Cover-Credits:
After numerous leaks and rumors, we finally know that Valve’s updated version of the Steam Deck is all set to hit the shelves on 16th November. The main emphasis for this newer variant is the improved display due to the addition of an OLED display. This will drastically enhance your gaming experience, allowing you to view darker blacks and brighter overall colors. There have also been changes to its internals, such as improved battery life by up to 50% due to the OLED display, faster downloads due to WiFi 6E, and a weight reduction of 30 grams.
This new screen is wider by 0.4” and also has a higher refresh rate from 60 to 90 Hz with a peak brightness of up to 1000 nits. Considering these technical improvements, it might be tempting to pick one up for your handheld gaming needs. If you are looking forward to picking one up after its launch, here are the best games you can run on this device.
The best Visually Appealing Games You Can Run on the Steam Deck OLED
Apex Legends
This free-to-play battle royale by Remedy was initially released back in 2019 for the older-gen consoles. Although it has been out for around four years, the game still holds up really well both in terms of visuals and mechanics. This title should easily provide over 90 FPS on the Deck taking advantage of the 90Hz refresh rate and the 180Hz polling rate for improved latency and accuracy. This version of the game now has a clear advantage over the Nintendo Switch edition.
Elden Ring
This brutally challenging RPG by FromSoftware looks absolutely stunning on the Steam Deck LCD and it must clearly look even more impressive on the OLED version. Players can easily run the game with 40+ FPS, providing a nice balance between visual quality and performance. The impressive open-world landscape and its dark settings due to the game’s dungeons and caves must really look immersive now.
Spider-Man Remastered
Insomniac’s remastered version of its 2018 Spider-Man game looks impressive even when pitted against the latest Spider-Man 2. Although the game was plagued with performance issues at launch, it has gone through numerous fixes since then and it holds a stable 30+ FPS on the default Steam Deck settings. The game provides gorgeous visuals on PC so it should definitely translate well when running on an OLED display.
Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red’s most ambitious project has come a long way since its release and it runs almost flawlessly on Valve’s handheld. This 15W chip is capable of running the game while holding solid 30 FPS albeit with a little tinkering to its settings. You can also run the new Phantom Liberty DLC without running into many hiccups.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Larian Studios has come up with one of the best PC titles of this year based on the D&D universe. While it cannot maintain the same visual fidelity as the PC version, the game is totally playable with turning a few settings down to low and turning on FSR. Experiencing this masterpiece on the Steam Deck is certainly the way to go if you want a handheld RPG experience exploring the Forgotten Realms.
Those are pretty much all the titles that will provide you with a visually appealing experience on the upcoming Steam Deck OLED. Do note that you might have to turn down a few settings in order to maintain stability. Check out our page if you wish to know more games running on Valve’s handheld.
