A new update to the Steam Deck is adding a popular feature to Valve’s handheld console, with the system set to support HDR graphics for the first time. The update comes as a Steam Beta patch exclusive to the OLED model of the Steam Deck, with wider implementation likely coming later.
The Steam Deck was one of the hottest new consoles on the market when the handheld gaming system officially released in 2022. The handheld console supports a wide variety of games from the online marketplace’s library, with more games regularly being verified to run on the platform. Rumors have even suggested that Valve may be planning a successor to the Steam Deck, though it has confirmed that any new edition would have to be a major upgrade from the original. Now, the Steam Deck is set to receive a nice new update that should make games look even better on the console.
Valve is Adding HDR Support to the Steam Deck
A new Steam Beta update has officially added HDR support to the Steam Deck’s OLED model. The patch will allow the handheld console to apply HDR settings to games when using Remote Play on Steam to stream games to the handheld console from a connected PC. The update also adds experimental support for streaming AV1 video, said to be able to deliver higher image quality when streaming while taking up less bandwidth. The update also came with several smaller fixes for a variety of features on the Steam Deck, ranging from Remote Play and Local Network Game Transfers to improving video color range.
Drag weapons to fill the grid
Drag weapons to fill the grid
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The new improvements to Steam Deck should benefit a wide variety of games that can make use of HDR. HDR offers major upgrades to a variety of graphical systems, ranging from improving the range of colors in games to greater depth to a game’s lighting elements. HDR can be a particularly major boon to many games going for ultra-realistic artstyles, including popular titles like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. At release, the Steam Deck’s new HDR capabilities will likely be limited to Remote Play, with no confirmation about whether standalone support will be added later.
The Steam Deck’s graphical capabilities are set to take a big step forward, though the console is now getting pricier for new fans. Valve officially rolled out a major price change for the Steam Deck in late May 2026, increasing the cost for fans to pick up several models of the console. The 512 GB OLED model of the console saw a huge spike with the adjustment, increasing from $549 up to $789 for the cheapest model of the console. The price of the 1TB model rose by similarly staggering totals, rising by $300 to a price tag of $949.
While the Steam Deck saw significant price hikes, Valve also recently debuted its newest Steam-supported console. The long-awaited launch of the Steam Machine finally arrived on June 29, supporting every Steam Deck-verified game and seeing Valve simplify the process of verifying games for the console. Valve’s newest console does feature a steep price point of its own, however, with the Steam Machine starting at $1,049 for the 512 GB model of the console. Valve’s foray into the console market has largely been a successful venture, albeit a pricey one for fans of Steam.
