I was convinced for me it would be the 90hz refresh rate, or the improved touchscreen/haptics - but the moment I picked up the new OLED I knew my answer straight away:
The 30g they removed from the weight.
I’m sure that sounded minimal and inconsequential for a lot of us when we heard about it, but when you pick it up, you feel it immediately.
The original steam deck was always a bit too heavy for me to hold comfortably. Especially as I struggle with a disability which makes me pretty weak in general.
Now the device is so much more comfortable to hold. I can actually pick it up and hold it with one hand now, whereas before it would always overbalance and I could never keep it straight.
What’s the best upgrade from your experience so far, if any of you are lucky enough to have an OLED now?
Mine would be the improved haptics. I was surprised more reviews didn’t explain how big the difference is. It’s VERY noticeable for me. It makes the old haptics on the touch pads feel almost “mushy”. The new ones are so much more defined.
I personally can’t really feel the difference in weight. I thought I did at first but then realized it was only because I was used to having a protective grip on my original. Once I took them off and picked each of them up I couldn’t notice the difference.