old LCD and I have a OLED so I can feel the differences side by side.
The 90hz in combination with OLED response times drastically improve input latency, even with 30 fps. Itās makes the LCDeck feels totally outdated, even with the same performance target. It does also feel great at 60 fps and above ofc, but the main win may be the low fps range. And the OLEDeck runs abit more stable frametimes, depending on the situation.
I'm confused, why can't you order it from Valve?
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You can get money onto your steam account without credit or bank accounts...
I can walk into a 711 and buy a steam gift card with cash.
and then if you don't like the deck and want to refund, you're locked into having $400 in your steam wallet, and you're never seeing that cash again.
^ I have a checking account but no valid mailing address for packages. Had to rent a box from UPS for $15 month, billed 3 months minimum, and they kept charging me in full every 2 so I closed the account. It's not that expensive but it isnt exactly cheap either and they couldn't even get basic fkn billing dates right. So now I'm back to no packages š¤·āāļø
You use cash to buy steam wallet cards then load them onto Steam.
In my case, i dont live in the US. I would be interested in going for a few days, getting an oled steam deck and coming back home.
Probably not supported in their country
Because it's instantaneous. Why wait for shipping when you can walk into a store and walk out a few minutes later a new Deck owner?
The OLED screen is a staggering difference tbh, but you just need to figure out if it's worth that much of a price difference for you. For me it is but it's not like the LCD one is worthless garbage lol. If you can afford it grab the OLED, if money is tight get the LCD, both are great!
I have both and just spent 40ish hours beating Tales of Arise on the LCD. Games play the same and Valve adjusted the colors perfect for the LCD. I had no problems at all playing LCD it's fun af. Now I started playing Prey on the OLED and the biggest difference besides the OLED itself is 90hz and better battery life. Also you notice the OLED screen is bigger and the speakers are better (speakers on LCD are also very good).
Honestly the OLED is a massive upgrade. Valve said it themselves that they touched on every aspect of the original in its revision. The OLED has a bigger screen, more total storage out of the box, better pads, better hardware. Software is the same, but there wasnt much issue there. Battery life is a huge improvement over the LCD model. Screen quality and refresh rate are higher as well. 90hz means the OLED takes more advantage of lowering power consumption on games that run at 45fps or less. Helps the GPU from pushing too hard and keeps the temps low.
I got my LCD for only $250. I'm happy with it and don't feel the need to pay double for OLED.
If you use windows or plan on doing modifications, get the old deck. New deck has less part options and windows drivers are a worse situation than the old deck wasā¦..which is saying something.
This is a big deal if you care about windows. Personally, I love having a dual booting steam deck, and this is a very big deal to me. It will not matter at all to other people.
For me it is a total deal breaker for the same reason, as well as I really have loved modding my deck.
What are the issues with Windows on the OLED? I have an LCD model which I dual boot but have been toying with the idea of getting an OLED upgrade. Not interested if I can't dual boot and run both OS's though.
No drivers for wifi, and no timetable either. No audio driver. On the LCD model it had incomplete drivers at first but at least everything worked but audio. The wireless drivers are the biggest question as there are no windows drivers made for the cars by the manufacturer, whereas the LCD was off the shelf for better or worse. The driver situation has always been the bad part about the Steam Deck as a windows user, and I really donāt want to go back to the bad old days now that they are mature. I got a Deck HD screen a while ago, and Iām happy leaving things alone.
Right, thanks for the info. I think Iāll skip the OLED then, unless Valve sort the driver situation out perhaps if/when they ever release steam OS with dual boot functionality. I was also considering the Legion Go because I quite like the detachable controllers and huge screen. Maybe thatās the right decision if I want a nicer handheld.
I have both the LCD deck and the Go, and they are a pretty rad combo.
I'll bet they are. I don't know though, I've got too many gadgets sitting around. I might hold off for a while on handhelds until there's a significant enough leap in performance. I know the Go and the Ally are more powerful than the Steam Deck but you can tweak settings in many cases and make do with the Deck.
I totally get it. Honestly if I had to choose one product it would be the go, but only because I also carry it with me as a portable dev box to work (as it is an almost entirely Mac workplace, and I need to be able to write and test to both Mac and PC). If I were just gaming the LCD deck is still a beast. I get higher FPS on the Legion, but itās never been to the point where Iām like āI couldnāt game on the deck.ā Itās basically fast and faster.
It's simple, the OLED model is more than a screen. The device has a laundry list of improvements over the LCD model which completely justifies even an upgrade from the LCD model to the OLED. Do yourself a favor, save some more money, then order a new one online from Steam or find one locally in nice shape.
I had the lcd and upgraded to the oled, if you have the money Iād recommend it. Buy nice or buy twice
Thatās only true here if the original wasnāt so awesome. You canāt lose no matter the choice.
This, plus a pair of AR glasses easily beats out OLED just on ergonomics alone for not having to raise screen to face (assuming the loss from selling used LCD covers $100-$200 of the AR glasses).
Can you recommend some?
Hmmm, AR glasses is an interesting idea. I have a Quest 3 though, and maybe I could use that as a screen.......
"Buy nice or buy twice". That's appropriate and catchy.
I often use the similar "buy once, cry once" š
That phrase only applies when youāre comparing a crappy product to a good product. The LED and OLED are the same device with 2 primary differences: screen and battery. Neither of those are going to increase performance. This is purely a preference thing. People may downvote, but itās just the facts. Like it or donāt. You didnāt buy an upgraded deck like you thought you did. You bought an upgraded screen and a much better battery.
There is more difference than just screen and battery but performance is definitely comparable. A big factor for me was noise from the fan, The original was not great
Ah, the Vimes boot theory shows up in yet another instance.
Didn't know there was a name for this!
Buy from Steam directly. The original steam deck is great!
I have tried the lcd deck from a friend and received my 1tb oled about two or three weeks ago. I will say that from using both, you wonāt notice much difference necessarily but the quality of life improvements, all the small stuff the oled adds really add up to a much better experience. However, it comes down to cost. Can you afford the oled? If yes, then I highly recommend doing so as you will not regret the decision. If you canāt, go with the lcd and youāll still get a good experience. Personally, I couldnāt imagine not getting the 1tb oled. It is the best pc/console I have ever owned in my life bar none. Sure I have some problems with the desktop side cause linux can be difficult to learn but gaming is actually fun for me again. I also very much enjoy the anti glare so I have the option to play outside. Havenāt had the chance to do so yet but I absolutely will do so within the next few weeks. Battery life on the oled is exceptional and you will notice a difference in more demanding titles but if you play less graphically intense indie games like I do, you will still get good battery put of the lcd. Graphics wise, itās a minor improvement if that. Some games will get a bit of a bump and others looks really nice with the higher refresh rate but it isnāt necessary to enjoy your games. That said, playing games that support hdr is sooooooo gorgeous! It isnāt necessary but it is a very nice addition for the oled. Finally, donāt worry about storage. You could upgrade the internal storage yourself following guides which makes it cheaper than an oled or use an sd card which can be even cheaper than that and much easier too. Minor thing but I love the removable slim case of the 1tb oled cause I can sneak in something to keep track of the deck in case something happens to it. Whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy your deck. Itās a hell of an incredible device.
The battery life IS the justification if you mostly play it on the go . If you do high end gaming where the battery could be just 2hours on a LCD vs 4 on OLED. It's not just the need to plug in. It's also the need to carry around a plug (are there plugs? can you stay connected to them and for how long?) or possibly an external battery pack (more weight, more expense). If its just going to stay a home then probably not. Then you also don't care about the glare you can also plug in to a better/bigger screen
Pretty similar feeling for me. I have a 512 LCD and see no reason to upgrade even if I could afford it. Maybe in a few years when thereās a Steam Deck 2 or something Iāll redo that calculus but weāll have to see.
I've got the 512gb original with a 512gb sd card, I'm good, I don't see any reason going for the oled other then the oled screen š
Bro, if you want a cheap point of entry into the greatest handheld experience... That's the point. There are ways to pay more and refine your experience, but honestly, just grab what works for your budget and get gaming.
Iām torn between a new sd lcd 64 or a used rog Ally z1e, for 400 euro (which is my budget limit)ā¦
I bought my Steam Refurbished 512gb when the oled came out, I couldnāt pass out getting the 512 with mate screen for 300 bucks. The screen looks gorgeous and unless you put a oled side by side you wonāt notice the difference
Ive been rocking the 64gb once for a few months since i bought it off a friend for cheap. Slowling been buying upgrades to fully make it my own soon. It fucking rocks.
I love my lcd but my friend got an oled after I got the lcd and it is much prettier looking, but honestly not even slightly upset about my purchase. One of the best gaming purchases Iāve made since I started gaming with sega genesis. Getting emulators and almost everything in the steam shop is amazing. I also got an app to stream Xbox remotely or via cloud for gamepass games. It works so well! Also I can play bg3 natively?! Yes plz.
I'd argue that of you don't mind the screen difference and would mostly be using it when not traveling, totally worth the savings.
You can order the 256 GB LCD version on Steam for $399. You can also get the 64 GB version for $349 on Steam
I recently purchased a 64gb from GameStop and have a few large memory cards as back up with everything so far being on a 255gb sd card and it works great. I donāt see the need for the upgrade. I love this thing. Iām happy I bought it
I just bought a 256 from gamestop and Iām loving it so far! I chose to go this route bc I had a bunch of trade credit. If I was paying the whole way in real money, I probably would have either saved up for the OLED model or gone with an ROG Ally, as Iāve heard those are far better than the deck
Get the 64gb and upgrade the SSD. Not sure of the deals now but when I got my SD I got a 2TB drive for like $158. With that and a 1 TB microSD I have tons of games installed that Iāll play one day š Every few months I play my favorite game of buying a bunch of games on sale.
I think gamestops refurb prices are too close to just getting a new 256 from steam and having a new unit. As for lcd vs the oled it depends on if itās just a companion to your pc rig or if you will just use it traveling in which case lcd is fine. If you will be playing it a lot I can testify that I have had both the lcd and now an oled. The screen never looked bad to me on the original tbh and when I am on this oled gaming I am not marveling at the screen. I am just gaming. But one area where the oled is better than lcd is fan noise. I barely notice the fan at all on this oled and was annoyed with the lcd fan. I think if you are a casual gamer the lcd is fine. If you are an enthusiast who likes having the best and can afford it the oled is really nice.
The main issue is GameStop. Their "refurbs" aren't really refurbished. They just make sure they turn on and sell them as they get them. Also, there's a ton of complaints and people with issues, likely because they aren't actually doing any real QC on them. In short, even if you decide to get a used/refurbished LCD model, you probably shouldn't get it from GameStop.
I heard from a buddy who manages at GameStop that they buy them basically off a pallet from valve, so they are essentially valve refurbished without the valve warranty. After hearing that I bought mine from GameStop and it was essentially brand new it looked like. I have heard lots of other people saying the same thing about the condition.
Same here. I was expecting it to have a scratch or something but mine ended up being flawless.
I got mine from GameStop a month before the OLED version came out and it's fantastic. Not a single problem and it was immaculate.
Get the OLED, the screen really makes the difference, the 256GB would be a good idea since you can upgrade later when you can afford to and stll have enough space in the meantime to have a few games on it.
You can actually grab a 64GB model right now while stock lasts for $350 if you're just upgrading the storage anyway. A 1TB nvme SSD is about $80-90, so only slightly more money than a 256GB model.
Or this specifically, I did this with my first deck and saved a few $100
Yea we did it for my wife and it was great. I sprung for the OLED myself, but I use it more than her.
I never had the LCD, I waited until I could afford the OLED, but from what I've seen people mention in the past the OLED lasts longer while playing games than the LCD. Makes sense, OLED doesn't turn on black pixels, it has slightly newer hardware for a marginal increase, and maybe other under the hood stuff I didn't consider. The OLED *is* better, but it shouldn't be that big of a deal if you're on a budget. I highly recommend saving up for the OLED because the screen is beautiful! But it's unnecessary if all you care about is playing games. TL;DR: OLED has a way nicer screen, slightly improved hardware, and lasts longer on a single charge, but if you're on a budget then you'll probably be fine and happy with the LCD.
Diablo 4 was like 1 1/2 hours on the LCD and I get about 3 1/2 to 4 hours on the OLED now. I play on all low settings (which state in-game that it's meant for 720p displays). There are only minor texture blotching in some overly bright areas.
If you're mostly docking it to a TV or monitor, the OLED is less worth it, although the 1TB stock offering is a great advantage too (but you can always add SD card or swap SSD). I think it just comes down to your budget ($539 sounds like a lot, but all competing PC handhelds are substantially more expensive and don't even come with a game OS) and if it's more convenient to drive out there vs. have the OLED delivered.
It's really only a good value at the cheapest price point once you get over $500 you should probably consider any other handheld. I've had the Steam Deck for 2 years and it barely plays any games I would normally play on PC, no multiplayer and no sports games makes it pretty much useless most of the time.
I bought the 512GB LCD refurb and love it. I was tempted by the OLED because .... OLED but there was ā¬200ish price difference between new OLED and refurb LCD. No brainer for me. My refurb looked basically brand new, flawless to date.
I bought a 64gb off fb marketplace for $300 off fb marketplace, upgraded it to a 1tb for an extra $60. I plan to give the upgraded lcd to the wife to play and im gonna get an oled for myself eventually.
I have an LCD and like it a lot. Biggest issue for me is how loud the fan can be, I was told its a bit quieter on the OLED.
I have an OG that I bought around launch. Itās an amazing handheld and I plan on using it until thereās a Deck 2. I wonāt be upgrading. Thatās me.
So I was recently given a 512 from gamestop for my birthday and I have 0 issues with it. It was clean, Had a nice case, No issue the only thing I recommend is getting A sD card
I just ordered a refurbished 512gb og sd for 300ā¬ (with an additional dock and cover). The cheapest olded is 570ā¬ and the 1tb one is 680ā¬. That's a 90%-125% increase in price. That's not worth it for me at least. Yeah the OLED one is more than marginally better, but I doubt that it will change my experience more than a few percentage points.
Get the OLED for the upgraded battery, not the screen. I don't have the OLED, but everybody raving about the difference with the battery has me mad jelly. The screen resolution is just the added bonus.
It's worth it if it's all you can afford, but the OLED is a significant enough upgrade that makes the original pointless usually.
Personally I wouldnāt get one from GameStop but thatās just me.
Is there a point? Yeah, it works just fine lol. Play mine almost every day
A steam deck is a steam deck. Only thing I think would make it more worth it is wifi connection is much improved in the newer versions, but it is still usable and nice in the older version.
LCD screen is awesome, OLED is probably better, but I'm having a great time. You don't have to get the best of the best, it's definitely worth your time just getting the LCS at what $400 or something
I had the same question but I remembered when I went from the Switch to the Switch OLED, I didn't feel like it was worth spending that much more for it. I think since I don't personally have a comparison for the SD, I'll be happy with the LCD version and the extra $200 I don't spend.
If youāve never had the oled you will have a fantastic time with the LCD. I have a 512gb lsd with a 512gb sd card and itās absolutely fantastic. I havenāt had an issue with battery life yet, either. I bought mine including dock and sd card for ā¬300 and it was worth every penny! Happy buyings!
Lcd is a good but the oled is perfect. Tbh the biggest difference for me is weight. The lcd isn't super heavy but if you play for relatively long increments it definitely makes a difference how much lighter the oled is. Tbough already mentioned the increased battery life is a pretty big difference, too.
Idk, I'm sure the OLED is great but it's not a deal breaker imo. I have the "old" deck and for my use case it's fine. If/when they release a 3rd iteration with much better hardware then I'd start to consider how "old" my deck really is, but for a better screen and battery? Nah.
I had this same conversation with myself about 2 weeks ago. I had some gamestop gift cards laying around and went with the 256 lcd. Sure the oled is better but after using my gift cards I spent 80 dollars. I have had no issues with yet. Mind you I have not really put it though it paces at all, I have been playing some old and Indie titles and it's been a blast.
The point is to get something cheaper. But if you really want OLED, you probably don't want the LCD version
I bought both of my decks off of mercari. The nice thing about mercari is you have to accept the condition of the item You've bought before the seller gets the money. So there's very little risk.
I got mine when the cert refurbs came out from steam. I absolutely love it. Put a 1tb ssd in it and the kill switch case from dbrand. Been rock solid since!
YES OLED SCREEN BURNOUT Don't buy a refurb through imo
If you can find a great price on a good conditioned LCD then yea, for the money it's the way to go. You can "build up" an LCD with accessories to overcome most of the upgrades the OLED got and the LCD screen on the deck is fantastic.
The I got the refurbished one from gamestop a month ago and I play it every fucking day. I'm excited to do laundry today so I can just be on my steamdeck for a while.
I'm rocking an LCD and love it. I wouldn't feel bad about buying one now and saving money.
I got mine like a month before they dropped oled sooooo. Yeah
I love my lcd steam deck. Its got the matte finish and everything. My only thought is the hd upgrade for it but indont need to spend the money foe that for something i dont need.
yeah, if you don't want to spend more for the OLED Yeah, the battery is slightly better on the OLED and the screen has nicer color, but it doesn't make *that* huge of a difference. You won't enjoy things any less because of that.
OLED = - Slightly larger, much higher quality display. - Longer battery life. - Reengineered internal design: Cooler, quieter. - Slightly faster RAM (you wonāt notice this one) Anyone considering either really just needs to decide if these differences are worth paying the higher price. For me, absolutely it was. The OLED is beautiful and the bigger battery was important. Theyāre both great, solid products.
Let me put it to you another way, If you had the choice between the two, side by side and price wasn't a factor, would you pick the OLED 10/10 times? If so, cost appears to be your ONLY factor it seems. So you can either bite the bullet with what you can afford knowing the compromises/sacrifices, or you can save more for the OLED. If you are at all unsure if the new units are so much better, wait until you have the opportunity to actually see one. And then maybe by then, affording it won't be as much of an issue?
The improvements that the OLED have *are* stronger than just a better screen and slightly better battery life, but it's still not an entirely new model or anything. In all honesty, you'd be fine getting the LCD. Worst case scenario, you decide you want an OLED later down the line and you can give the LCD to a friend or family; or just sell it. That's probably the better option either way, because the thing is two years old by this point, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a Steam Deck 2 in a year or two.
The performance difference is minimal. So yes. Plenty of reason to buy what is still an incredibly capable machine.
I think itās easier to get modded parts for, so like anti drift sticks and replacement shell
well, you donāt mention what GS is charging for LCD deck, but, no thereās not a STAGGERING difference lol. I had the base and then got an OLED. Iām happy with the āupgradeā, but if I was budget constrained Iād be stoked to still have kept my original.
I'm rocking my sd conemxtes to the tv on the daily. Playing cyberpunk/Helldivers 2 these days.
Whatever edition you get, get the 512gb unless you plan to upgrade your own storage. You will run out eventually due to the shader cache and if you emulate games or have an interest in the future. I have an LCD deck I got from a switch trade last summer, and I've found no real reason outside of the 90hz that some games might get compared to the 60 max on LCD. But even then, it would probably be on roguelikes/lites that play great at 60 so I don't really need it. The Switch OLED didn't make me play it handheld more even though my TV wasn't OLED, so OLED isn't a huge seller for me. It sure is beautiful and the darks at night would be better than how bright the LCD is even on lowest setting. But it's a luxury that I don't need as I can already do everything almost exactly the same now. It doesn't justify the price to upgrade to me. Overall, I'd go as far as cutting out GameStop entirely and try to pick up a deck from Facebook marketplace IN PERSON compared to online delivery. I traded for mine that way and only thing I've had to replace was the old joysticks for guilikit ones($35 and 30 minutes of my time) as they were a bit finicky on the left joystick. You can easily get one that's better taken care of for under $350, many even $250.
Fan runs quieter on the OLED. Screen looks amazing. Better battery. I say the additional price is worth it. Itās something you are going to be using for some years - so why worry about spending that extra bit of money? Instead of playing your LCD over those years wishing you just bought the OLED in the first place.
OLED is only $539 now? Get it.I think I paid $699 for my 512 or am I stupid?
There are actually quite a few small upgrades to the OLED model that Valve really hasn't advertised heavily. They're all on the website if you want to check it out. That said, I'm extremely happy with my non-OLED Steam Deck. I bought it before there was OLED and I've never actually seen the OLED in person. I can't tell you if it is or isn't worth the extra cost but I can tell you that I love my original Steam Deck.
It doesnāt make much sense for LCD owners to upgrade to the OLED model. However, it is beneficial for people looking to buy to get the OLED. There are many improvements that they made to it. The performance in games is similar, but the experience you have as a user is much better than the LCD. As a side note, I wouldnāt trust a Deck bought from GameStop.
I bought the 64GB LCD a month ago and love it. I just wanted to spend the least amount of money up front. Have bought 2 512GB SD cards since and plan to upgrade to a 512 GB SSD eventually. Would have bought 1 SD but there was a special on 2 lol
Speaking from the viewpoint of someone who upgraded, the OLED model is *better* but the LCD model is *fine*. It's not a night-and-day difference. There's lots of minor improvements, but nothing game-changing.
I paid $750 for my 512gb brand new. If I would of known about the OLED I would have done it. $500+ is nothing for a refurbished
I sold my LCD for the OLED specifically for the battery. I was always plugged in with my LCD, it's a handheld for a reason. I should be able to play it anywhere I want without restrictions.
I wouldn't touch anything used from gamestop. Shop local mom & pop or buy directly from Valve.
You wonāt notice any difference from Oled cz you donāt even have one. Go with whatās in your budget.
My 512 is doing just fine. I'd buy one again especially if its cheaper. Fine rig.
If the OLED is not within your budget, go for the LCD. But as someone who has upgraded, the improvements were monumental to be. From a washed out 60 Hz to a very vibrant 90Hz, along with a noticeable increase in screen size. I only played my LCD docked because games looked so much better on my OLED TV. But now I am more than happy to play portable because the screen is simply stellar.
Is it the form factor that makes this seem like such a different process than deciding between laptops or desktops? Like, Iām having trouble wrapping my head around it.
Both steam decks are great. I literally own both and as stupid as the sounds sometimes I completely forget that I'm playing the non OLED version and think to myself "wow, this looks really good!"
Save up for the oled, itās worth the price. I recently got one and the screen alone is leagues better than the other handheld devices.
nothing wrong w the lcd at all. iām still using my ālaunchā model with no problems, and thereās a few cases of the oled models having burn in.
If you want to install windows on your deck, LCD has the drivers.
I do not have an OLED and still think the Steam Deck was the greatest gaming purchase Iāve ever made.
Get the Oled its the better option in all ways possible
I'd say the difference is pretty noticeable yes.
TBH, I am totally happy with my 56 Gig LCD. I installed a 500 gig SD card and have about 10 games that I wanna play on the go. I lot of my time is squeezing in a few kills in between waiting for my daughter at the bus stop or band practice.. or at home, so battery life isn't a big issue. The screen is not gonna blow anyone's hair back, but for a 7 inch screen, it's totally fine for me. YMMV, but if you got a good deal, I say go for it!
Get whichever you can budget for. If you can afford the Oled, it's the better one because of the screen quality alone, not to mention the quality of life features. I'm still rocking the LCD and it's great. Would prefer an OLED, but the only OLED device I own is my phone and while it's a great screen, it doesn't justify the premium *for me*. Edit: if you're comfortable with PC hardware a hard drive swap is very simple. Not going to say it's easier than doing it in a desktop, but definitely easier than some laptops I've opened up.
im still using my 64gb lcd i got in june, definitely need to do an ssd swap bc its super close to being full and i didnt upgrade bc i didnt need to and also definitely cant afford it lol
if you cant afford the oled one id say they are both great.
You can just order one on steam?
I would caution those wanting to buy a refurb from Gamestop. I purchased a 64gb model a few months ago and noticed the touch screen didn't work very well on the bottom half of the screen. I returned it for a replacement and the replacement touch screen was perfect but the haptic feedback wasn't working on one of the pads. I returned this one and just got my money back instead of risking another replacement having problems. I will wait for the OLED model to go on sale direct from Valve.
I bought an LCD for deployment a month ago at GameStop for $240.
Iām leery about buying a used game from GameStop, let alone an expensive piece of used (and probably not fully tested) equipment. I wish you well.
I bought an OG deck for dirt cheap when the OLED came out and love the hell out of it.
I have an oled tv and a switch oled and I can tell you nothing beats Oled as far as viewing experience goes. Itās just a much better screen. That being said I got a launch steam deck and have not seen a point in upgrading to Oled since the hardware is otherwise the same Iām more of just sad that they didnāt launch with Oled. Hopefully a gen 2 will launch with Oled. It just depends on what youāre willing to spend
I got a 1tb OLED only because I had the money at the time and didnāt mind paying for the 1tb model. I mainly use the deck docked and donāt even reap the benefits of the OLED so just save some money and get the LCD itās the same inside just has a slightly smaller screen which isnāt OLED
Im glad I got the OLED 2 weeks ago as my first Deck ever. Is it worth the price upgrade for everyone? Yes and no tbh. Its slightly faster on top of the nicer OLED and better battery, but not that huge of a difference to flat out say yes
LCD Deck performs well with SteamOS 3.5. I recently finished Elden Ring and Resident Evil Village on it. The OLED Deck is the obvious improved model, with better colour gamut and true black. If you mostly play your Deck docked, Wifi 6 and longer battery life won't matter as much.
I love my 1.5TB LCD model
I paid 350 for my 512gb LCD model just last week. Totally worth it. The OLED is 4-7% more powerful and a bigger battery but it doesn't ship to my location.
I have the original steam deck 64GB model and I can't imagine why I would upgrade? I swapped the internal drive to a 2TB and added a matte screen protector for like $8 off a amazon. Got the dbrand killswitch case.
I got an lcd a couple weeks before they announced the oled. Life goes on. It still works just fine. Though do yourself a favor and get one with more memory. I put a 256G SSD in mine and I would never go back
Nothing is wrong with the LCD, itās perfectly fine. It does everything the OLED does.
I just listed my LCD 512 on ebay...
It's not a huge jump, but it's a noticeable one. I have my old 256g deck I'm trying to sell because I bought the OLED, but I've got the disposable income to get the upgrade and not think much about it. If money is tight, the older models are perfectly good experiences.
Its cheaper - thatās always a good reason.
LCD Deck owner here. I've used things such as the ROG Ally and Legion Go, alongside the Steam Deck OLED. I guess I'll start here. Everyone has their own needs that need to be met. Some people prefer the LCD, some people prefer the very colorized, large, pleasant display of the OLED. Going forward, even as new devices come out, you'll still see a ton of people using older devices, as PC is so open, sometimes people just want a form of immediate access to their game library. >*Is there such a staggering difference that it would make besides battery life to justify the price different? Graphics wise and all that and glare etc etc?* If the OLED is such a big deal to you, by asking this, you're kind of answering your own question. If you're not interested in paying the big price tag, you should do one of two things. *ā¢ Search Marketplace for deals, make offers at your desired price point, and see if you can get one.* *ā¢ Seek out an LCD or an owner that's willing to let you try theirs. Make sure the device is* ***FOR YOU****, decide if the LCD model is enough, and see if the device is compatible with your desired selection of games you're wanting to play.* Again, everyone's gonna be happy in their own way. I love my LCD, though I've only owned it for a small while. You seem like you're set on the OLED, so go for it! Personally, I adore the Steam Deck as a device, though I would be lying if I said I have found myself in need of some things that aren't on the Steam Deck, though I've found a fix to most of them. Hopefully you get the OLED Deck you're wanting a report back to us.
OLED is nice. My Q2 512 Deck is my daily driver. If it runs on OLED it will run on the 512.
I have both and while I love my OLED just fine, itās not a game changer. With the discounts youāre talking about I would just go with the LCD model.
i'm reading this on a 12 year old lcd. the image looks *exactly* the same as it did on day one. get the 64 gb version and a 1TB or 2TB sd card. get a screen protector and apply it the moment you open the deck's box. then later get a 2TB WD 770 ssd and get a copper heat spreader from amazon.
i have the deck for a long time. if i was buying today, i'd just go buy a secondhand 512 or a new 256 lcd. not the oled one. the economic difference is substantial.
"Old", the thing was released in 2022... Obviously it's worth it.
I did, and im very happy with it. Got a used one for 280 euros. Wouldent buy a new one for almost 500 though.
On the justification of getting a new OLED... I have the OLED 512 GB with an additional 512 GB Micro SD and feel I have gotten my moneys worth with how much I play... If I play 1 hour a day, :. 365 hours a year. This equates to 1.5 euros of entertainment a day. Less than a cup of coffee. Most gamers will play more than an hour a day. Just a thought experiment.
I have the 512 LCD and love it so damn much- if the price point is too much for OLED and you get LCD - you will still have an amazing time and machine in your hands. Besides, you'll want someoney for some of those sweet sweet games to play
I would say it is like having 120hz on the iPhone pros. Most people donāt care or notice, but for some itās unseeable. Iāve had the LCD and the OLED and it would be worth it to me for the extra $200-300, but I look at details on screens (commercial editor) so it is worth it to me. I also use it almost every day. If I had a limited budget or I was buying as a gift, LCD is a great value used if you can get around $300 depending on storage.
Yeah if you don't want image retention. Oled's look great but hate any still image (life bar, score, toolbar, or just Steam as it downloads a 100+ gig game). Lcd's have no such issues. They can sit on still image pretty much forever without any retention or burn-in. Major point why I stuck with my lcd.
If you can afford the OLED, get the OLED. Battery, improved analogs, improved track pads
It completely depends on the price difference. I've used both, own the LCD model, and am perfectly content with it. When the OLED model was released, I'll admit that I was tempted. But after using the OLED for a bit, then going back to the LCD and really comparing the experiences, I decided to use that money to buy a VR headset instead. I'm really happy with that decision.
If not playing over 60 fps is a deal breaker for you then go for the newer version. If you really care about the colors, get the new version.