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This week in gaming, we’ve been treated to two major bombshells: the Steam Deck OLED’s release and GTA 6’s announcement. Below, I’ll be diving into more detail on both of these stories in their own sections, so let’s dive in!
Grand Theft Auto VI Confirmed by Rockstar Games
We are very excited to let you know that in early December, we will release the first trailer for the next Grand Theft Auto. We look forward to many more years of sharing these experiences with all of you.
Thank you,
Sam Houser— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) November 8, 2023
After a decade of waiting, Grand Theft Auto fans can finally rejoice! Rockstar Games will be dropping the trailer for the next Grand Theft Auto title (most likely VI) in early December. Considering how many years Grand Theft Auto V enjoyed successful ports and graphical upgrades, I wouldn’t be surprised to see GTA VI receiving the same treatment over time. Here’s hoping the game will be ready to play sooner rather than later!
Steam Deck OLED Debuts, Available for Purchase on November 16th
After well over a year of Steam Deck, Valve is finally ready to reveal the Steam Deck OLED. The Steam Deck OLED is…mostly the same as the original Steam Deck, at least in terms of form factor and overall hardware power. This is great because it means all our favorite Steam Deck Accessories, Portable Monitors, and favorite Deck Verified Games will work flawlessly. However, many improvements have been made to this refreshed Steam Deck under the hood, and that makes it a very enticing point of discussion for us here at GamersDirector.
Separately, we’ve already written and prepared a detailed Which Steam Deck To Buy Guide for those of you hoping to determine which model of the Steam Deck will best suit your needs. If you’re already familiar with Steam Deck, though, here are the changes in Steam Deck OLED:
- The IPS LCD screen as been changed for an OLED screen with support for full HDR10 at 1000 nits peak brightness. Not only is this screen better than the IPS in every way with massive boosts to contrast, color accuracy, and color gamut, but it’s even more power-efficient. That means longer battery life.
- The battery has also been replaced with a larger battery, which should add ~30-50% runtime to the Steam Deck OLED vs the original Deck. It charges faster, too!
- A small bump to memory bandwidth will improve performance in RAM-constrained scenarios in games, including open world titles like Cyberpunk 2077.
- Analog sticks, haptics, D-Pad, shoulder buttons, trackpads, and the touchscreen have all been improved in accuracy and feel on the Steam Deck OLED.
- The Steam Deck OLED supports Wi-Fi 6E, which improves bandwidth and download speeds by up to three times. It should reduce latency, too. Bluetooth has also been improved.
For even more detailed information, consider checking out Valve’s page or watching the extended Digital Foundry Deck OLED review embedded below.
Also, for the collectors among you: Valve is also launching a special Limited Edition Steam Deck OLED! You’ll need to pay slightly more than with the main 1TB OLED model, though.
With Steam Deck OLED’s Release, Valve Gives Official Word on Steam Deck 2
Following this news on the Steam Deck OLED, you may be wondering where that leaves the potential for a follow-up Steam Deck 2. Fortunately, Valve commented on this possibility to various outlets. In an interview with Eurogamer, Valve stated directly that the technology they want for an ideal Deck 2 doesn’t yet exist. This means Valve is waiting to see mobile hardware advance to the point where a true generational leap over Deck is possible, hopefully at a similar price point.
Considering the current success of the Steam Deck, I see no reason Valve should rush another handheld out the door. While more powerful handheld gaming PCs like the ROG Ally still exist, Valve’s focus is on balancing price and performance. And considering they managed to stuff a full OLED HDR 10 display into a handheld gaming PC…
I’m inclined to listen.