Digital foundry finds on average there is 5-8% improved performance. thats the difference between unplayable and playable in some games that just sit on the 30fps line.
then you have a better battery, improved efficiency, better and BIGGER screen, faster memory, faster wifi. But sure people, keep acting like this is just some mid-cycle refresh and that it does not completely render your LCD deck useless and outdated. Because thats exactly what this is. The value of every LCD deck just fell by 50% in a few hours
Except it IS a refresh. Valve said so themselves. They confirmed in interviews that they are making the Steam Deck 2 long before this point. That and leaks about a potential refresh prototype were already in the air.
In a showcase with Adam Savage’s Tested (in which some Valve designers were interviewed) it was mentioned that they made this refresh for things they couldn’t put in the OG Steam Deck entirely or wanted to hold off on for a Steam Deck 2. It’s basically the intermediary version.
This is more akin to the Switch OLED. It also has more storage, better battery, etc. but it’s not considered a “true” successor to the Switch. It doesn’t make the previous version dated. It’s just a different version for different needs (that and they’re still continuing the 256 GB model anyways). The LCD model is going to remain as a cheaper option now. Same with the OG Switch.