New OLED screen. New APU. And lots of small hardware improvements.
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What I really like is that they double down on hackabilty by switching to metal torx screws, etc.
That, and a Linux system are IMO the main selling points of the SteamDeck, compared to any clones from Asus or Lenovo, etc.
Wait, are their screws not metal?!
The screws were metal, but they went into a plastic casing. Now, the metal screws go into metal threading
They are mostly (all?) metal.
Torx head are preferred for smaller screws because it is a lot easier to strip the heads with a phillips. Mostly because you can use too big or too small of a phillips head with a screw which means you don’t have a good fit and are going to mangle it. Whereas a torx is very much “one size fits one size”.
But also? If you actually pay attention to the video/read the article and are not a complete monster, you will use a ph0 instead of a ph1 or whatever and that stops being an issue. But it makes people happier and maps better to the ridiculously expensive electronics screwdrivers (cough, lmg, cough) that come with a very narrow set of bits rather than assuming people shell out almost the exact same amount of money for an ifixit kit that has dozens of bits. Or, you know, people who realize their local hardware store also sells bits.
The real advantage is that it sounds like Valve are moving away from self tapping screws. Explaining those is well beyond my brain, but it boils down to the idea that they cut/grind/clomp through plastic to hold themselves in place. That is why Valve have made it very clear that disassembling and reassembling your Steam Deck will lower thermal performance and durability. The screws won’t go in as tight as they used to and, if you do it enough, they won’t hold at all. If you ever were reassembling something and the screw just kind of spun freely, that is likely the cause.
Dude awesome info. Thanks for taking the time to type this
Some guy on lemmy went on a two paragraph rant on me when I said ‘at this point Ill probably just wait for the next version of the deck’ “oh they’re just rumors and valve would never release another model this early in the decks life and yada yada yada…” Well here we are a month later. Ive been alive long enough to know the next model is ALWAYS right around the corner, because it makes the company money. I wanted a PS4 when it came out but held off then a little while later ps4 pro came out and held off some more, then ps5, now ps5 pro. At this point I don’t even play video games that much anymore so the deck is likely the last ‘console’ ill ever want. I know the game and am one patient motherfucker, if I need to wait a few more years for the deck 2 then by god ill wait.
I don’t understand this, then the deck 2 will be out and you’ll then wait for the refresh that’s coming out soon then the deck 3? At that rate you’ll never have a console.
At some point I have to pull the trigger, and I am the kind of person who uses a device until it dies so I would rather that device be a refined variant of the original. This year was hard for me financially so I just couldn’t eat the $ on a 400-600$ game player no matter how much I really wanted it. I was EXTREMELY tempted to get the deck when it went on sale this summer. Hopefully when 2 rolls out I will be in a better financial spot and its design and specs will be improved over the og
On the other hand though, it’s Valve so they won’t get to 3.
Yeah it doesn’t make sense to always wait, but I also disagree with people who say “there’s always something around the corner, so may as well buy immediately, even mid-cycle.” The middle ground for minimizing FOMO is: buy immediately after a new release.
Don’t bother. By the time the deck 2 comes out, in 6 months there will be a Deck 2.5.
Never buy or enjoy anything! ONLY think about the future
Alright that last comment got me
of course Valve will make a steam deck 2.
They just won’t make a steam deck 3.
Nice!
I know exactly when the Switch 2 will be announced.
It will be the same week that the guy at work who has been holding out for it for 3 years finally relents and buys one.
I still occasionally use my OG switch I got in 2017. Its a fine little device in its own right just a shame that its completely cucked by nintendo. No I am not paying a subscription just to play multiplayer and access to half baked emulators. Horrible sales and overpriced games to boot. I can’t see how anyone in 2023 would want a switch 2 when the deck exist. IDC how good the next gen mario zelda or pokemon are nintendo can suck it.
Dude. I’ve been watching the handheld gaming market, and it is exactly like you said. If you wait about 6 months there is already new more powerful device out. Aya neo, Ayntech, anbernic, powkiddy.
Valve in particular is less prone to this kind of thing with their hardware, for example the Steam link, steam controller and Valve Index
Finally I can buy one
I’ve been holding off on getting a steam deck since I wanted to get their second version rather than being a beta tester for the first
If stability and reliability are paramount to you, you might consider getting the older version. At this point the hardware has been well tested and I feel like you might be beta testing less on a gen 1 vs a gen 2. That being said my personal experience is that I’ve never felt like a beta tester for valve and I’m sure you’ll be happy with either. Cheers!
It’s more like a gen 1.5, valve stated that hardware hasn’t progressed far enough for a true gen 2 steam deck
I bought one 3 months ago after going back and forth for ages. It’s really good but I wish I had either bought it immediately or waited a few more months. Don’t hesitate, go for it.
Hahaha, they kept trying to convince people again and again that there will NOT be a hardware refresh any time soon. That was only a few months ago.
They were careful with how they phrased it, leaving the possibility of a refresh without a performance uplift still on the table (as speculated by media). It looks like the OLED model’s core performance will be only marginally better due to faster RAM, but that the APU itself is the same thing with a process node shrink (which improves efficiency a little).
See also: PCGamer article about an OLED version. They didn’t say “no”, and (just like with the previously linked article), media again speculated about a refresh happening.
It looks like they were consistent with what they were talking about with how it wasn’t simple to just drop in a new screen and leave everything else as-is, and used that opportunity to upgrade basically everything a little bit while they were tinkering with the screen upgrade.
The effiency part becomes a larger feature if it’s a mobile device…
Sure, but not much of that battery improvement is coming from migrating the APU’s process node. Moving from TSMC’s 7nm process to their 6nm process is only an incremental improvement; a “half-node” shrink rather than a full-node shrink like going from their 7nm to their 5nm.
The biggest battery improvement is (almost definitely) from having a 25% larger battery (40Whr -> 50Whr), with the APU and screen changes providing individually-smaller battery life improvements than that. Hence the APU change improving efficiency “a little”.
That’s not what happened at all. They said they would not be releasing a higher performance version anytime soon. This is just a refresh. Like a Steam Deck 1.8
Just a few tips for people:
I got a 512 LCD at launch prices. I have zero regrets. It is awesome when I go on travel but also great for just hanging out around the house. And while the price is considerably higher than a switch (less so if you go for the entry level pricing), you save a LOT on games since Nintendo Pricing tends to translate to third parties over there too. But you obviously know you.
Will probably “trade in” my current model some time next year for the 512 OLED. 1 TB is tempting, but I have a desktop too. So installing and uninstalling games are almost all network transfers that go really fast because I generally am also playing those games on my desktop. Or even just keeping them installed there because I have the extra storage.
As for trading in: Be INCREDIBLY wary of using ebay. Ebay has incredibly good buyer protections at the cost of almost zero seller protections. If someone receives it and then says “Didn’t arrive, go fuck yourself” they get their money back and ebay/paypal will basically tell you to take it up with local police… who won’t do shit because ACAB. So stick to local exchanges (and follow all best practices for that) or just keep an eye out for the inevitable amazon or best buy trade in programs. You’ll get less, but also will have almost zero stress.
Why does it looks like a shotgun or am I still high?
https://www.pcgamer.com/valve-likes-the-idea-of-an-oled-steam-deck-too-but-says-it-isnt-as-simple-as-it-sounds/
Just leaving this here, for future reference.Successfully trolled I guess 😅
Jesus Christ. I just bought the top of the line model 2 weeks ago… FML
Damn, very much tempted to sell mine and buy this OLED version; the LCD screen is pretty much the only feature I dislike.
What would be a fair price to sell a used 256gb version with no damage?
On the used market you’ll be up against 64gb models upgraded with 1TB SSDs, which are a lot better value compared to the 256 or 512 versions from Valve. So look what those cost and subtract around $100, as that’s what the SSD costs.
My workmate loves his steamdeck. We walked into the staff room to find him laying on the chairs trying to play his. One of the older guys says “You need a bigger phone, mate!”
Wonder if it would be possible to retrofit the new parts into an existing SteamDeck
I read in a couple spots earlier that the new battery is physically too big and the OLED panel won’t transfer either.
Even the stick daughterboards are redesigned and the heat sink has different anchor points. None of the internals of these are cross-compatible.
The shell is identical, though, so it seems that sleeves, skins, screen protectors, cases and so on all carry over.
Please announce a trade in program, Valve. Don’t make me use eBay cause I’m not sure it’s worth the hassle at that point.
Try to sell locally
Like put a sign in my front yard or what
Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, gumtree, OfferUp, or whatever the local buy/sell website is
Ahhh now I want one even more!!
Well shit. I didn’t expect to replace my steam deck so soon, but the extra half an inch plus better battery life could convince me. I use it daily for Final Fantasy XI.
this thing is so tempting but I just don’t have enough time to game as it is… lol
