An expert on yearning for them, anyway.
All in search of an answer to one question: is the Steam Deck OLED worth the upgrade?
James:Alright chief, youre both a Steam Deck owner and a Nintendo Switch OLED admirer.
First thoughts on the Steam Deck OLED?
And it really does look lovely, even though its obviously still much bigger than the Switch.
Even the menus look nicer, which is something I never thought Id really say about the SteamOS interface.
Were you equally impressed when you first took yours out of the box?
Ever looked at your Steam Deck and thought it was a bit… desaturated?
But yeah, as soon as you throw an OLED version into the picture, the difference is palpable.
I think I probably had a similar reaction to you when I first took it out the box.
Because lemme tell ya, they do like rubbing their chins on the edges of it.
The Steam Deck OLED continues to get theCastle Cat seal of approval.
Alas, they cant warm themselves so much from its vents anymore.
Which is a plus for me, because its noticeably quieter now, and less toasty.
Both big improvements in my books.
How about you, James?
James:Big fan of the new sticks.
I dont need to bother with the Steam Deck OLEDs.
Katharine:You know what?
I didnt think to try!
When Ive got a hefty game going…
I think it might smell of… theEGXshow floor?
(see also: your convention centre of choice).
How to describe such a concoction of heat, light sweat and gently crisping electronics…?
James:Glad we sorted that out.
Not every convention centre, though, it doesnt smell of sawdust like Messe Berlin.
Can you notice the heat reduction when its in your hands?
Katharine:Yeah, I cant say I ever played many particularly heavy-duty games on my OG Steam Deck.
James:Do you think Valve were right to hold off making performance upgrades in favour of efficiency gains?
Katharine:Yeah, I think so.
It only came out last year, after all, which in traditional console cycle terms is kinda nothing.
I would much rather have a more convenient machine than something thats more powerful.
Battery life is king!
Katharine:Oh yeah, absolutely.
Its kinda a no-win situation, really.
The eternal peril of waiting for sales and price cuts on things, I guess.
James:Yeah, true.
Reminds me of some old hardware humour: Whens the best time to buy agraphics card?
Two weeks after youve bought a graphics card.
Now, those battery life upgrades.
But youve been noticing differences when youre not even playing games, right?
Katharine:Yeah, for sure.
), but Ive found that it can hold that charge longer as well when I leave it idle.
Am looking forward to this happening…less?
Its probably more than clear at this point that we are both pro-Steam Deck OLED.
Thats the only case I can think of where the Steam Deck OLED has gone backwards, not forwards.
Again, the original one is fine, but I dunno.
The extra velcro latch and orange Deck logo speak to me for some reason.
Its a nice touch, what can I say?
And its a shame the 512GB one misses out on that.
Still, I think the new thumbsticks will help with that.
James:Oh gosh, yes, the carrying case as well!
Come on Valve, share the protective wealth.
Every loading screen theres just a big, bespectacled egg, staring back at myself.
Katharine:Haha, the sole reason I have a fringe, really.
Hides more of the horror.
James:Id still buy either of the Steam Deck OLEDs, mind.
Not so sure about the orangey Special Edition theyre getting in North America.
But the hardware is worth the cash, for sure.
If Valve ask for their review kits back, reckon youd trade in your 256GB Deck and upgrade?
James:It would understand.
