Steam Deck LCD vs Steam Deck OLED — Which should I buy?

Valve’s Steam Deck is an incredible device. A powerful gaming PC packed into a portable console? For a lot of gamers, it’s a dream machine.

But some newcomers get tripped up when they see that Valve makes two different versions: the Steam Deck LCD, and the Steam Deck OLED.

Which one’s the right one?

To get right to it: the LCD model is cheaper, but it’s not quite as capable. It’s also the older model; Valve has actually already started to phase out some of their LCD offerings.

Think of the Steam Deck LCD as the base model; it’s still very, very good and a great way to test the waters, but it won’t have some bells and whistles you’ll probably want later.

Here’s what you get on the Steam Deck OLED that you won’t get with the Steam Deck LCD:

- Bigger, better screen: The Steam Deck OLED has a 7.4-inch display with a 90hz refresh rate; the LCD model has a 7-inch display with a 60hz refresh rate. The OLED display also offers a brighter, more vibrant picture.

- More storage: The Steam Deck OLED is available with 512GB or 1TB of storage; the Steam Deck LCD caps out at 256GB. Games are huge, so space is good!

- Faster WiFi: The Steam Deck OLED supports WiFi 6E; the Steam Deck LCD only supports WiFi 5. WiFi 6E can handle considerably faster speeds while being easier on your battery life.

- Bigger battery: The Steam Deck OLED battery is 50Whr, offering 3-12 hours of gameplay; the Steam Deck LCD battery is 40Whr, offering 2-8 hours of gameplay. Considering that this thing is built to be played on-the-go, bigger battery = better.

The downside, of course, is that the OLED model is a few hundred bucks more expensive.

If the cost difference is the thing holding you up, Tiptop can help. We’ll buy your old gadgets — think tablets, phones, VR headsets, kitchen appliances, and so much more — and instantly give you cash or credit to put toward the purchase of a Steam Deck. Want to trade up from a Steam Deck LCD to a Steam Deck OLED? We can help with that, too! Check out everything we buy and sell at Tiptop.com