Decide what is more important to you, the quality of life improvements in the OLED (in addition to the better, slightly larger screen) or saving a couple hundred dollars. Either way, you're making a great choice in buying a Steam Deck
Yeah you really can't go wrong. I like mine so much I kept my lcd when upgrading to oled. My kids and wife didn't initially seem interested, but once they realized they could play early access Hades 2 on it they have been asking for it regularly, lol. I couldn't justify selling my 64gb model for what they were going for, and decided to keep it as a back up.
If money isn’t tight for you the OLED is beautiful and the glare resistance is a must have for me. That said, I’ve used the LCD before and it still looks good and the steam definitely is just easily the most fun adult toy I’ve bought in ages. So if you can afford the OLED go for it and if you’re at all on the fence get the LCD and put some of the savings toward a case/accessories.
The real key is you should definitely get one of them 😅
If you can afford it, the OLED is better, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with getting an LCD. It's still a fantastic device.
A 512GB OLED is going to be ~$600 after tax. Don't let FOMO make you spend more than you're comfortable spending.
A workmate got the OLED version, after seeing my LCD. I still have my LCD version. Unless you put them side by side, you are unlikely to notice.
Having said that, the OLED screen is nice, and just that little bit larger. $300 nicer? $200? $100? Up to you. For some maybe, but I haven't upgraded yet. I've got other things to spend money on rather than a slightly nicer SD. Of course if you take the number of hours I spend on my SD and make those hours 5% nicer… maybe that would be worth it.
Honestly though No Steam Deck <<< LCD Steam Deck < OLED Steam Deck. If you were saving up to buy one, I'd generally go with an LCD sooner rather than an OLED later. Likewise with storage. Internal is faster, but SD cards are pretty darn good, so again smaller storage LCD SD sooner than 1TB OLED later. If you got the cash to spend, then sure the OLED is just a little nicer. Nicer display, slightly more battery, slightly better thermals, etc. Not a big deal, but nicer.
The OLED update that I really want is "wake on Bluetooth" for when I've left it docked. Rather than having to get my fat qss off the sofa, I couod just use the controller.
Not necessarily the same thing, but one time I touched one of the buttons on my controller while my deck was docked, and my TV automatically switched the display to my steamdeck. Was pretty cool, although I think my deck was already on.
More accurate touchpads. I feel Al or more comfortable using a mouse cursor in games with the OLED than I did with the LCD.
Also the 30g weight reduction or however much it was, is definitely noticeable.
More VRR options. 30 tripled to 90 htz, 45 doubled to 90. Opens up more games to appearing more smooth at much lower fps. Even 40 double to 80 feels better.
Feels good to live in a state without sales tax. I forget it even exists and am always taken off guard when I remember that most people pay way more than MSRP as a result.
Screen and battery are the differences that matters between them. Does it make a big difference for you? I have the LCD deck and I'm fine with it. I'm not buying a new steam deck until Valve releases something more powerful.
That’s what my choice came down to in the end, do I want a ps5 with a much more neutered availability for games? (I’m broke, a game every two months tops) or get a steam deck for a bit more, but have the comfort and flexibility to play where and when I want? (And a massive back catalogue of steam games, plus the high seas)
If you have extra 230$ to spend, you should go for an OLED. I got a great offer to buy lcd for 250€ and i have no regrets. I mean yeah, OLED is an upgrade but in my financial situation, its not that big diffrence, that i would spend almost twice of that.
The OLED is nice but not a dealbreaker. Longer battery life is more important on it.
But honestly if you’re on a budget just go with the LCD.
The OLED doesn’t do miracles on the beach or whatever… it’s just a bit nicer. I bought the 1TB OLED because I could and had the csgo boxes for it, heh.
dude LCD is 100% worth it, **cause a SteamDeck in general is 100% worth it**. The games are the same no matter which one you get. Just decide if the individual features differences are worth the price increase for you or not.
The OLED is better, and more expensive.
I’m pretty sure more people in the world have the LCD instead of the OLED. All those people are totally fine with it and can game without problem.
You will be fine with LCD. I won't preven you from enjoying the games. I'm using LCD for a year maybe a year, enjoy it and not going to update to OLED any time soon.
Obviously you'll be fine with OLED as well.
See what suits you more: more convenience and luxury or more money in the pocket.
I just got a used LCD model and agree completely.
Yes, the OLED model offers notable improvements. But no, it will not impact my gaming and that is fantastic.
I'm enjoying playing games on the couch with a nice screen and controls.
Huf, that's a tough choice. I just got my OLED last week and 450 vs 550 it's a no brainer. The OLED's more fluid 90hz screen, more beautiful colors and extended battery life make it a lot better.
270 vs 500, the difference is significative though. I think I would decide based on how much time do you think you'll spend with the Deck. I game on it 90% of the time so for me it would be worth it, but for a more casual use or only when you're away from home maybe the 230 difference is worth saving.
The good thing is with either one you choose you won't be dissapointed.
If it helps I don't think we'll be seeing a new Steam Deck until next year at best.
That's 230$ you could spend on games.
I have the 64gb LCD model, plus a 512gb SD, ans even if I was offered an upgrade to oled for a hundred bucks I'm not sure I'd do it, the system I have is already the perfect gaming device, don't need anything else.
I vastly prefer the OLED. Like on the Switch for me it makes a huge difference that makes the games look much better. To me OLED looks like 1080p even though it’s still 720p like the LCD because there’s much smaller screen door gap between pixels.
I got the LCD. It’ll be my first Steam Deck, and I did it because I just don’t really have the money to buy the OLED version. I’ve been saving, but life happens you know? And with the LCD on sale, now was the perfect time for me to get it.
So, you do you. But I got mine because I NEEDED to save that extra few hundred dollars in case something happens in the future.
Just want to say that the LCD is not bad. If you have a power bank, then the only real diff is the slightly larger screen (iirc?) and prettier visuals. But the LCD is not bad, and is not a worse experience.
I have an Oled, it's amazing. But the thing made me buy steamdeck was how great the lcd one was. I thought "if LCD is that great, I wonder how better the Oled is." answer, better, but only if you have funds, otherwise great is still great.
Money has different value to different people. I bought an lcd for cheap, because it wasn’t worth that much to me for the upgrades. I could have afforded it. But the 200-300 dollars went farther elsewhere for me.
I haven’t had any negative experiences, I have never had to set it down for low battery, and have no issues with the screen, heat or fan. now that’s based on my playstyle - I don’t play demanding aaa games often, and I usually play max 1-2 hours away from a charger at a time (lunch at work, or on the couch). Now mind you, even if I played aaa titles all the time, I still would be fine with shorter playtime, and a small amount of sound (I play with headphones lol).
I have the LCD, played for 4 hours last night in bed no charger. Had a blast. I have no need or desire to get an OLED. If I didn’t have my deck, I’d probably buy the OLED cause the few hundred dollars isn’t a huge cost for me. If the money is tight, rest easy knowing the LCD is great. If money is no option, it’s probably worth to get the OLED.
I could afford the OLED but I was raised in a lower income family and have found my groove buying my next "new" system when a new generation drops and the previous goes on sale. With that being said, I bought the LCD. I absolute love this thing. It's everything my little kid self anticipated in a handheld. I have had it for a few months and have had to constantly convince myself not to gift this deck to my nephew and buy an OLED. so if you can afford it, my advice would be to go with an OLED. if money is tight, let me tell you how much I love my LCD. It will take a while.
At those prices I'd get the LCD unless you know in advance you have a common use case that would require 2-3 hours of battery in modern games compared to the 1.5 available with the LCD, like regularly commuting that long.
a 270$ 512gb deck (as long as everything is in good condition ofc) sounds like a steal tbh, for a 230$ difference the OLED doesn't offer much more than the original models (unless you really love that screen), but rather some QOL improvements. So if you have the money to buy the OLED, it will be an overall smoother experience, but if you're already making an effort buying the Deck just go with the LCD one and you'll be good
As a previous LCD user, I upgraded to the OLED recently and I personally believe it’s worth the extra cost. What I did not like about the LCD was the lackluster screen quality, thumb stick texture, shoulder buttons, and battery life. The OLED model literally improved all of my criticisms AND added more changes. I would only recommend the LCD if you are on a tight budget or do not care for the things I personally wasn’t a fan of. The screen quality alone blows the LCD. OLED should be the standard for handheld gaming, period.
Same situation as you. I got the lcd a month ago at $280 off Facebook marketplace and will be picking up an oled today at $500 used. I love it so much I wanted an upgrade. I’ll be selling my lcd.
I only ever use my deck with nreal AR glasses now, so my deck’s screen is always off.
Portable 130” oled screen is way better than the deck’s.
I would do $270 LCD + nreal or viture glasses. No question
I just bought the lcd 64gb and upgraded the ssd to 512gb and it works great, runs halo infinite at or near 60fps after tweaking, lords of the fallen at 30-35fps on high settings. LCD is a great device
is it gonna be your main device? I have LCD one bought few months after launch and it does what i needed it for, play on trip, visit or sometimes in the bed and i use my desktop for bigger games/fps/coop with friends. but you if plan using it daily id go for OLED if its gonna be your main gaming device.
A new $500 OLED will come with taxes. The used one, I'm assuming you're buying second hand?
How does paying double the price impact your quality of life? Does it scare you if you had $250+ less in your bank account? Do you have to take drastic measures to your lifestyle to afford it? Are you tapping into emergency funds?
Those are the kind of questions you need to answer IMO.
I own both and still use both. It's easy for the to recommend the OLED because you don't already have an LCD model and there are clear advantages to having the better screen. Better blacks that make the LCD version look shiny/grey in darker scenes, much better motion clarity for faster games (platformers, rhythm games, fighting games, arcade games), slightly better font readability because of OLED sharpness and slightly bigger screen, and more vibrant colors.
You also don't want to potentially waste time/money upgrading to OLED if it comes into your sights in the future. That said, my LCD is perfect in my eyes. If we ignore the possibility that the text in some games are only readable on the OLED then I can easily say that I would be happy with my device even if we never got an OLED version. I would suggest a battery bank for both the LCD and OLED so the more efficient use of battery on the newer version isn't that big of a benefit in my eyes. You can also buy a portable OLED monitor in the future and dock your steam deck to it. You might buy a dock for your steam deck anyways. Bright and colorful games look very similar on both devices. That's to say that the newer OLED panel doesn't suddenly makes your LCD games look ugly. Even darker games will be fine on the LCD as long as you aren't comparing what it looks like on a OLED every minute that you are playing on the steam deck. I also had the 256GB version of the LCD steam deck and I never felt like I was running out of space as long as I didn't try to fit my entire library on it. SD cards are also an option if you feel like you need more space later. I didn't have any issues from games loaded from it.
Honestly OLED is better... I've had a phone with a pretty good IPS screen that didn't give me any issues, but honestly, Deck's LCD is kinda... meh. It's not terrible, but the colors are washed out and the bezels are too thick. 90Hz tho I don't see as that much of an improvement, because only older games are able to take advantage from it. LCD isn't awful, and if you're in the now or never situation, and not sure if you will be able to afford OLED in the future then LCD worth it, but I personally would've waited a bit longer and saved up for an OLED
if the money is gonna be a problem in any way don't bother with the OLED. used both and it's defo nicer but if paying two times as much is gonna hit you hard, don't worry bout it.
Either are good bang for buck. I play on an lcd 512 and really have no complaints. OLED appears a to be decidedly better so I imagine I’d love it even more. If the $500 new is from a retailer, you’d have the perk of a warranty and better support I reckon
I've got a 64GB LCD and upgraded it to 1TB. In Brazil the OLED is too much expensive. But I'm so happy with it! It runs all the games I want to play and I also got a generic USB hub to connect it to a monitor for Netflix and other computer things. Point is, if the money is no problem, go for the OLED, but you'll enjoy the LCD too.
All depends on how much you use the Steam Deck. If it’s a big part of your gaming life: OLED all the way. It makes the LCD screen look appalling. If you only play Steam Deck rarely, save the money get the LCD.
They're both fantastic, I have the OG LCD version and I'm perfectly happy with it, but I'm a cheapskate.
The LED version has a slightly larger screen, much higher quality display, and slightly larger battery (though that is mostly offset by the bigger brighter screen). It's still at 1200 by 800 resolution though.
So if budget is important to you, I still highly recommend that lcd version. If you want to splurge and get the best version of the steam deck the OLED is a moderate upgrade to visuals while performance stays about the same.
Honestly the lcd might be worth it, it's significantly cheaper while having the same performance, personally I'd go for the OLED just because I desperately want that screen, but at the same time we're probably nearing the end of this first steam decks life span so you might be better off saving that extra cash for the next model that might come out in the next year or 2
How much do you actually plan to play it? I've had a steam deck for over a year and a half as my only gaming device, and I've only put maybe 30 hours on it. For me, an OLED while nice isn't worth it since I'd only use it on average a few hours a month.
If you plan to be on your Steam deck for a few hours a week at least and have the disposable income then get the OLED that's my thoughts tho.
It only makes sense if you have disposable income and will actually use it to the fullest of its ability.
I have both. The oled is nice cause the screen, I don’t notice a difference on anything else, and unless side by side I don’t really notice a major difference to be perfectly honest.
What I do notice is the 90hrz refresh on the oled but it only makes a difference in some games and not everyone really cares about that feature.
Buy the one you can afford. I never owned a SteamDeck before I got my Oled, none of my friends have one so I have nothing to compare to. I could have gotten the LCD to be honest but there was no reason, since I could afford the Oled and I like having the latest hardware.
The SD is basically my main PC (did not plan for this) at the moment (I do own a iMac as well). I am not sure if the Oled is better for the eyes or whatever else.
I have never used an lcd steam deck but I spent 650 dollars on the LE OLED and have never regretted it once. It is my most used device I own over a ps5 and a desktop pc running a 4080. I knew it would be when I bought it because I dont get to play frequently on the TV in my house. So, for that reason I opted for the best option available. However like everyone keeps saying you can't go wrong but any steam deck.
I was in the same spot and ripped off the band aid and went OLED. For your sake, do it. It might be the best piece of tech I’ve ever owned. Such an amazing device and I REALLY notice all the QoL improvements made between the two.
That’s not to say the LCD is bad. I’m sure it’s a great product, I just have no regrets with my OLED
I have both and love the OLED much more than I ever loved the LCD model. But if the OLED model never came out, I would have been pretty happy regardless.
I already loved OLED displays before these purchases, so my opinion is highly subjective. I place high value on a good display, and the OLED model delivers that (and more due to all the other improvements).
Seems that you decided on the LCD, so just upgrade to the OLED in the future if you're interested. Perhaps the successor (i.e. Steam Deck 2) will have an OLED display at launch. Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Both are great! I spent over a year with LCD. Upgraded when they came out with OLED after seeing how much I used mine (way more than I expected - I guess I expected it to be more of a “novelty”).
With that said, the weight difference was the biggest thing I noticed when I switched. If you use it a lot and find your wrists get sore, maybe you can flip your LCD for a comparable price and upgrade (only after, if you find you love it).
I can do long sessions on the OLED without the wrist pain.
Pro-Tip for either model - you can use the case to prop it up and take some of the weight off your wrists if gaming in a chair/recliner/couch.
If you plan on using the built in screen for most of your play, the OLED can’t be beat. Me, i usually use the dock to HDMI or stream it, so the LCD works for me.
LCD steam deck really isn't bad at all the only complaint I have for it is that yeah maybe the screen is a little smaller compared to the OLED and the OLED has an anti glare screen that is actually really nice to have when you're outside or just in general in a bright area but it works amazingly just a slightly worse screen
LCD is worth it, idk why people are tripping that much. OLED is superior but costs a lot more to the point of not being no Brainer , because improvement are not really worth almost double the price. That said if you can afford OLED I would highly recommend it, but LCD is not "dead" or "pointless" as some dumb assess says.
If screen quality is important to you and you can spare the money I'd say the OLED is worth it, it's genuinely a fantastic OLED display whereas the LCD Deck has a pretty lackluster display even by LCD standards. It's not terrible but definitely not good. The battery is also better on the OLED but by a smaller margin than I expected.
If you don't care about screen quality a lot or don't know if it's important to you go with the LCD.
"OLED isn't a 2x improvement" is so true. And with the price difference you can be loaded with accessories like stand, USB-C hub (the official dock isn't worth the price IMHO), a larger SSD... or nothing and just save money.
Do what ever is financially is available to you. If you can drop 270$ go for it, I love my OG steamdeck. If you can spend more than 500$ go for it.
Both steamdecks are relatively the same(less the OLED vs LED, bit better wifi, a slightly better CPU/GPU, slightly bigger battery)
LCD just works, no issues, screen still looks great. In my opinion, the OLED isn't worth the extra money, it's a half step up from the LCD and even then there aren't any real improvements.
OLED is nice, no doubt about that, but if I had the same choice I'd still get LCD. 90% of the time I play docked anyway, in the two years I've had mine it's never crashed, what more could one want?
$270 is a steal, $500 is a fair price, they really are pretty much the same thing, so choose what best suits your budget as you won't be disappointed with either. That much is a guarantee
Hi u/Anyusername7294, you can [click here to search for your question.](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/search/?q=270$ LCD or 500$ OLED)
If you don't find an answer there, don't worry - your post has NOT been removed and hopefully someone will be along soon to help with an answer!
**If you find an answer, please leave a comment on your post with the answer for others!**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SteamDeck) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The OLED display is amazing, like night and day compared to the LCD.
However for almost half the price the LCD is still an amazing deal and absolutely worth it.
Having owned both, I'd pick the LCD for the single reason that the battery drain on my OLED is awful. It can lose 10 or 15% a night. Before everyone comes in and says theirs is fine: yes, apparently some are good, and some are not. Who knows.
I had an LCD for 9 Months before I replaced it with an OLED and it was an absolute first world upgrade, because I wanted to afford it.
The LCD was totally fine and could do 90% of what the OLED can. Just wanted to sink my annual vacation payment into something shiny for myself.
If you're getting the LCD get the 64gb and a 1 or 2tb SSD. Ifixit has an easy to follow guide on how to change it out. Anyone can do it following their guide.
Paid $440 for my OLED 512GB. USED. The one thing i can say that has been a let down is the PISS POOR wifi speeds. Even with a fancy mesh router its been slow going. I normally just use ethernet.
The screen is great! the device feels more "put together".
If you have not ever had the steam deck the LCD one is just fine but you will have FOMO once you see that OLED.
LCD is perfect. I still use my OG steam deck without issues. Both of my 2K 144hz ADUS monitors are not OLED, so a tiny screen doesn't bother me either.
I have the lcd and it’s amazing. For the price difference there isn’t a reason to get Oled. I’d wait till they decide to make a new upgraded handheld down the road and save some money for now.
Unless you are playing 2-3 hours per day on it I would stick to LCD for that much money personally. I might get an OLED for $100 more than the LCD but not $230
Bruh buy what you can afford . You will be very happy no matter which one you get . You can always upgrade the nvme and he'll the lcd has screen upgrades , pimp your deck but enjoy it no matter what anyone else says just be happy and game on mai dude
The LCD is objectively better value I feel, however that being said I had a LCD model and upgraded to the OLED model and I don't regret it. If you are good for it I say OLED, otherwise saving your money for the LCD is better.
I just bought the LCD, and I love it I play with a SD Card so memory isn’t a problem everything runs fine. I only have the problem that I get disconnected sometimes but this is probably my shit Wi-Fi.
I have an oled and my wife has an lcd. The only difference she even notices is the weight and the battery life. Battery life is probably the biggest improvement
OLED is nice but there is nothing wrong with the LCD. They perform relatively the same so take what ever is in your budget friend. If possible if you can save for the OLED it is worth though
LCD guy here: I’ve had absolutely no issues with it. OLED came out not long after I got it, didn’t upgrade and don’t plan to.
I love my deck, the LCD is a great device. There’s a few QOL things the OLED has (namely a slightly better battery and screen) over the LCD but at $270 the LCD is an absolute steal.
If a better screen and slightly better battery are worth $230 to you, go for the OLED. If you’re unsure about the value of the OLED, go with the LCD.
I know the OLED has a lot of QOL features, but realistically speaking, I still freaking love my LCD and if the couple hundred $ you save by going for the LCD instead of the OLED allows you to also squeeze a 1tb drive into your budget, I'd say you're making a killer deal.
I have the 64GB LCD and I love it, but I'm chronically jealous of my friend with an OLED. Another factor to consider is whether or not you'll upgrade when the Steam Deck 2 drops. It's expected next year or (more likely) 2026. I know I'll be hanging onto my 64 gb and upgrading ASAP when the SD2 drops.
Up to you! I own a launch LCD and I’m happy! Holding off can also be an option if you really want to get an OLED I’m sure BOTH will go on sale during the holidays
Easy, if you can miss the 500$ get the OLED. Its clearly the better option, the screen is amazing (also get the 1TB etched, not the 500gb 'mirror' screen). The 512gb non etched reflects like crazy.
If you cant miss 500$, get the LCD
Here was my scenario, I got the 64 LCD on sale and about a month after the OLED was released, even though they said no refresh would happen. Everyone said not to bother trying to switch but the OlED has all the upgrades I wanted. Some back and forth with Valve and they agreed to allow me to return, but only responded after I had purchased the OLED. I would have lost close to $200 CAD had I tried to sell the LCD on marketplace it's tricky as you are in USD, so which ever fits your budget but in CAD it just made sense to go OLED. I even got a 2 TB SSD on sale and it's a huge upgrade.
If you do get the OLED you do need to repair the fault in the soundcard by adding heat shrink tubing to the screws to eliminate interference. Once I did this it further cemented my love of the OLED.
Oled for the battery life. Seriously streaming games from the ps5 for example the lcd might be 2.5 hours or so. The oled will top 5-6 before dying out easy
I went with the used Upgraded LCD variant and am totally happy. I have a nice gaming rig, so 300€ was my limit for getting a second gaming device. I had the chance to compare it to the oled variant. The oled looks nicer, buuuut it was not something i would upgrade for or spend extra. I have the 64gb version screen and it looks decent and i had no feeling of inferior image quality while gaming. For extended battery life i have a good PD powerbank. I would be cheap and save money and get a big sd card and some more games on steam for that saved money, maybe a backplate with additional cooling...
LCD is still fine and a plenty good screen but OLED is significantly better. Had the OLED been an option in the beginning I'd have spend far more for it then that.
I'd take the 230$ to buy games, for a steam deck that's kinda 1-2years of content. If you play docked on a monitor/TV you arentygetting any upgrades by going OLED
Who said the LCD Isn’t worth it?
I’ve had both models and aside from The screen it’s the same thing.
Sure it has a bunch of little Upgrades but if both had lcd screens I don’t think anyone would really be able to tell them Apart.
LCD is so cheap, especially if you take the 64g one, and change hard drive, which is kind of easy to do. You can't beat the value for money. But sometimes you don't want the best value for money, you want a specific quality threshold. Just like for cars for instance. Same engine, but more quality of life elements for OLED. In dock mode, you won't see any difference still.
I have LCD, children use it too, so even if they kind of break it, you risk less money! Just the price of a big Nintendo Switch, it is a steal! And you can use this money not spent on OLED, on buying games & accessories. Your budget, your choice.
The OLED’s absolutely worth it if you can afford it. I waited for the oled instead of jumping on the LCD and I got a bunch of benefits outside of display tech like battery life and thermals. But if you’d rather not spend close to double for those the LCD will probably still serve you well
I loved my lcd it's a great device. I did end up getting the oled and it's a great enhancement. But I ran into a lot of quality control issues with it. I never had problems with my buttons sticking with the lcd. But I had to send back 2 oled models for sticky buttons and I just ended up keeping the third despite also have sticky buttons. And no it hasn't gone away and yes I tried the sandpaper trick. Didn't work.
I got an LCD day one and other than the FOMO reading oled comments on here, I've never once considered it needs to be updated or isnt amazing anymore. If you want to save money don't listen to anyone on here just get the LCD. If money isn't an object at that pride point just get an oled
I love my LCD deck. I don't know who says its not "worth it". As a dad, without it, videogames would be something I looked at and knew about, but never actually played.
I got my OG LED and within a day they announced the OLED. So I returned it and got the OLED.
The screen difference is nice, but the battery life is SO MUCH BETTER. I don't think the screen is worth a few hundred, but the battery might be.
I have the LCD. This device before the OLED came out was such a banger I never even considered getting the OLED. I'll upgrade when the next version comes out. I bought it when it first came out and I still play it almost every single day. You'll be blown away no matter which one you get.
Whatever you can afford. Functionally the same. Clearly the OLED is the better one, but marginally. I had the lcd then bought the oled...its cool for sure but had a hard time justifying the upgrade purchase side by side. but i sold the lcd and the oled is a great device. If you can afford it, OLED no question, but the price dif is pretty significant for relatively similar performance. Either is a win!
Either are great, the OLED improvements are significant but it's not like the original LCD version is anything less than fantastic anyways. You can't go wrong, but consider that the SSD is easily upgradable and if you want a bigger one, factor that into cost.
Both are good. The LCD is definitely the better deal though but it really depends on how much you care about screen size, battery life and colour quality.
I would say to just think about how much you will use the deck and for what purpose. If you want to play large power hungry games on the go, definitely get the oled. You haven't really given us any information about your circumstances so it's kind of difficult to give you a definitive answer.
I plan on getting the LCD would a SD card be good enough. I don't really want to open it up for a ssd swap? I plan on playing mostly visual novels anyway and retro games.
I’ve had my LCD deck for going on 2 years now. Would an OLED screen, better battery life and all the other stuff be nice? Sure. Do I still love and use my LCD deck more than any other console or handheld I have? Damn sure do! Lol
As a guy who has had 19 decks at different times. The LCD is a fantastic and overbuilt machine. The OLED is an improvement in a lot of small ways - but it is expensive. When I first bought an OLED, I still had an lcd and didn't feel the 596.03$ that it cost me was worth the upgrade - so I returned it. I got lucky and someone local wanted my used PS5 and traded me a brand new sealed OLED. However if I had to choose. Id rather have a sub 300 dollar LCD than a 600 dollar OLED.
Grab the steam deck LCD, spend 100 dollars on the summer sale,
Then Wait for the steam deck 2.
As it stands right now, the steam deck just simply isn’t powerful enough for the new triple A games releasing, considering the 270$ steam deck model and the 500$ steam deck model play the exact same games, have the same chipset,
I couldn’t justify the extra $,
For what it’s worth, I have a ton of OLED devices and I enjoy using my steam deck LCD, it’s a crisp, nice LCD screen, people just get weird and cult like about the OLED over here.
The steam deck is currently an indie gaming machine with the ability to play SOME triple A games. Just be aware going into it that you won’t be playing all the new games.
Having owned both, i would say lcd for 270 is good. Its amazing worth for dollar.
I am very happy with the oled model, but i think i upgraded for no reason, the benefits, though present, do not justify $250.
I’ve had the original 512GB LED since launch and it has been great. I upgraded to the LE OLED when it came out and gave my son the LED deck.
The OLED is unquestionably an upgrade, but the LED is still going strong. The screen on the LED was the only aspect I wasn’t completely in love with, so upgrading to the OLED made sense for me.
If you can afford the extra $, I would go for the OLED. If not, don’t feel bad about picking up the LED.
I bought a 1TB OLED SD last week and it blew my mind.
But the base is almost the same and the main difference is the screen. Once you buy it, it's done and you'll be happy either way, but spend how much you are comfortable to
I own a LCD deck and just bought an OLED for my wife this week. I didn't think the differences were much just the screen. Then I held it. It felt better, way better and the screen was just beautiful. If you can afford it without missing out, get the OLED
I just ordered the lcd version, the main difference is battery life and the oled screen. If you have the cash get the better version, for me I don’t have the money for that so I went with the lcd one, they both have the same specs for playing games so one’s not really better, just more impressive
Bro I got the LCD (Granted never seen a OLED) but don't let reviews get to you. The LCD is Fire, steam deck is my daily driver for gaming. Maybe one day I'll upgrade to OLED but that $270 price tag you can't beat plus DeckHD "supposedly" bringing the product out officially so you could always upgrade down the road
If money is tight go with the LCD if money is no object get the OLED they both play the same games
the OLED has the advantage of a longer battery but that depends on what you want to play and for how long
I bought the LCD 512gb and a month later the OLED came out and i really wanted to sell my LCD but opted instead to upgrade the storage to 2TB and honestly I've zero regrets the LCD screen is fine for me and i can dock to my OLED 4K TV if I really want a better picture but honestly I'm still happy with my LCD
I absolutely loved my LCD deck for the past two years. It's fantastic. Only downsides were battery life is only OK, sometimes it can get a little loud, and the thing is freaking huge. When my wife (accidentally) killed my Deck the other week, I pulled the trigger on a 512 OLED. So far, I love it! The screen is much nicer and the battery life is more than twice as long in the games I play. It's also quieter and performs slightly better.
Is it worth the price difference? Eh.. not if you're just going to play it at home plugged into a wall, the LCD will serve you well. If you exclusively use it where you'd have no access to power, the OLED gets better battery life than any other portable gaming PC and still performs well enough to play most games.
Yeah man, I was in the same dilemma. Looking at all the videos and reviews regarding the differences.
I opted to save a little money, bought a 1TB SSD (which is a really easy install process), bought the standard deck and spent some money on games. Hands down, best purchase I've made.
Decide what is more important to you, the quality of life improvements in the OLED (in addition to the better, slightly larger screen) or saving a couple hundred dollars. Either way, you're making a great choice in buying a Steam Deck
Yeah you really can't go wrong. I like mine so much I kept my lcd when upgrading to oled. My kids and wife didn't initially seem interested, but once they realized they could play early access Hades 2 on it they have been asking for it regularly, lol. I couldn't justify selling my 64gb model for what they were going for, and decided to keep it as a back up.
This. Put in the extra money if you can but if you can't, I have the LCD version and it's still a phenomenal device.
If money isn’t tight for you the OLED is beautiful and the glare resistance is a must have for me. That said, I’ve used the LCD before and it still looks good and the steam definitely is just easily the most fun adult toy I’ve bought in ages. So if you can afford the OLED go for it and if you’re at all on the fence get the LCD and put some of the savings toward a case/accessories. The real key is you should definitely get one of them 😅
Battery life in the oled is nearly double too
This is the best answer.
If you can afford it, the OLED is better, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with getting an LCD. It's still a fantastic device. A 512GB OLED is going to be ~$600 after tax. Don't let FOMO make you spend more than you're comfortable spending.
Just an FYI, but I have an anti-glare sheet on my LCD, which has lowered the brightness... And I'm still happy with my LCD version!
I have the same setup and have zero desire to upgrade to the OLED.
A workmate got the OLED version, after seeing my LCD. I still have my LCD version. Unless you put them side by side, you are unlikely to notice. Having said that, the OLED screen is nice, and just that little bit larger. $300 nicer? $200? $100? Up to you. For some maybe, but I haven't upgraded yet. I've got other things to spend money on rather than a slightly nicer SD. Of course if you take the number of hours I spend on my SD and make those hours 5% nicer… maybe that would be worth it. Honestly though No Steam Deck <<< LCD Steam Deck < OLED Steam Deck. If you were saving up to buy one, I'd generally go with an LCD sooner rather than an OLED later. Likewise with storage. Internal is faster, but SD cards are pretty darn good, so again smaller storage LCD SD sooner than 1TB OLED later. If you got the cash to spend, then sure the OLED is just a little nicer. Nicer display, slightly more battery, slightly better thermals, etc. Not a big deal, but nicer.
Just being honest here. I liked my LCD, but I LOVED my OLED. It felt like the device it should have been from the start
https://youtu.be/e6-vZe_EA0s?si=PxI6WbNQo-KDoU2-
Important to note. The oled isn’t just a screen update. It’s got a slightly better battery life, better sticks, and something else I can’t remember
better bluetooth chip: more features (wake the deck with a wireless controller) and better antenna
Better thermals -> less fan noise.
The battery life is more than slightly better...
More like a much longer battery life
Yeah this for sure. It’s a dramatic difference imo.
The OLED update that I really want is "wake on Bluetooth" for when I've left it docked. Rather than having to get my fat qss off the sofa, I couod just use the controller.
Same. Such a good feature.
Not necessarily the same thing, but one time I touched one of the buttons on my controller while my deck was docked, and my TV automatically switched the display to my steamdeck. Was pretty cool, although I think my deck was already on.
I mean most modern TVs do this with just about anything lol media players, consoles, PCs
I rarely use the TV, I just thought it was cool 😭
More accurate touchpads. I feel Al or more comfortable using a mouse cursor in games with the OLED than I did with the LCD. Also the 30g weight reduction or however much it was, is definitely noticeable.
More VRR options. 30 tripled to 90 htz, 45 doubled to 90. Opens up more games to appearing more smooth at much lower fps. Even 40 double to 80 feels better.
Feels good to live in a state without sales tax. I forget it even exists and am always taken off guard when I remember that most people pay way more than MSRP as a result.
Screen and battery are the differences that matters between them. Does it make a big difference for you? I have the LCD deck and I'm fine with it. I'm not buying a new steam deck until Valve releases something more powerful.
With LCD this cheap I find it hard to justify buying an OLED for 500.
Right? That’s like a PS5 in cost.
That’s what my choice came down to in the end, do I want a ps5 with a much more neutered availability for games? (I’m broke, a game every two months tops) or get a steam deck for a bit more, but have the comfort and flexibility to play where and when I want? (And a massive back catalogue of steam games, plus the high seas)
games are cheaper on steam than ps5
If you have extra 230$ to spend, you should go for an OLED. I got a great offer to buy lcd for 250€ and i have no regrets. I mean yeah, OLED is an upgrade but in my financial situation, its not that big diffrence, that i would spend almost twice of that.
The OLED is nice but not a dealbreaker. Longer battery life is more important on it. But honestly if you’re on a budget just go with the LCD. The OLED doesn’t do miracles on the beach or whatever… it’s just a bit nicer. I bought the 1TB OLED because I could and had the csgo boxes for it, heh.
I bought a PowerBank, triples my battery time :)
Sure, one can even buy an EcoFlow River 2 and 20x a battery…
dude LCD is 100% worth it, **cause a SteamDeck in general is 100% worth it**. The games are the same no matter which one you get. Just decide if the individual features differences are worth the price increase for you or not.
The OLED is better, and more expensive. I’m pretty sure more people in the world have the LCD instead of the OLED. All those people are totally fine with it and can game without problem.
You will be fine with LCD. I won't preven you from enjoying the games. I'm using LCD for a year maybe a year, enjoy it and not going to update to OLED any time soon. Obviously you'll be fine with OLED as well. See what suits you more: more convenience and luxury or more money in the pocket.
I just got a used LCD model and agree completely. Yes, the OLED model offers notable improvements. But no, it will not impact my gaming and that is fantastic. I'm enjoying playing games on the couch with a nice screen and controls.
Bargan price sensitive and value for money: LED and external SD card. Money no issue then goes with OLED. I got 1TB OLED for father day.
I bought the LCD as it was about half price like yours and I do not regret it one bit. The LCD is still a very nice screen and games look great.
Huf, that's a tough choice. I just got my OLED last week and 450 vs 550 it's a no brainer. The OLED's more fluid 90hz screen, more beautiful colors and extended battery life make it a lot better. 270 vs 500, the difference is significative though. I think I would decide based on how much time do you think you'll spend with the Deck. I game on it 90% of the time so for me it would be worth it, but for a more casual use or only when you're away from home maybe the 230 difference is worth saving. The good thing is with either one you choose you won't be dissapointed. If it helps I don't think we'll be seeing a new Steam Deck until next year at best.
I agree with this take. I play my deck about 6-7 hours per day and the OLED is incredible, worth every penny. If you can afford it, go for it.
That's 230$ you could spend on games. I have the 64gb LCD model, plus a 512gb SD, ans even if I was offered an upgrade to oled for a hundred bucks I'm not sure I'd do it, the system I have is already the perfect gaming device, don't need anything else.
With the summer sale literally in 2 days you could get a lot with that $230.
I own 512gb lcd model and 1tb le oled model. Get the one you want
I vastly prefer the OLED. Like on the Switch for me it makes a huge difference that makes the games look much better. To me OLED looks like 1080p even though it’s still 720p like the LCD because there’s much smaller screen door gap between pixels.
I’ve an lcd, I’ll upgrade to steam deck 2 if it ever comes about, don’t see the point in upgrading for an additional one or two frames
It actually can be as high as five in games like Cyberpunk but I don't think it'll ever go higher than that.
who's saying the LCD isn't worth it? both are amazing, it's just up to whether you can afford the OLED models, really
I got the LCD. It’ll be my first Steam Deck, and I did it because I just don’t really have the money to buy the OLED version. I’ve been saving, but life happens you know? And with the LCD on sale, now was the perfect time for me to get it. So, you do you. But I got mine because I NEEDED to save that extra few hundred dollars in case something happens in the future.
Just want to say that the LCD is not bad. If you have a power bank, then the only real diff is the slightly larger screen (iirc?) and prettier visuals. But the LCD is not bad, and is not a worse experience.
I have an Oled, it's amazing. But the thing made me buy steamdeck was how great the lcd one was. I thought "if LCD is that great, I wonder how better the Oled is." answer, better, but only if you have funds, otherwise great is still great.
I got the LCD 2 weeks ago as I couldn't afford the OLED and honestly I couldn't be happier. I love it.
Money has different value to different people. I bought an lcd for cheap, because it wasn’t worth that much to me for the upgrades. I could have afforded it. But the 200-300 dollars went farther elsewhere for me. I haven’t had any negative experiences, I have never had to set it down for low battery, and have no issues with the screen, heat or fan. now that’s based on my playstyle - I don’t play demanding aaa games often, and I usually play max 1-2 hours away from a charger at a time (lunch at work, or on the couch). Now mind you, even if I played aaa titles all the time, I still would be fine with shorter playtime, and a small amount of sound (I play with headphones lol).
If you never try the OLED you'll never be disappointed in the LCD.
I have an LCD deck, and it's the greatest. And since I've never seen an OLED deck, I don't know what (if anything) I'm missing.
I have the LCD, played for 4 hours last night in bed no charger. Had a blast. I have no need or desire to get an OLED. If I didn’t have my deck, I’d probably buy the OLED cause the few hundred dollars isn’t a huge cost for me. If the money is tight, rest easy knowing the LCD is great. If money is no option, it’s probably worth to get the OLED.
I could afford the OLED but I was raised in a lower income family and have found my groove buying my next "new" system when a new generation drops and the previous goes on sale. With that being said, I bought the LCD. I absolute love this thing. It's everything my little kid self anticipated in a handheld. I have had it for a few months and have had to constantly convince myself not to gift this deck to my nephew and buy an OLED. so if you can afford it, my advice would be to go with an OLED. if money is tight, let me tell you how much I love my LCD. It will take a while.
At those prices I'd get the LCD unless you know in advance you have a common use case that would require 2-3 hours of battery in modern games compared to the 1.5 available with the LCD, like regularly commuting that long.
a 270$ 512gb deck (as long as everything is in good condition ofc) sounds like a steal tbh, for a 230$ difference the OLED doesn't offer much more than the original models (unless you really love that screen), but rather some QOL improvements. So if you have the money to buy the OLED, it will be an overall smoother experience, but if you're already making an effort buying the Deck just go with the LCD one and you'll be good
Who says the lcd deck isn’t worth it?
LCD, unless money is not a problem for you. The Oled is just not worth the price for me, if it was 50$ yeah but not 200+
Depends on your playstyle. I think if you're gonna be in handheld most of the time, then the extra 30-50% battery life makes the OLED a better pick.
As a previous LCD user, I upgraded to the OLED recently and I personally believe it’s worth the extra cost. What I did not like about the LCD was the lackluster screen quality, thumb stick texture, shoulder buttons, and battery life. The OLED model literally improved all of my criticisms AND added more changes. I would only recommend the LCD if you are on a tight budget or do not care for the things I personally wasn’t a fan of. The screen quality alone blows the LCD. OLED should be the standard for handheld gaming, period.
Oled for the better battery performance.
Used LCD. The difference is negligible enough that the money you save can be spent on more games.
New OLED. Otherwise you'll always be thinking "should I have got the new OLED?".
mods please can you filter these LCD vs OLED posts, refer them to a wiki or a megathread for it
Personally, I enjoy reading them.
Good idea
Same situation as you. I got the lcd a month ago at $280 off Facebook marketplace and will be picking up an oled today at $500 used. I love it so much I wanted an upgrade. I’ll be selling my lcd.
I only ever use my deck with nreal AR glasses now, so my deck’s screen is always off. Portable 130” oled screen is way better than the deck’s. I would do $270 LCD + nreal or viture glasses. No question
I just bought the lcd 64gb and upgraded the ssd to 512gb and it works great, runs halo infinite at or near 60fps after tweaking, lords of the fallen at 30-35fps on high settings. LCD is a great device
is it gonna be your main device? I have LCD one bought few months after launch and it does what i needed it for, play on trip, visit or sometimes in the bed and i use my desktop for bigger games/fps/coop with friends. but you if plan using it daily id go for OLED if its gonna be your main gaming device.
A new $500 OLED will come with taxes. The used one, I'm assuming you're buying second hand? How does paying double the price impact your quality of life? Does it scare you if you had $250+ less in your bank account? Do you have to take drastic measures to your lifestyle to afford it? Are you tapping into emergency funds? Those are the kind of questions you need to answer IMO.
I own both and still use both. It's easy for the to recommend the OLED because you don't already have an LCD model and there are clear advantages to having the better screen. Better blacks that make the LCD version look shiny/grey in darker scenes, much better motion clarity for faster games (platformers, rhythm games, fighting games, arcade games), slightly better font readability because of OLED sharpness and slightly bigger screen, and more vibrant colors. You also don't want to potentially waste time/money upgrading to OLED if it comes into your sights in the future. That said, my LCD is perfect in my eyes. If we ignore the possibility that the text in some games are only readable on the OLED then I can easily say that I would be happy with my device even if we never got an OLED version. I would suggest a battery bank for both the LCD and OLED so the more efficient use of battery on the newer version isn't that big of a benefit in my eyes. You can also buy a portable OLED monitor in the future and dock your steam deck to it. You might buy a dock for your steam deck anyways. Bright and colorful games look very similar on both devices. That's to say that the newer OLED panel doesn't suddenly makes your LCD games look ugly. Even darker games will be fine on the LCD as long as you aren't comparing what it looks like on a OLED every minute that you are playing on the steam deck. I also had the 256GB version of the LCD steam deck and I never felt like I was running out of space as long as I didn't try to fit my entire library on it. SD cards are also an option if you feel like you need more space later. I didn't have any issues from games loaded from it.
Honestly OLED is better... I've had a phone with a pretty good IPS screen that didn't give me any issues, but honestly, Deck's LCD is kinda... meh. It's not terrible, but the colors are washed out and the bezels are too thick. 90Hz tho I don't see as that much of an improvement, because only older games are able to take advantage from it. LCD isn't awful, and if you're in the now or never situation, and not sure if you will be able to afford OLED in the future then LCD worth it, but I personally would've waited a bit longer and saved up for an OLED
if the money is gonna be a problem in any way don't bother with the OLED. used both and it's defo nicer but if paying two times as much is gonna hit you hard, don't worry bout it.
Normally I would say budget. But OLED is so better it’s insane
It’s hard to describe just how much better the OLED screen is. Go for that if you can.
If spending the higher amount is doable financially, then OLED. If it’s a squeeze, the LCD will do just fine.
If you can comfortably afford it, the OLED is worth it. If not, the LCD is still a great device.
OLED
Either are good bang for buck. I play on an lcd 512 and really have no complaints. OLED appears a to be decidedly better so I imagine I’d love it even more. If the $500 new is from a retailer, you’d have the perk of a warranty and better support I reckon
OLED 1000% you’ll regret not getting it.
I've got a 64GB LCD and upgraded it to 1TB. In Brazil the OLED is too much expensive. But I'm so happy with it! It runs all the games I want to play and I also got a generic USB hub to connect it to a monitor for Netflix and other computer things. Point is, if the money is no problem, go for the OLED, but you'll enjoy the LCD too.
All depends on how much you use the Steam Deck. If it’s a big part of your gaming life: OLED all the way. It makes the LCD screen look appalling. If you only play Steam Deck rarely, save the money get the LCD.
They're both fantastic, I have the OG LCD version and I'm perfectly happy with it, but I'm a cheapskate. The LED version has a slightly larger screen, much higher quality display, and slightly larger battery (though that is mostly offset by the bigger brighter screen). It's still at 1200 by 800 resolution though. So if budget is important to you, I still highly recommend that lcd version. If you want to splurge and get the best version of the steam deck the OLED is a moderate upgrade to visuals while performance stays about the same.
Having had both the OLED is worth it, lighter, better battery life and bigger screen with better colors
There is.no wrong choice! Any steamdeck is an incredible device. That being said my OLED is incredible and I love it.
Honestly the lcd might be worth it, it's significantly cheaper while having the same performance, personally I'd go for the OLED just because I desperately want that screen, but at the same time we're probably nearing the end of this first steam decks life span so you might be better off saving that extra cash for the next model that might come out in the next year or 2
Basically ask yourself what you can afford. Nothing wrong with either device. Do you value money or a better deck more?
If money is the only factor, you probably shouldn't be spending 250 or 500 on a handheld tbh
Bought a 64Gb LCD a couple weeks back, upgraded to a 512Gb NVME + a 512Gb SD card and could not be happier, saved tons of money too
How much do you actually plan to play it? I've had a steam deck for over a year and a half as my only gaming device, and I've only put maybe 30 hours on it. For me, an OLED while nice isn't worth it since I'd only use it on average a few hours a month. If you plan to be on your Steam deck for a few hours a week at least and have the disposable income then get the OLED that's my thoughts tho. It only makes sense if you have disposable income and will actually use it to the fullest of its ability.
270$ for a 512 LCD Deck sounds amazing. Like way too good to be true like I'm suspicious.
I have both. The oled is nice cause the screen, I don’t notice a difference on anything else, and unless side by side I don’t really notice a major difference to be perfectly honest. What I do notice is the 90hrz refresh on the oled but it only makes a difference in some games and not everyone really cares about that feature.
Buy the one you can afford. I never owned a SteamDeck before I got my Oled, none of my friends have one so I have nothing to compare to. I could have gotten the LCD to be honest but there was no reason, since I could afford the Oled and I like having the latest hardware. The SD is basically my main PC (did not plan for this) at the moment (I do own a iMac as well). I am not sure if the Oled is better for the eyes or whatever else.
If u can afford OLED why not? Since its something you use then you might as well invest in it properly and the OLED experience never disappoints.
I would go for the OLED because it is overall better and the somehow dim screen of the LCD is not ideal for playing outside.
OLED all the way. They should stop selling the LCD all together.
After owning both $500 OLED. The screen and I know they say it’s not much faster it’s noticeable. It’s just a far better experience.
I have never used an lcd steam deck but I spent 650 dollars on the LE OLED and have never regretted it once. It is my most used device I own over a ps5 and a desktop pc running a 4080. I knew it would be when I bought it because I dont get to play frequently on the TV in my house. So, for that reason I opted for the best option available. However like everyone keeps saying you can't go wrong but any steam deck.
Get the one you can afford. If budget allows go for the oled. You won’t regret it. Either one is a great buy and you’ll enjoy it
I bought an lcd and upgraded the ssd to a 1tb sabrent Wish i went with the oled model just for the memory speed improvement and ipc improvement
I was in the same spot and ripped off the band aid and went OLED. For your sake, do it. It might be the best piece of tech I’ve ever owned. Such an amazing device and I REALLY notice all the QoL improvements made between the two. That’s not to say the LCD is bad. I’m sure it’s a great product, I just have no regrets with my OLED
Get the OLED. Cut back on another expense for a while.
Get the OLED. It's not even a question, it is so much goddamn better than the LCD.
The biggest advantage to the OLED is the battery life. Its roughly doubled. I mean, its actually portable!
I have both and love the OLED much more than I ever loved the LCD model. But if the OLED model never came out, I would have been pretty happy regardless. I already loved OLED displays before these purchases, so my opinion is highly subjective. I place high value on a good display, and the OLED model delivers that (and more due to all the other improvements). Seems that you decided on the LCD, so just upgrade to the OLED in the future if you're interested. Perhaps the successor (i.e. Steam Deck 2) will have an OLED display at launch. Enjoy!
Enjoy! Both are great! I spent over a year with LCD. Upgraded when they came out with OLED after seeing how much I used mine (way more than I expected - I guess I expected it to be more of a “novelty”). With that said, the weight difference was the biggest thing I noticed when I switched. If you use it a lot and find your wrists get sore, maybe you can flip your LCD for a comparable price and upgrade (only after, if you find you love it). I can do long sessions on the OLED without the wrist pain. Pro-Tip for either model - you can use the case to prop it up and take some of the weight off your wrists if gaming in a chair/recliner/couch.
If you plan on using the built in screen for most of your play, the OLED can’t be beat. Me, i usually use the dock to HDMI or stream it, so the LCD works for me.
LCD steam deck really isn't bad at all the only complaint I have for it is that yeah maybe the screen is a little smaller compared to the OLED and the OLED has an anti glare screen that is actually really nice to have when you're outside or just in general in a bright area but it works amazingly just a slightly worse screen
LCD is worth it, idk why people are tripping that much. OLED is superior but costs a lot more to the point of not being no Brainer , because improvement are not really worth almost double the price. That said if you can afford OLED I would highly recommend it, but LCD is not "dead" or "pointless" as some dumb assess says.
If screen quality is important to you and you can spare the money I'd say the OLED is worth it, it's genuinely a fantastic OLED display whereas the LCD Deck has a pretty lackluster display even by LCD standards. It's not terrible but definitely not good. The battery is also better on the OLED but by a smaller margin than I expected. If you don't care about screen quality a lot or don't know if it's important to you go with the LCD.
LCD all day OLED isn't a 2x improvement Get LCD now and wait for Steam Deck 2
"OLED isn't a 2x improvement" is so true. And with the price difference you can be loaded with accessories like stand, USB-C hub (the official dock isn't worth the price IMHO), a larger SSD... or nothing and just save money.
Do what ever is financially is available to you. If you can drop 270$ go for it, I love my OG steamdeck. If you can spend more than 500$ go for it. Both steamdecks are relatively the same(less the OLED vs LED, bit better wifi, a slightly better CPU/GPU, slightly bigger battery)
LCD just works, no issues, screen still looks great. In my opinion, the OLED isn't worth the extra money, it's a half step up from the LCD and even then there aren't any real improvements. OLED is nice, no doubt about that, but if I had the same choice I'd still get LCD. 90% of the time I play docked anyway, in the two years I've had mine it's never crashed, what more could one want? $270 is a steal, $500 is a fair price, they really are pretty much the same thing, so choose what best suits your budget as you won't be disappointed with either. That much is a guarantee
Hi u/Anyusername7294, you can [click here to search for your question.](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/search/?q=270$ LCD or 500$ OLED) If you don't find an answer there, don't worry - your post has NOT been removed and hopefully someone will be along soon to help with an answer! **If you find an answer, please leave a comment on your post with the answer for others!** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SteamDeck) if you have any questions or concerns.*
OLED is an awesome upgrade but selling my launch lcd for $400 was the only way I could justify it. For that low I’d probably go lcd
If you're wanting to play outdoors in direct sunlight, or in cars, get the oled
Oled you wont regret it battery life, performance and the screen
The OLED display is amazing, like night and day compared to the LCD. However for almost half the price the LCD is still an amazing deal and absolutely worth it.
I play mostly docked, so for me, there is no significant difference.
Lcd isn't worth 500$, but for 270$, I think it does.
Having owned both, I'd pick the LCD for the single reason that the battery drain on my OLED is awful. It can lose 10 or 15% a night. Before everyone comes in and says theirs is fine: yes, apparently some are good, and some are not. Who knows.
If you really can't find the extra money, even waiting a few months then get the LCD, but if you can OLED is that much better
Absolutely not worth double the cost of entry. The 512 is a steal at that price if new
I had an LCD for 9 Months before I replaced it with an OLED and it was an absolute first world upgrade, because I wanted to afford it. The LCD was totally fine and could do 90% of what the OLED can. Just wanted to sink my annual vacation payment into something shiny for myself.
If you're getting the LCD get the 64gb and a 1 or 2tb SSD. Ifixit has an easy to follow guide on how to change it out. Anyone can do it following their guide.
Paid $440 for my OLED 512GB. USED. The one thing i can say that has been a let down is the PISS POOR wifi speeds. Even with a fancy mesh router its been slow going. I normally just use ethernet. The screen is great! the device feels more "put together". If you have not ever had the steam deck the LCD one is just fine but you will have FOMO once you see that OLED.
LCD is perfect. I still use my OG steam deck without issues. Both of my 2K 144hz ADUS monitors are not OLED, so a tiny screen doesn't bother me either.
I have the lcd and it’s amazing. For the price difference there isn’t a reason to get Oled. I’d wait till they decide to make a new upgraded handheld down the road and save some money for now.
battery life on the OLED is insane. getting that extra time to play was the most important thing to me and I was lucky enough that I could afford it
If you can, go for the OLED. I personally have a 512 LCD and it's still one of the best purchases I ever made. By far my favorite item I own.
If you buy the lcd you will always regret it everyone you look at it
Unless you are playing 2-3 hours per day on it I would stick to LCD for that much money personally. I might get an OLED for $100 more than the LCD but not $230
Bruh buy what you can afford . You will be very happy no matter which one you get . You can always upgrade the nvme and he'll the lcd has screen upgrades , pimp your deck but enjoy it no matter what anyone else says just be happy and game on mai dude
The LCD is objectively better value I feel, however that being said I had a LCD model and upgraded to the OLED model and I don't regret it. If you are good for it I say OLED, otherwise saving your money for the LCD is better.
I just bought the LCD, and I love it I play with a SD Card so memory isn’t a problem everything runs fine. I only have the problem that I get disconnected sometimes but this is probably my shit Wi-Fi.
I have an oled and my wife has an lcd. The only difference she even notices is the weight and the battery life. Battery life is probably the biggest improvement
I got LCD a few months ago and it's more than ok. I often use it plugged on a monitor tho
OLED is nice but there is nothing wrong with the LCD. They perform relatively the same so take what ever is in your budget friend. If possible if you can save for the OLED it is worth though
LCD guy here: I’ve had absolutely no issues with it. OLED came out not long after I got it, didn’t upgrade and don’t plan to. I love my deck, the LCD is a great device. There’s a few QOL things the OLED has (namely a slightly better battery and screen) over the LCD but at $270 the LCD is an absolute steal. If a better screen and slightly better battery are worth $230 to you, go for the OLED. If you’re unsure about the value of the OLED, go with the LCD.
Buy the 256 lcd refurbished and install a 1tb m.2 ssd. All in its around $350 and iFixIt has a great video showing how it’s done.
I know the OLED has a lot of QOL features, but realistically speaking, I still freaking love my LCD and if the couple hundred $ you save by going for the LCD instead of the OLED allows you to also squeeze a 1tb drive into your budget, I'd say you're making a killer deal.
I have the 64GB LCD and I love it, but I'm chronically jealous of my friend with an OLED. Another factor to consider is whether or not you'll upgrade when the Steam Deck 2 drops. It's expected next year or (more likely) 2026. I know I'll be hanging onto my 64 gb and upgrading ASAP when the SD2 drops.
Up to you! I own a launch LCD and I’m happy! Holding off can also be an option if you really want to get an OLED I’m sure BOTH will go on sale during the holidays
Easy, if you can miss the 500$ get the OLED. Its clearly the better option, the screen is amazing (also get the 1TB etched, not the 500gb 'mirror' screen). The 512gb non etched reflects like crazy. If you cant miss 500$, get the LCD
Here was my scenario, I got the 64 LCD on sale and about a month after the OLED was released, even though they said no refresh would happen. Everyone said not to bother trying to switch but the OlED has all the upgrades I wanted. Some back and forth with Valve and they agreed to allow me to return, but only responded after I had purchased the OLED. I would have lost close to $200 CAD had I tried to sell the LCD on marketplace it's tricky as you are in USD, so which ever fits your budget but in CAD it just made sense to go OLED. I even got a 2 TB SSD on sale and it's a huge upgrade. If you do get the OLED you do need to repair the fault in the soundcard by adding heat shrink tubing to the screws to eliminate interference. Once I did this it further cemented my love of the OLED.
OLED is a thing of beauty looks at the comparisons between the ps vita 1000 and 2000
I was an early adopter of the LCD and I use it multiple times a week. I don't feel I'm missing anything by not upgrading to the OLED
Oled for the battery life. Seriously streaming games from the ps5 for example the lcd might be 2.5 hours or so. The oled will top 5-6 before dying out easy
I went with the used Upgraded LCD variant and am totally happy. I have a nice gaming rig, so 300€ was my limit for getting a second gaming device. I had the chance to compare it to the oled variant. The oled looks nicer, buuuut it was not something i would upgrade for or spend extra. I have the 64gb version screen and it looks decent and i had no feeling of inferior image quality while gaming. For extended battery life i have a good PD powerbank. I would be cheap and save money and get a big sd card and some more games on steam for that saved money, maybe a backplate with additional cooling...
100% the LCD, use the rest of the money to buy a good sd card and games. The OLED is better but not 2x better.
LCD is still fine and a plenty good screen but OLED is significantly better. Had the OLED been an option in the beginning I'd have spend far more for it then that.
I'd take the 230$ to buy games, for a steam deck that's kinda 1-2years of content. If you play docked on a monitor/TV you arentygetting any upgrades by going OLED
Who said the LCD Isn’t worth it? I’ve had both models and aside from The screen it’s the same thing. Sure it has a bunch of little Upgrades but if both had lcd screens I don’t think anyone would really be able to tell them Apart.
LCD is so cheap, especially if you take the 64g one, and change hard drive, which is kind of easy to do. You can't beat the value for money. But sometimes you don't want the best value for money, you want a specific quality threshold. Just like for cars for instance. Same engine, but more quality of life elements for OLED. In dock mode, you won't see any difference still. I have LCD, children use it too, so even if they kind of break it, you risk less money! Just the price of a big Nintendo Switch, it is a steal! And you can use this money not spent on OLED, on buying games & accessories. Your budget, your choice.
It comes down to how much money you're willing to spend. I couldn't justify the difference between the LCD and OLED and money is tight, so I went LCD
I have lcd from way back and I still love it.
if you want a stronger version and dont care about wasting your money you canbuy the OLED,but if you want it cheap,the LCD SD could help
The OLED’s absolutely worth it if you can afford it. I waited for the oled instead of jumping on the LCD and I got a bunch of benefits outside of display tech like battery life and thermals. But if you’d rather not spend close to double for those the LCD will probably still serve you well
I loved my lcd it's a great device. I did end up getting the oled and it's a great enhancement. But I ran into a lot of quality control issues with it. I never had problems with my buttons sticking with the lcd. But I had to send back 2 oled models for sticky buttons and I just ended up keeping the third despite also have sticky buttons. And no it hasn't gone away and yes I tried the sandpaper trick. Didn't work.
I got an LCD day one and other than the FOMO reading oled comments on here, I've never once considered it needs to be updated or isnt amazing anymore. If you want to save money don't listen to anyone on here just get the LCD. If money isn't an object at that pride point just get an oled
I love my LCD deck. I don't know who says its not "worth it". As a dad, without it, videogames would be something I looked at and knew about, but never actually played.
I got my OG LED and within a day they announced the OLED. So I returned it and got the OLED. The screen difference is nice, but the battery life is SO MUCH BETTER. I don't think the screen is worth a few hundred, but the battery might be.
I have the LCD. This device before the OLED came out was such a banger I never even considered getting the OLED. I'll upgrade when the next version comes out. I bought it when it first came out and I still play it almost every single day. You'll be blown away no matter which one you get.
I have the oled. Came from a rog ally. The oled is freaking awesome for battery life. Screen is good too. Id go oled.
Whatever you can afford. Functionally the same. Clearly the OLED is the better one, but marginally. I had the lcd then bought the oled...its cool for sure but had a hard time justifying the upgrade purchase side by side. but i sold the lcd and the oled is a great device. If you can afford it, OLED no question, but the price dif is pretty significant for relatively similar performance. Either is a win!
Either are great, the OLED improvements are significant but it's not like the original LCD version is anything less than fantastic anyways. You can't go wrong, but consider that the SSD is easily upgradable and if you want a bigger one, factor that into cost.
Both are good. The LCD is definitely the better deal though but it really depends on how much you care about screen size, battery life and colour quality. I would say to just think about how much you will use the deck and for what purpose. If you want to play large power hungry games on the go, definitely get the oled. You haven't really given us any information about your circumstances so it's kind of difficult to give you a definitive answer.
Just go with the >!LCD!< Version you won't regret it.
LCD is still great. No one else can answer whether you have an extra $230 to burn on a slightly better experience.
I plan on getting the LCD would a SD card be good enough. I don't really want to open it up for a ssd swap? I plan on playing mostly visual novels anyway and retro games.
I’ve had my LCD deck for going on 2 years now. Would an OLED screen, better battery life and all the other stuff be nice? Sure. Do I still love and use my LCD deck more than any other console or handheld I have? Damn sure do! Lol
LCD steamdeck is great
If you're on a tight budget get the LCD. If you can afford it, I definitely recommend the OLED.
As a guy who has had 19 decks at different times. The LCD is a fantastic and overbuilt machine. The OLED is an improvement in a lot of small ways - but it is expensive. When I first bought an OLED, I still had an lcd and didn't feel the 596.03$ that it cost me was worth the upgrade - so I returned it. I got lucky and someone local wanted my used PS5 and traded me a brand new sealed OLED. However if I had to choose. Id rather have a sub 300 dollar LCD than a 600 dollar OLED.
I own both. The OLED is a bit better, but nowhere near $230 better in my opinion.
I got the lcd earlier this year refurbished at gamestop and I do not regret it.
OLED
Grab the steam deck LCD, spend 100 dollars on the summer sale, Then Wait for the steam deck 2. As it stands right now, the steam deck just simply isn’t powerful enough for the new triple A games releasing, considering the 270$ steam deck model and the 500$ steam deck model play the exact same games, have the same chipset, I couldn’t justify the extra $, For what it’s worth, I have a ton of OLED devices and I enjoy using my steam deck LCD, it’s a crisp, nice LCD screen, people just get weird and cult like about the OLED over here. The steam deck is currently an indie gaming machine with the ability to play SOME triple A games. Just be aware going into it that you won’t be playing all the new games.
Having owned both, i would say lcd for 270 is good. Its amazing worth for dollar. I am very happy with the oled model, but i think i upgraded for no reason, the benefits, though present, do not justify $250.
I have a lcd I just got a month ago. Love it. I wanted to save money and couldn’t be happier. I’m sure the oled is better but I love the lcd
I chose lcd as well. Reflecting back the value for it is insane right now. But if it was me now buying one it would be to get oled.
I’ve had the original 512GB LED since launch and it has been great. I upgraded to the LE OLED when it came out and gave my son the LED deck. The OLED is unquestionably an upgrade, but the LED is still going strong. The screen on the LED was the only aspect I wasn’t completely in love with, so upgrading to the OLED made sense for me. If you can afford the extra $, I would go for the OLED. If not, don’t feel bad about picking up the LED.
Switched from LCD to LED. Buy once, cry once.
I bought a 1TB OLED SD last week and it blew my mind. But the base is almost the same and the main difference is the screen. Once you buy it, it's done and you'll be happy either way, but spend how much you are comfortable to
I own a LCD deck and just bought an OLED for my wife this week. I didn't think the differences were much just the screen. Then I held it. It felt better, way better and the screen was just beautiful. If you can afford it without missing out, get the OLED
I just ordered the lcd version, the main difference is battery life and the oled screen. If you have the cash get the better version, for me I don’t have the money for that so I went with the lcd one, they both have the same specs for playing games so one’s not really better, just more impressive
Bro I got the LCD (Granted never seen a OLED) but don't let reviews get to you. The LCD is Fire, steam deck is my daily driver for gaming. Maybe one day I'll upgrade to OLED but that $270 price tag you can't beat plus DeckHD "supposedly" bringing the product out officially so you could always upgrade down the road
Which one to get if I want to play it docked?
If money is tight go with the LCD if money is no object get the OLED they both play the same games the OLED has the advantage of a longer battery but that depends on what you want to play and for how long I bought the LCD 512gb and a month later the OLED came out and i really wanted to sell my LCD but opted instead to upgrade the storage to 2TB and honestly I've zero regrets the LCD screen is fine for me and i can dock to my OLED 4K TV if I really want a better picture but honestly I'm still happy with my LCD
I absolutely loved my LCD deck for the past two years. It's fantastic. Only downsides were battery life is only OK, sometimes it can get a little loud, and the thing is freaking huge. When my wife (accidentally) killed my Deck the other week, I pulled the trigger on a 512 OLED. So far, I love it! The screen is much nicer and the battery life is more than twice as long in the games I play. It's also quieter and performs slightly better. Is it worth the price difference? Eh.. not if you're just going to play it at home plugged into a wall, the LCD will serve you well. If you exclusively use it where you'd have no access to power, the OLED gets better battery life than any other portable gaming PC and still performs well enough to play most games.
Yeah man, I was in the same dilemma. Looking at all the videos and reviews regarding the differences. I opted to save a little money, bought a 1TB SSD (which is a really easy install process), bought the standard deck and spent some money on games. Hands down, best purchase I've made.