Steam Deck-Sale and Steam Deck OLED

[Username]

I'm writing here in the forum because I would like to hear some other opinions on the topic and because I felt brushed off by support. I feel like the little end user who has to swallow now!

I'm trying to keep it short (unfortunately it didn't work) and stay objective...I'm really angry.

Here is my “problem”…

When the ROG Ally was released, I researched handhelds (what else is on the market, what's coming in the near future...and...Valve is now pushing a new SteamDeck).

If I'm already spending so much money, I don't want to buy a discontinued model and would rather wait a little longer.

Long story short…
Valve's official statement, according to my research (YouTube channels, reports on the internet...etc), was "there will be no re-release of a SteamDeck in the near future".

...So I bought a SteamDeck...it just happened to be on sale...

A few weeks later there was a new one on the market, completely redesigned and much better...at the same price.

I would have liked to wait a few weeks and order the new one.

Steam support said (after I no longer had to write with bots)… well, bad luck!

Then I asked again about replacing it and paying extra because...mine wasn't old but it had already been used...it had already had it for eight weeks...or nine weeks.

Answer: They pass it on.

...it was ages ago now...

I'm annoyed that Valve/Steam is giving out their remaining stock like this and then not even responding.

What is your opinion?

Am I in the wrong?
I'm really annoyed!

[Cathulhu]

Not completely redesigned. It is a revision, not a new model.

[blunus]

OLED version is not "completely redesigned." The only new features are OLED display (duh) and 6 nm APU, though it has little to do with performance.

[Forcen]

All the youtube videos sorta misquoted that guy, the actual quote is this:

Publicado originalmente por Lawrence Yang:

"a true next-gen Deck with a significant bump in horsepower wouldn’t be for a few years."

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-community-continues-to-blow-our-minds-valve-talk-the-steam-deck-one-year-on

And it's a slight bump in horsepower, not a significant bump. Didn't mention anything about changing screens or battery use so it's correct.

But it's fine to be annoyed, this happens and being annoyed is part of learning from your mistakes.

[nullable]

Publicado originalmente por Username:

at Valve/Steam is giving out their remaining stock like this and then not even responding.

What is your opinion?

Am I in the wrong?
I'm really annoyed!

The heart wants what the heart wants, and some hearts can't bear to think they don't have the most current thing and regardless of how modest the improvements are if you want you can make them a big deal or a small deal.

The other thing to consider is the customer support staff aren't C-suite level employees. They only know what they've been told, and probably shouldn't be speculating. At the time there may not have been any info about a OLED Steam Deck, there's was always going to be a day when their statement was true, and the next day when the information was different.

The best you can say is never assume malice when incompetence will do. If you want to be upset that there's a revised model that's up to you. You're not wrong, but not everyone is going to have equal levels of unhappy customer over it.

I mean the wife got an OLED Switch and I still run an original recipe Switch. The OLED screen is nicer, but the old screen is fine too. Either can play games just fine, and isn't that the point. Did you want a handheld PC? Or is a portable OLED screen really the most important feature?

Sometimes it sounds like people shouldn't buy hardware unless it's day one or week one, because if they're going to be put out any time it's not the flagship product.

Lots of people say they would have waited weeks, months or longer if they would have known an updated version was being released. Kind of easy in hindsight when all you have is FOMO and your desire for the product has been fulfilled in the meantime since you've had the previous version. I don't know how much legitimacy there is to those claims.

Sell your old deck and buy an OLED one, and if you're disappointed that the OLED one doesn't meet your wildest expectations and you'll know how reasonable your feelings are in this moment, and whether it was worth the hassle.

[NapalmDest54]

Curious: When did you make the purchase of the SteamDeck and when was it actually delivered to you?

[↑↑↓↓←→←→BASelect]

Oled panels has a burn in problem from what I was told. I would say you lucked out.

[Username]

Publicado originalmente por NapalmDest54:

Curious: When did you make the purchase of the SteamDeck and when was it actually delivered to you?

I bought the SteamDeck shortly after the ROG was released and it was delivered very quickly.

[Wolfpig]

Publicado originalmente por Dr. Johnny Fever:

Oled panels has a burn in problem from what I was told. I would say you lucked out.

If you run it for weeks with the same static screen then yes, there might be a problem....

Publicado originalmente por Forcen:

All the youtube videos sorta misquoted that guy, the actual quote is this:

I think i Heard somewhere that that person was not even working for valve anymore when He gave that Interview.

[Rin]

The OLED is what he LCD model was to the Vita or the OLED model for the Switch. Besides these devices are DOA meaning if you want any sort of upgrade path you're gonna have to buy a new device anyway. The steam deck or any other small scale developed device is also pretty FOMO since they only make a few hundred thousands compared to the switch for example which is in the millions and counting.

You might as well stream from your phone or tablet at this point of DOA is your problem. Technology is ever evolving is so is components shortages (or abundance) meaning they can't make the same for eternity. All these handhelds are just pretty and expensive e-waste in the end and if you're excuse for not playing games is due to the novelty of playing games and procrastination then you got more things to worry about.

And like the saying goes; if you're gonna wait for something good or even better then you're gonna wait forever. Time's change. Do you also have this problem with slim consoles because technology evolves as well? What about timekeeping itself? Was sundials not good enough for you?

[Username]

For now…

Thank you for taking the trouble to read this long text and tell me your point of view!

Gives me another perspective.

Don't get me wrong...I'm not dissatisfied with my SteamDeck...it's fun!

What really annoys me is how they handled my contact and that I could have saved the time I spent researching.

I don't always need the latest model when it comes onto the market!

But in my case, “I” would have waited a few more days.
As I said, if I'm planning on spending that much money anyway, then I'd rather have the newer model.

Well, now it is what it is.

Thank you for your honest opinion and I wish you a merry Christmas... without any hassle 😉

[invision2212]

If you look at the deck forums the oled model has dead pixel and Wi-Fi issues. Plus OS 3.5 is disastrous. I’d stick with that lcd model and not update it to 3.5 unless you already have.

[Username]

Publicado originalmente por invision2212:

If you look at the deck forums the oled model has dead pixel and Wi-Fi issues. Plus OS 3.5 is disastrous. I’d stick with that lcd model and not update it to 3.5 unless you already have.

Thanks for the tip

[wns36617]

Not completely redesigned. It is a revision, not a new model.

[Rin]

Remember that things produced at large scale often have around 5 years before the next thing is out. For small scale production we're looking at 1-2 year tops. GPD pumps out devices every year and Steam will be no different going forward with the SD since it has to compete in the same space, even if it's just minor revisions. Valve also can't make niche products and have to factor in people with large hands/IS audience which ave special needs overall.

The OLED was most likely an afterthought i.e, we can make revisions and we bought 100k cheap OLED panels so let's make that happen. The same thing happened with the OLED Vita -> LCD Vita because OLED was kinda ehh at the same with very so-so QA (still a problem btw).

In general if you are an uninformed and ignorant fomoing compulsive buying consumer you should aim for devices that uses the tick-tock model like how Intel does with their CPUs. So you don't buy the first model but the one that comes after it regardless of show small the new additions may be.

I have been eyeballing GPD Win devices for years but have patiently been waiting because I know what kind of threshold I want them to reach and that'll be within 2-4 years for me so a decade of waiting in my case.

[ReBoot]

Publicado originalmente por Robotnik:

Remember that things produced at large scale often have around 5 years before the next thing is out. For small scale production we're looking at 1-2 year tops. GPD pumps out devices every year and Steam will be no different going forward with the SD since it has to compete in the same space, even if it's just minor revisions. Valve also can't make niche products and have to factor in people with large hands/IS audience which ave special needs overall

... this has never been Valve's method. They release a device (or a game, for that matter), when there's some substantial progress to be made. Nor do they bother about competing, they released the Index because that niche (high-quality VR) wasn't quite occupied. They released the Deck because that niche (affordable mobile gaming PCs) wasn't occupied, like, at all. Don't bother expecting new SD revisions every other year. Remember, Valve are the Steam company first & foremost, whether people buy Steam games on Decks, on Neos, on Gos or whatever else, they win either way.