Steam Deck OLED was the best portable game console | Gizmodo Japan

Ah, this is the Steam Deck I’ve always wanted. That’s what I thought.

Valve’s newSteam Deck HDR OLED versionEverything is better, including the display, battery life, and lighter weight. Once you touch it, you’ll never go back to the dark and cramped original Steam Deck (newly named “Steam Deck LCD”). All dissatisfaction is resolved.

Design: “It’s not Steam Deck 2!”

When you compare them side by side, the OLED version and the LCD version released last year are almost the same. Except for the orange power button, all-black thumbstick, and slightly more screen real estate.Inheriting the form of the first generationdoing.

Since OLED is thinner than LCD, the battery could carry 50Whr, which is larger than the previous 40Whr.However, the weight has decreased by nearly 30g.Approximately 640gWe are keeping it to .

Although it is only 30g, it is not to be underestimated. The Steam Deck LCD is heavy, so you’ll notice a difference after using it for a while.

When I first saw it at Valve in Seattle, I thought,It’s not “Steam Deck 2” yet.”.According to Lawrence Yang, the person in charge, the OLED version is “Complete version of the first generationIf we were to start over with the original Steam Deck from scratch, this is what we would create.

Oh, and I mustn’t forgetnew carrying caseThe mini cases are nested together like matryoshkas and held together with Velcro.

Once you peel it off and take it out, it’s the perfect size to fit into your bag. It doesn’t take up much space. I often play Steam Deck on planes, so this is helpful because I don’t have to worry about half of my backpack being a game console.

Display: The highest level among existing portable game consoles

HDR OLED touch displaySeriously okayis. The image quality has also become visibly brighter. Peak brightness is 1000 nits. Moreover, the refresh rate is 90Hz, which is better than the previous model’s 60Hz. The bezels have become thinner, so the screen area is larger even though it’s the same body size as before.

When I started playing Cult of the Lamb, the colors really jumped out at me, and it was nothing like the Steam Deck LCD. The black is deep and rich. I realized that OLED can achieve true black by not making the pixels shine.

When you compare the OLED and LCD versions of the same game on Steam Deck, the difference is overwhelming. There is a difference like night and day.

Even though it is a portable game console, it supports HDRThat’s a wild thing when you think about it.

I played Cyberpunk 2077 endlessly in HDR and was impressed.Games that natively support HDR will work seamlessly without any action on your part.is Valve’s explanation.

With a screen this bright, the outdoor play environment is also great. The sunny weather in November led me to play Resident Evil 4’s Mercenaries mode (famous for its dark screen) in the sunshine on my patio, but I didn’t have to worry about getting my eyes wet.

Gaming performance: Same as before, but with less heat and noise

However, there is nothing special to mention about the game processing performance. The AMD APU (a product that synthesizes and integrates AMD CPU and GPU) inside has been significantly improved, resulting in improved heat dissipation and battery life, but in terms of gaming performance,Basically the same as the previous LCD version.

If I had to say the biggest difference, it would be that I don’t overheat as much as I used to while playing heavy games.

Launching games and operating SteamOS are faster than before, and the UX is crisp. The trackpad also feels rougher and no longer has strange reactions. Furthermore, Bluetooth has a dedicated antenna, making connections with peripheral devices such as headsets more stable. That was a problem with the LCD version (at least the one I have), so this is another problem solved.

There’s no end to the small improvements, so I’ll leave it at that, but one thing I can say clearly is everything from the speaker volume to the feel of the joystick.Valve meticulously handled every aspect of the first generation.That’s probably it.

Battery life: ideal portability

What impressed me next to the display wasbattery lifeis.

Depending on the content of the game, Valve says that “running time has increased by approximately 30-50%.”I tried testing itGrowth of about 25-40%But, well, I set the brightness to maximum (my preference) and this is it.

The game I tested that drained the battery the most was Cyberpunk 2077, but it still lasted about two hours over several sessions. The previous LCD version only lasted 30-45 minutes, which is impressive.

The action RPG “Hades” is about 6 hours long (about 90 minutes longer than the LCD version).

The action game “Armored Core V: Fires of Rubicon” lasts approximately 2 and a half hours (approximately 35 minutes longer than the LCD version). What’s nice about having a longer battery life is that you can play games like Stardew Valley for multiple sessions. Even after 6 and a half hours, the battery remained at 23%. No need to worry about power cables.

Should you buy Steam Deck OLED?

Although I am completely addicted to Steam Deck OLED,I want a mini version of thisSome of me think so. It’s good that it’s lighter, but I think people who saw the first generation and cringed and said, “It’s huge!” and “It’s heavy!” will have the same reaction when they see the OLED version.

For those who already own Steam Deck, paying over $549 again in just one year is a painful expense, no matter how many improvements are made.

Despite this limitation, Steam Deck OLED is on par with Nintendo Switch OLED.best portable game consoleis. The display is great, so every game looks like never before. The battery is also good, so you can enjoy the game to your heart’s content without worrying about time.