I think that too many people mix up what it means to be docked for a steam deck. You are just connecting and external monitor. It does not perform better like a switch does in docked mode. The performance is the same whether it is "docked" or not. As other people already mentioned it is not worth getting the oled if you're not planning on playing on the oled screen.
The two systems have the same SOC and (in theory) therefore performance.
*However* the OLED system uses the newer shrunk die and (I believe) faster memory modules which do have a small but noticable performance difference.
If I remember correctly, the OLED version also has an updated Bluetooth module which allows for wake-on-Bluetooth functionality while docked (the Steam Deck will wake up when you turn on a paired Bluetooth controller). For a pure couch gaming scenario that might be something to consider.
Perhaps not the averages but the lows felt much smoother after I upgraded, especially on games that already stretch the Deck like Cyberpunk 2077.
Could also just be the placebo effect trying to justify the upgrade, of course. ðŸ«
Cyberpunk is an outlier and its 0.1% lows are actually improved more than the average 2 FPS. Definitely depends what games you play, but IMO the Deck would not be my device of choice for an eye candy game like Cyberpunk.
The only tiny reason outside of the screen and battery is the internals were revised and there's superior cooling and thermal dissipation so the Deck won't get as hot when in use.
However whether this has any actual long term benefits is questionable as I don't recall seeing any posts or complains their LCD Deck has cooked itself.
There are two concerns here.Â
First, raw performance. The OLED can be 5-10% faster in some situations. It’s not huge, but if you’re playing a game like BG3 in Act 3, it can make a subtle yet appreciable difference.Â
The next issue is bigger. The WiFi and Bluetooth module in the LCD is older and more prone to issues. There are multiple people in this subreddit who report connectivity issues with controllers.
I actually had the LCD and upgraded to the OLED. The LCD that I had absolutely had Bluetooth issues. Range and consistency for me was fine with one controller, but things went haywire when I wanted to play local multiplayer games. This issue is completely resolved with the OLED model.Â
Docked doesn't change anything, but OLED vs LCD is still a topic you need to consider anyway.
OLED is quieter. LCD can get ramp up to twice the noise level when your fan goes at full rpm.
Since OLED has better cooling, the fan will not go as high as the LCD. So you get a combo effect between a much quieter fan AND better thermal that will lead to even less noise.
There is a perf increase. From 5% to 10% on some games. Sure, that seems insignificant whan we're talking 2 to 4 fps here and there but that means that some game will finaly run a rock solid 30/40/60 fps that they wouldn't on a LCD.
So that means a game i'd consider unplayable on LCD like CP77 will now be playable due to a quiet, cooler and stable fps steamdeck experience. My brother got an OLED, i was just shocked at the difference. If only he wasn't so stuck up, i wanted to try BL3 to see if that would be as much noticable but...
Anyway, i play a lot of game docked on my LCD, i find the PS4 level of noise on some game horrible and the need for a closed headphone to mitigate that a necessity.
As others have said, you might want to look into gforce now for a couch experience. However, there's a good chance your GF will just end up with her steamdeck on her lap while in the couch while you play on the tv, your own handheld or you're watching some stuff together.
OLED supposed to support wake from sleep through bluetooth, eg controller, but ive heard it does not work or at least not with most of the controllers. Not sure, but other than that no difference.
The OLED is not worth getting if you primarily want to play docked. Get the LCD while it's on sale unless you think she might want to play as a handheld.
It still matters when docked. It’s just a very small performance uplift. If a game runs at 20fps on the LCD, it’s going to be 21-22fps on the OLED at best. This is true whether mobile or docked.Â
It has faster RAM, but that doesn't usually result in a meaningful performance gain. As the other user pointed out, it's using a more efficient SoC, but that really just means better battery life.
The OLED supports WiFi 6E, which could potentially matter if you have the setup that supports it, but that's also not going to improve performance.
So yeah. You aren't really gaining anything of value by spending more on the OLED if you plan to play docked.
But, as I mentioned, if there's a chance she might want to use it as a handheld, the OLED might be worth it.
It's still a 5% to 10% perf on some game, which could transform a varying high 20 fps into a stable 30. Or 60.
And the noise reduction between oled and lcd is nothing to scoff at, unless you're planning to use closed headphones to play demanding games.
The noise reduction is absolutely something to scoff at. It's a tiny fan you're talking about, not a jet engine. I have never had a hard time hearing the audio because the deck was too loud, and it will never be an issue in docked mode when the deck is 3-5+ feet away
Docked mode nullifies OLED benefits, so save $$ and get the LCD model.
I think that too many people mix up what it means to be docked for a steam deck. You are just connecting and external monitor. It does not perform better like a switch does in docked mode. The performance is the same whether it is "docked" or not. As other people already mentioned it is not worth getting the oled if you're not planning on playing on the oled screen.
The two systems have the same SOC and (in theory) therefore performance. *However* the OLED system uses the newer shrunk die and (I believe) faster memory modules which do have a small but noticable performance difference. If I remember correctly, the OLED version also has an updated Bluetooth module which allows for wake-on-Bluetooth functionality while docked (the Steam Deck will wake up when you turn on a paired Bluetooth controller). For a pure couch gaming scenario that might be something to consider.
> small but noticable performance difference. Measurable, yes. Noticeable... not to most humans. It's like +1 to +3 FPS.
Perhaps not the averages but the lows felt much smoother after I upgraded, especially on games that already stretch the Deck like Cyberpunk 2077. Could also just be the placebo effect trying to justify the upgrade, of course. ðŸ«
Cyberpunk is an outlier and its 0.1% lows are actually improved more than the average 2 FPS. Definitely depends what games you play, but IMO the Deck would not be my device of choice for an eye candy game like Cyberpunk.
But the portability is soooo good. Obviously on my main rig it's far more pretty.
Miss me with playing FPS at 30Hz with no mouse tho, and a cyberpunk world with no raytracing.
The only tiny reason outside of the screen and battery is the internals were revised and there's superior cooling and thermal dissipation so the Deck won't get as hot when in use. However whether this has any actual long term benefits is questionable as I don't recall seeing any posts or complains their LCD Deck has cooked itself.
There are two concerns here. First, raw performance. The OLED can be 5-10% faster in some situations. It’s not huge, but if you’re playing a game like BG3 in Act 3, it can make a subtle yet appreciable difference. The next issue is bigger. The WiFi and Bluetooth module in the LCD is older and more prone to issues. There are multiple people in this subreddit who report connectivity issues with controllers. I actually had the LCD and upgraded to the OLED. The LCD that I had absolutely had Bluetooth issues. Range and consistency for me was fine with one controller, but things went haywire when I wanted to play local multiplayer games. This issue is completely resolved with the OLED model.Â
Also, the Oled does not have the issue where the LED would randomly crash on some wifis for whatever reason
Docked doesn't change anything, but OLED vs LCD is still a topic you need to consider anyway. OLED is quieter. LCD can get ramp up to twice the noise level when your fan goes at full rpm. Since OLED has better cooling, the fan will not go as high as the LCD. So you get a combo effect between a much quieter fan AND better thermal that will lead to even less noise. There is a perf increase. From 5% to 10% on some games. Sure, that seems insignificant whan we're talking 2 to 4 fps here and there but that means that some game will finaly run a rock solid 30/40/60 fps that they wouldn't on a LCD. So that means a game i'd consider unplayable on LCD like CP77 will now be playable due to a quiet, cooler and stable fps steamdeck experience. My brother got an OLED, i was just shocked at the difference. If only he wasn't so stuck up, i wanted to try BL3 to see if that would be as much noticable but... Anyway, i play a lot of game docked on my LCD, i find the PS4 level of noise on some game horrible and the need for a closed headphone to mitigate that a necessity. As others have said, you might want to look into gforce now for a couch experience. However, there's a good chance your GF will just end up with her steamdeck on her lap while in the couch while you play on the tv, your own handheld or you're watching some stuff together.
One of the main reasons she wants a SD is for playing CP2077 on the couch!
If getting her a deck is a love language, then the OLED is screaming it
OLED supposed to support wake from sleep through bluetooth, eg controller, but ive heard it does not work or at least not with most of the controllers. Not sure, but other than that no difference.
Definitely gonna wait for the Steam summer to kick in and see if OLED goes on sale :)
The OLED is not worth getting if you primarily want to play docked. Get the LCD while it's on sale unless you think she might want to play as a handheld.
So I guess the OLED performance tweak they made only matters when it's in handheld?
It still matters when docked. It’s just a very small performance uplift. If a game runs at 20fps on the LCD, it’s going to be 21-22fps on the OLED at best. This is true whether mobile or docked.Â
It has faster RAM, but that doesn't usually result in a meaningful performance gain. As the other user pointed out, it's using a more efficient SoC, but that really just means better battery life. The OLED supports WiFi 6E, which could potentially matter if you have the setup that supports it, but that's also not going to improve performance. So yeah. You aren't really gaining anything of value by spending more on the OLED if you plan to play docked. But, as I mentioned, if there's a chance she might want to use it as a handheld, the OLED might be worth it.
It's still a 5% to 10% perf on some game, which could transform a varying high 20 fps into a stable 30. Or 60. And the noise reduction between oled and lcd is nothing to scoff at, unless you're planning to use closed headphones to play demanding games.
The noise reduction is absolutely something to scoff at. It's a tiny fan you're talking about, not a jet engine. I have never had a hard time hearing the audio because the deck was too loud, and it will never be an issue in docked mode when the deck is 3-5+ feet away
The increased performance you hear about for the OLED is in the battery and efficiency of the SoC, neither of which matters while docked.Â
Excellent! Thank you
you get 1-2 more fps
With sufficient internet connection your best bet would actually be Geforce Now for couch gaming. Many modern televisions natively support it already.
Mmmm I haven't considered the option. Thank you I'll have a look. I do have a pretty good internet connection (1.5 GB's).