Upgrading your Steam Deck screen might be a bad idea

The Full HD+ display upgrade for Valve's popular PC is a nice step forward but comes with a rather notable drawback.


Steam Deck's screen could use an upgrade but you probably shouldn't even if you can make it better.

Since the Steam Deck launched, gamers everywhere have been ecstatic about its features. However, it’s far from perfect. Its average display, in particular, is a big drawback. The Steam Deck has a 7-inch LCD display with a 1280×800 resolution, which leaves a lot to be desired. An aftermarket screen upgrade aims to upgrade this, but is it worth it?

The DeckHD is an upgrade specifically designed to improve the display of the Steam Deck.

A brainchild of the tech company, FX Technology, the DeckHd upgrades the resolution of the Steam Deck to 1920×1200, improving the color accuracy (around 30% more AdobeRGB coverage). As a bonus, it has the same anti-glare coating as the top-spec Steam Deck.

Despite the drawbacks, the DeckHD is a nice first for the Steam Deck and could pave the way for other upgrades.

According to Steam Deck HQ, the DeckHD could be sold for $100, which isn’t as high of a premium as you’d expect.

If you already own a Steam Deck and you’re jealous of the full HD screen of the incoming competitor, ASUS ROG Ally, the upgrade makes sense.

But, before you go ahead and sign up for the waitlist, there’s a catch: with a greater resolution comes greater power demand. And power is a crucial factor in portable devices. The DeckHD might offer a sharper display but it drains your battery faster. In addition to this, installing the DeckHD isn’t a walk in the park. You’ll have to dismantle the Steam Deck to replace the original screen, which is a risky process.

So, for $100 plus either the cost of having an expert install it for you or the time spent trying to do it yourself, the DeckHD doesn’t feel like as significant of an upgrade as you might hope.

To make matters worse, upgrading the screen taxes the hardware more. Since the Steam Deck is specced for its current set-up, game performance could suffer if you upgrade the screen from 1280×800 to 1920×1200.

If it’s any consolation, Valve is already thinking about what’s next after the Steam Deck. Fingers crossed, the display and battery life are two areas Valve will improve on with the Steam Deck 2.

Valve designed the Steam Deck to be easy to repair and, presumably, easy to upgrade.

For now, we’ll just have to wait for other manufacturers to find a way to improve both the battery life AND the display of the incumbent Steam Deck.

,
Ray Ampoloquio
Ray Ampoloquio // Articles: 7186
With over 20 years of gaming experience and technical expertise building computers, I provide trusted coverage and analysis of gaming hardware, software, upcoming titles, and broader entertainment trends. // Full Bio