Valve is giving the Steam Deck OLED a useful new feature that could make games look better when played through Remote Play. A new Steam Beta update has introduced HDR support to the handheld for the first time, although the feature is currently limited to the OLED version of the Steam Deck.

The Steam Deck has remained one of the most popular handheld gaming devices since it launched in 2022. One of its biggest strengths is its access to the huge Steam game library, allowing players to take many of their PC games on the go. Valve has also continued to test and verify more games for the device, making it easier for owners to know which titles should work well.

There have also been plenty of rumors about what Valve could do next with the Steam Deck. The company has previously said that a new version would need to offer a significant improvement over the current hardware rather than being a small upgrade. For now, however, Valve is continuing to improve the existing system with software updates.

The latest Steam Beta update is one of those improvements. It adds HDR support to the Steam Deck OLED when using Steam Remote Play. This allows players to stream games from a connected PC to their handheld while taking advantage of HDR settings, provided the game and setup support the feature.

HDR, or high dynamic range, can make a noticeable difference to a game's visuals. It allows for a wider range of colors and can make bright and dark areas appear more detailed. Lighting effects can also look more natural, which can be especially useful in games that focus heavily on realistic graphics.

Games with detailed environments and advanced lighting could benefit the most from the new feature. Titles such as Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 are examples of games where improved lighting and color could make the experience more impressive when streamed to the Steam Deck OLED.

There is an important limitation, however. The new HDR feature is currently connected to Remote Play rather than being a general HDR option for games running directly on the Steam Deck. That means players cannot simply launch a supported game on the handheld and expect HDR to work on its own. Valve has not yet confirmed whether full standalone HDR support will be added in the future.

The update also includes another interesting addition in the form of experimental AV1 video streaming. AV1 is a modern video format that can deliver good image quality while using less bandwidth than some older video formats. If it works well, this could make Remote Play more efficient and potentially improve the quality of streamed games, especially for players with limited network speeds.

Along with these larger additions, the update includes several smaller fixes and improvements. These cover areas such as Remote Play, Local Network Game Transfers and video color range. While these changes may not be as noticeable as HDR, they should help make the overall Steam Deck experience smoother.

The update comes at an interesting time for Valve and the Steam Deck. While the handheld continues to receive new features, buying one has also become more expensive in some markets. Valve increased Steam Deck prices in May 2026, with the 512GB OLED model reportedly rising from $549 to $789. The 1TB model also received a major increase, reaching $949.

Despite the higher prices, Valve's continued software support shows that the company is still working to improve the Steam Deck experience. HDR support is currently limited, but its arrival on the OLED model could be an early step toward bringing better visuals and streaming features to more Steam Deck users in the future.