Valve announces Steam Deck OLED with more storage, bigger battery

Valve today revealed a new model of its Steam Deck handheld gaming console. This new Deck has an OLED display, and comes with several upgrades over the older versions, including a bigger battery and heftier storage options. It appears that Steam is now shelving two of the three LCD models and will not sell them once supplies run out, with the OLED version supplanting them on the sales page. Both models (as well as a limited edition colorway) will be available to order on November 16.

The OLED version of the console comes in two versions: A $549 model with 512GB of storage, and a $649 model with 1TB of storage. Both have a 7.4″ screen, which is larger than the 7″ screen on the current models, and a 50Whr battery, which Valve says will last for 3-12 hours of playtime over the current models’ 2-8 hours.

The Deck’s store page on Steam reads: “The 64GB and 512GB Steam Deck LCD models are being phased out. We have permanently discounted these models and they will be available until they are out of stock.” Both models are still available at the time of this writing. The store also advertises the new OLED colorway, with a smoky translucent body and dark orange accents, which is available the same day as the rest of the OLED models.

The Steam Deck OLED is not a new console — any question of a “Steam Deck 2” is still several years away. Valve engineers spoke with Polygon and IGN, in both cases saying that the technology to create a new, better console isn’t there yet. Last month, Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais also told The Verge that a true successor to the Steam Deck is several years away, as the company wants to create a console with a significant performance increase.