The Steam Deck OLED is, for us, the best all-round handheld console you can buy: a gorgeous 90 Hz OLED screen, the longest battery life of any PC handheld here, and the most polished handheld software on the market. Here is what it does brilliantly, and where its limits lie.
Valve more or less created the modern PC handheld category with the original Steam Deck, and the OLED revision is the version that fixes almost every complaint about the first model. At around £569 it pairs a stunning HDR OLED panel with a larger battery, faster WiFi, a lighter chassis and quieter cooling, all running SteamOS, which remains the most thoughtfully designed handheld interface anyone has shipped. That blend of screen, stamina and software is exactly what makes it our best overall pick, even though it is not the most powerful chip you can buy.
| Model | Price | Display | Chip | Battery | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick Valve Steam Deck OLED (1TB) | £1,015.82 | 7.4 in OLED, 1280 x 800, 90 Hz | Custom AMD APU (Zen 2 / RDNA 2) | 50 Wh | ★ 4.7 | View → |
£1,015.82
7.4 in OLED, 1280 x 800, 90 Hz · Custom AMD APU (Zen 2 / RDNA 2) · 50 Wh
The verdict from Kofi Mensah, handheld gaming tester
Our best overall pick. The Steam Deck OLED is the handheld that gets the whole package right: a stunning 90 Hz OLED panel, the longest battery life of any x86 handheld here, and SteamOS, which is still the most thoughtfully designed handheld interface on the market. In our Cyberpunk 2077 test it held 46 fps at a steady 12 W while lasting 3 hours 50 minutes, the best efficiency on this list. It is not the most powerful chip you can buy, but for most people it is the smartest handheld console you can spend £569 on.
Fast resume, instant sleep and a screen that makes 2D and indie games look genuinely beautiful.
| Display | 7.4 in OLED, 1280 x 800, 90 Hz, HDR |
|---|---|
| Chip | Custom AMD APU (Zen 2 CPU / RDNA 2 GPU) |
| Battery | 50 Wh |
| Storage | 1 TB NVMe SSD + microSD |
| Weight | 640 g |
| Operating system | SteamOS 3 (Linux) |
| Measured frame rate (Cyberpunk 2077, low + FSR) | 46 fps |
| Measured battery (same test) | 3 h 50 min |
| Connectivity | WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C |
| Typical UK price | £569.00 |
The Steam Deck OLED is the right console if you want one device that plays your entire Steam library, is genuinely easy to live with, and lasts long enough to be worth carrying. SteamOS suspends and resumes a game in a second, so you can dip in and out the way you would on a Switch, and its console-style menu means you rarely touch a desktop. For the player who has a big PC library, or who is buying their first PC handheld and wants the least friction, it is the obvious choice.
It is less suited to two groups. Players who must have the absolute highest frame rate, or who rely on a Windows-only launcher or anti-cheat game, are better served by the ROG Ally X or another Windows handheld. And anyone whose wishlist is mostly Nintendo titles needs the Switch OLED instead, because the Deck cannot play them. For the broad middle of buyers, though, the Steam Deck OLED is the one we reach for first, and our Steam Deck vs ROG Ally guide digs into that choice in depth.
In our standard Cyberpunk 2077 run at low settings with FSR, the Steam Deck OLED held a steady 46 fps while drawing a modest 12 W, the best efficiency of any console on test. That is not the highest number here, the ROG Ally X reached 58 fps, but it is more than enough for the vast majority of games, and the steadiness matters more than the peak. The real star is the screen: a 7.4 in 90 Hz HDR OLED panel that makes 2D games, indies and anything colourful look genuinely beautiful, with deep blacks an LCD simply cannot match. It is the best handheld display here for the money.
This is where the Deck pulls ahead. In the same heavy Cyberpunk test it lasted 3 hours 50 minutes, the longest of any PC handheld on this list, thanks to the efficient chip and the 50 Wh battery. With lighter 2D and indie games, a capped frame rate and the brightness down, we comfortably saw 7 to 8 hours. For long sessions away from a socket, on a flight, a commute or in bed, it is the most dependable powerful handheld you can buy.
SteamOS is the quiet reason the Deck stays our favourite. It is fast, stable and built for the device, with per-game performance settings, an instant suspend that just works, and a layout you never need a mouse for. The hardware backs it up: rear grips that fit the hand, two trackpads that make strategy and desktop games properly playable, and Hall-effect-free but reliable sticks. At 640 g it is the heaviest device here, which is the one ergonomic compromise, but the balance is good enough that it rarely feels it.
There are two worth weighing. First, it runs SteamOS, not Windows, so while Proton runs the overwhelming majority of Steam games with no setup, a small number of titles with aggressive anti-cheat will not run at all, and a few non-Steam launchers need a workaround. If you live in those specific games, check compatibility first. Second, at 640 g it is the heaviest console on test, noticeable over a long session. Neither is a flaw in what the Deck sets out to do; they are the trade-offs of its design, and for most players they are easy to accept.
Best for: almost anyone buying their first PC handheld, or any player who wants the easiest, most efficient way to play a big Steam library on the go. Not the pick if you need Windows-only games (try the ROG Ally X) or Nintendo exclusives (try the Switch OLED).
Yes, for most buyers. For about £150 more the OLED gives you a far better 90 Hz HDR screen, a larger 50 Wh battery that lasted 3 hours 50 minutes in our test against the LCD's 2 hours 50, faster WiFi 6E and a lighter, cooler-running design. If your budget is tight the LCD is still excellent, but the OLED is the version we recommend.
Yes. It runs SteamOS, a Linux system, but Valve's Proton compatibility layer lets the vast majority of Windows Steam games run with no setup. You can check any game's status on the ProtonDB website. A small number of titles with strict anti-cheat will not run, so if you play those specifically, check first.
It depends on the game. In our demanding Cyberpunk 2077 test it lasted 3 hours 50 minutes, the best of any PC handheld here. With lighter 2D or indie games, capped frame rates and the screen dimmed, we comfortably saw 7 to 8 hours. The 50 Wh battery and efficient chip make it the longest-lasting powerful handheld on this list.
No, the dock is sold separately. The console itself includes a charger and a carry case. You can connect it to a TV with Valve's official dock or any standard USB-C dock that supports DisplayPort alternate mode, which keeps the cost down if you already own one.
The Steam Deck OLED is our best overall handheld console because it gets the things that matter most right: a beautiful OLED screen, the best battery life of any PC handheld at 3 hours 50 minutes, and SteamOS, which is still the most enjoyable handheld software to live with. It is not the fastest chip here, and at 640 g it is the heaviest, but neither holds it back for the player it is aimed at. For around £569 it is simply the smartest handheld most people can buy. If your budget is tighter, the Steam Deck LCD gives you the same software for less, and if you need raw power the ROG Ally X is faster. Before you decide, it is worth reading our buying guide and our how we test page.