Valve Handheld: Steam Deck

[PEB]

The answer is no. No, there is no point to that whatsoever.

You are truly clueless period. Thanks to Meta 3rd party headsets lost access to many games, but steam for PC still has legacy access to these games most notable is beat Saber an tons of PC only VR games. But go on troll. Top it off PC version of VR mobile most tend to be considerably better. Oh I don't want to lug around a laptop to play these games. But rag on like you normally do I will not be waiting.

 

[avenue94]

You are truly clueless period. Thanks to Meta 3rd party headsets lost access to many games, but steam for PC still has legacy access to these games most notable is beat Saber an tons of PC only VR games. But go on troll. Top it off PC version of VR mobile most tend to be considerably better. Oh I don't want to lug around a laptop to play these games. But rag on like you normally do I will not be waiting.

I'm with our often prickly friend on this one. It's just a use case mismatch. The point of a handheld PC is to be able to travel and take it portable obviously. If you are going to bring along a VR headset, then that defeats the argument for trying to keep your PC as small as possible. You might as well just shove a laptop in your backpack that you'll need anyways for the headset.

For what it's worth, I work in the PC space, and no major manufacturer has VR top of mind when they make a portable PC for mass market. It's just not worth the squeeze.

 

[PEB]

I'm with our often prickly friend on this one. It's just a use case mismatch. The point of a handheld PC is to be able to travel and take it portable obviously. If you are going to bring along a VR headset, then that defeats the argument for trying to keep your PC as small as possible. You might as well just shove a laptop in your backpack that you'll need anyways for the headset.

For what it's worth, I work in the PC space, and no major manufacturer has VR top of mind when they make a portable PC for mass market. It's just not worth the squeeze.

I have worked for Dell/EMC for 14 years mostly in the large system, Unix an Linux server space but have built a few hundred custom PC's. But have been in the VR space for over 4 years and currently own Quest 2, HP Reverb G2, HTC Vive Pro 2 an now HTC Vive XR Elite. One significant thing is the XR Elite brings small size around 250 grams 1/2 pound video pass-through an just around 4K resolution as well as wifi. Its size can fit into my pocket with an external battery. Its size is small enough to eliminate the issues with these past headsets. I think a headset bag should have no problem putting the ASUS steam handheld competitor in it.

 

[avenue94]

I have worked for Dell/EMC for 14 years mostly in the large system, Unix an Linux server space but have built a few hundred custom PC's.

Oh nice, I talk to your PC folks every now and then.

One significant thing is the XR Elite brings small size around 250 grams 1/2 pound video pass-through an just around 4K resolution as well as wifi. Its size can fit into my pocket with an external battery. Its size is small enough to eliminate the issues with these past headsets. I think a headset bag should have no problem putting the ASUS steam handheld competitor in it.

Just going to point out a few reasons why Asus doesn't have this in mind.
-$1,000 instantly shrinks your potential consumer base to near nothing. Not to mention if someone is willing to drop that on a VR headset, they probably are willing to go all out on a stupidly expensive gaming laptop.
-Between the controllers and headset, I'm going to wager that the total volume is similar to a laptop. The difference being a laptop is larger in 2D just because it's flat. Again, if a customer is willing to carry a backpack, they are willing to carry a backpack big enough for a laptop.
-Also not sure if you have a Steam Deck, but the Asus Ally is way bigger than a headset. It's almost a foot long. That's almost laptop sized given how bags are designed.

I will add, as a point in your favor, Asus loves eGPUs.

 

[PEB]

New Steam deck well updated one.

 

[Uncommon Valor]

New Steam deck well updated one.

• Updated APU to 6 nm for better efficiency
• Updated memory to 6400 MT/s, improving latency and power management
• Increased thermal module thickness and performance
• Increased active area to 7.4" (from 7.0")
• Updated refresh rate to 90Hz (from 60Hz)
• Updated peak brightness to 1000 nits
• Updated touchscreen polling rate to 180Hz, improved latency and accuracy
• Updated WiFi / Bluetooth module
• Added support for WiFi 6E
• Added support for Bluetooth 5.3, supporting newer codecs such as aptX HD and aptX low-latency
• Added third antenna near the top of the device for better Bluetooth performance, including when docked
• Added support for wake from Bluetooth controllers
• Improved bass response for an overall flatter sound profile
• Added support for using onboard microphone array simultaneously with the 3.5mm headphones connector
• Adjusted analog stick top material and shape for increased grip and dust build-up resistance
• Adjusted analog stick post material to improve interaction feel with front cover and reduce wear
• Improved reliability of analog stick touch detection
• Improved responsiveness and tactility of shoulder buttons switch mechanism
• Adjusted D-pad snap ratio and diagonal interactions
• Redesigned trackpad for improved fidelity and edge detection
• Greatly improved trackpad haptics feel and precision
• Improved battery capacity from 40Wh to 50Wh
• Improved battery chemistry for faster charging, from 20% to 80% in as little as 45 minutes
• Changed charging LED to WRGB
• Added support for waking up from initial unboxing by long-pressing power button instead of requiring AC power
• Adjusted power supply cable length from 1.5m to 2.5m
• Added logo to power supply
• Reduced total system weight to ~640g, or ~5% less than Steam Deck
• Rear cover screws now thread into metal
• Adjusted rear cover screw heads to Torx™, as well as other materials and geometry tweaks on the heads to reduce stripping risk
• Lowered number of screw types throughout system
• Reduced step count required for common repairs
• Improved bumper switch mechanism drop reliability
• Moved bumper switch to joystick board for easier repair
• Improved display repair/replacement to not require taking rear cover off
• Greatly improved memory power management firmware
• Added preliminary support for open-source BIOS and EC firmware
• Improved resume time by roughly 30%

Really tempted in getting the new Steam Deck. It’s a shame we aren’t able to trade our devices in.

 

[Dizzy]

Maybe I’ll sell mine to my brother or something. I need that OLED.

 

[Madmick]

This website makes it easy to see a comparison of the specs with blueprint silhouettes:
https://www.steamdeck.com/en/tech/oled

As the LTT vid above noted, the biggest difference is between the screens, but the difference in battery life is also substantial due to a larger battery and a more efficient refinement of the processor (which achieves the same performance while consuming less energy). The most significant differences:

Display
7.3" vs. 7.0" (+9% screen area)
OLED vs. IPS
90 Hz vs. 60 Hz
HDR (8-bit FRC?) vs. Non-HDR (6-bit FRC / 8-bit non-FRC?)
1000 nits vs. 400 nits, peak brightness
600 nits vs. 400 nits, SDR Brightness
110% vs. ~67%, DCI-P3 Color Gamut

Battery
50 Wh vs. 40 Wh

Connectivity
Tri-Band WiFi 6 vs. Dual-Band WiFi 5

 

[avenue94]

Really tempted in getting the new Steam Deck. It’s a shame we aren’t able to trade our devices in.

Maybe not a trade in deal, but I'd expect more discounting from Steam in the future. The Ally and Go being physically available in stores is a huge advantage, so Steam will probably try to leverage their built-in pricing advantage more. A lot of people would be very surprised if they looked what the top selling PCs were and why.

 

[Sycho Sid]

Still don't have a Deck, this may get me to pull the trigger. Thing looks nice.

 

[GtehMVP]

Maybe I’ll sell mine to my brother or something. I need that OLED.

I know man, I want it badly lol

What really sucks is that I just helped one of my buddies buy one. I could have easily sold him mine for a fair price.

I'm hoping we'll just be able to upgrade the screen on our current ones. I'd drop some $$ for that, but I just cant justify buying a new one outright, even though I am so tempted.

With all the improvements to go with the screen my willpower will be tested.

This really has me excited for the Steam Deck 2 in a couple of years.

Digital Foundry has a great review of it

 

[Dizzy]

If I can manage to get one of the limited release versions I’ll upgrade. If not, SteamDeck 2 should be litty.

 

[Dizzy]

Maybe I’ll sell mine to my brother or something. I need that OLED.

If I can manage to get one of the limited release versions I’ll upgrade. If not, SteamDeck 2 should be litty.

Lol, sold it to my brother and bought the Limited Edition OLED.

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

If I can play PC games with my family and voice chat with them, I'm tempted to get one...

 

[GtehMVP]

Lol, sold it to my brother and bought the Limited Edition OLED.

That's awesome

You have the Switch oled right?

Did you put an anti glare film on it?

I'm thinking of getting the 256 Steam Deck oled version, and putting an SSD in myself.

One thing I love with my current Steam Deck (512, same as you) is the anti glare screen we have. I play it outside a lot in the shade. It handles reflection really well. The switch (I have the lcd version) is near unplayable outdoors for me.

Right now we're limited to 1tb versions to get the same etched glass thing. I just can't justify that cost, even though the version you bought is sitting in my cart on Steam lol

Anyway, did you put anything on your switch that measures up to what we have on our Steam Decks?

 

[Dizzy]

That's awesome

You have the Switch oled right?

Did you put an anti glare film on it?

I'm thinking of getting the 256 Steam Deck oled version, and putting an SSD in myself.

One thing I love with my current Steam Deck (512, same as you) is the anti glare screen we have. I play it outside a lot in the shade. It handles reflection really well. The switch (I have the lcd version) is near unplayable outdoors for me.

Right now we're limited to 1tb versions to get the same etched glass thing. I just can't justify that cost, even though the version you bought is sitting in my cart on Steam lol

Anyway, did you put anything on your switch that measures up to what we have on our Steam Decks?

I don’t think the one I put on my Switch is anti-glare. I play indoors probably 99% of the time so it’s not much of an issue.

I struggle figuring out what to do with the Deck and the etched glass. I get so paranoid about getting them scratched but then I basically remove one of the selling points.

 

[GtehMVP]

I don’t think the one I put on my Switch is anti-glare. I play indoors probably 99% of the time so it’s not much of an issue.

I struggle figuring out what to do with the Deck and the etched glass. I get so paranoid about getting them scratched but then I basically remove one of the selling points.

I do worry about not having any protection on my Steam Deck screen, so I'm extra careful with it. Any time I have to put it down during a session, even for a few minutes, it goes back in the case.

We already have anti glare so I'm worried that putting a screen protector will ruin the image. It's mediocre enough as is lol

You're going to have that beautiful oled screen with etched glass as a layer already potentially taking away some of its beauty. I don't know if I'd add anything else, but that will bring more ongoing paranoia for you. I feel ya!

While you're waiting for the oled version; in their latest update, Valve added some colour sliders to adjust your screen natively. Like the "vibrant deck" plugin, It makes a big difference.

It's under settings/display/adjust colour options.

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

So how future proof is the new Steam Deck OLED?

It looks great, but how does it compare to the current crop of consoles?

 

[avenue94]

So how future proof is the new Steam Deck OLED?

It looks great, but how does it compare to the current crop of consoles?

To answer the first part of your question, Asus has been happy with the ROG Ally's sales velocity and will be opting for annual refreshes for the time being. I'd expect Lenovo to do the same if they have good velocity in December at Best Buy. As for the second part, other posters are far better equipped to answer that than me lol.

 

[GtehMVP]

So how future proof is the new Steam Deck OLED?

It looks great, but how does it compare to the current crop of consoles?

There are very few modern PC games the Steam Deck can't handle atm. It's a good investment, as not only are most of the biggest games supported, you'll have access to thousands of older titles at bargain bin prices, not to mention the best emulating platform on the planet, Emudeck, which is tailored for the Steam Deck.

The Steam Deck is very popular, so expect a lot of modern games coming out to continue the trend of targeting its specs. Valve is also constantly improving things with updates. For the next gen of consoles, you'll need to look towards a true Steam Deck successor, or the like, but we're still a few years off.

Fan the Deck made a good video on your query on a couple of months ago. This was regarding the LCD version.



Performance is varied, but It really comes down to developers tailoring things to work on the Deck. Thankfully many do thanks to its install base. The Steam Deck community is also huge and very active, so you'll always find optimal settings tweak guides, for performance and controls, if one isn't set by developers. The Deck's massive ecosystem is a huge selling point.

There's a slight performance bump with the Oled version from what reviews have said, but we're only talking a few frames. Where it also improves notably compared to the LCD version, outside the superior screen and improved battery size/life, is better latency. Look @Madmick's post earlier to see all the other improvements.

Devices like the ROG Ally are still more powerful, but you're also paying a lot more. It's biggest benefit, IMO, is more supported games thanks to having Windows installed natively. There are some games that the Steam Deck just can't run atm, including Gamepass. Valve is working on Windows support, saying its proper implementation (you can install it, but it's buggy) has been delayed due to the Oled version development.

If I was buying one today from scratch, I'd suggest getting the 256 GB Oled version, and putting in a bigger SSD yourself.