I’m trying to decide if it’s worth spending extra on an OLED screen for my Steam Deck, given that I mainly want to use it for emulating games like GameCube and PS2 titles. Does OLED make that much of a difference for emulation, or is LCD good enough? What do you all think?
4 Answers
One thing to check is whether the LCD model supports variable refresh rates, especially 50Hz modes for PAL games or handheld titles. Running games at their original refresh rate can improve the emulation feel. If the LCD can’t do that, OLED might have an advantage there. But if both are similar on that front, then the decision mostly comes down to color quality and budget.
If you want the best colors and deeper contrast, OLED is definitely the way to go for emulation. The color reproduction compared to LCD is seriously a big jump—games look way more vibrant and closer to how they were originally displayed on CRTs. However, keep in mind the Deck’s 800p resolution might limit using CRT shaders effectively since most shaders target 1080p. But if shaders aren’t a priority, OLED’s deeper blacks and vivid colors really enhance the experience.
I’d say watch some gameplay videos on both types of screens if you can. Emulated games on OLED do look stunning because of the contrast that reminds you of old CRT displays. But if you just want to jump and play without obsessing over screen quality, LCD is totally enough and saves you money. So it’s how much that extra screen quality is worth to you.
Honestly, it comes down to personal taste and budget. I have an OLED screen and it’s great, but for me, LCD is perfectly fine too. The LCD screen is less bright and the colors aren’t as punchy, but that doesn’t bother me much since I care more about gameplay than screen wow-factor. If you’re okay with decent visuals and want to save some cash, LCD won’t disappoint for emulating those older consoles.
Thanks! That’s really helpful about shaders and the resolution limit. Didn’t think about that.