Valve has released a new Steam Beta update for the Steam Deck OLED, adding High Dynamic Range (HDR) support to Remote Play along with experimental support for AV1 video streaming. The update gives Steam Deck OLED users the ability to stream games from a connected personal computer to the handheld with HDR enabled, bringing higher dynamic range visuals to Remote Play sessions. Valve has also introduced AV1 streaming as an experimental feature, using a newer video format designed to deliver improved image quality while requiring less network bandwidth. The update arrives with several additional fixes for issues affecting Remote Play connections, Local Network Game Transfers and video color range. The software improvements give Steam Deck OLED users new options for streaming games, although the update comes at a time when Valve hardware has become considerably more expensive.
The HDR feature is currently limited to Remote Play, meaning Steam Deck OLED owners can use it when streaming supported games from a connected personal computer rather than when running games directly on the handheld. Remote Play allows players to use the Steam Deck as a display and controller while game processing takes place on another computer. With HDR now supported in this mode, users with compatible displays and games can benefit from expanded contrast and a wider range of brightness levels during streamed gameplay. The same update also introduces experimental AV1 streaming support. AV1 is a modern video compression format that can provide improved visual quality at comparatively lower bandwidth requirements, making it potentially useful for game streaming where network conditions can affect image quality and responsiveness. Valve has labelled the AV1 feature experimental, indicating that the company is still testing the technology and its performance within the Steam Remote Play environment.
The update also addresses several technical issues affecting the Steam Deck experience. Valve has fixed known problems involving Remote Play connections, Local Network Game Transfers and the overall video color range. Local Network Game Transfers allow users to move game files between compatible systems on the same network, reducing the need to download games again from Steam servers when another device already has the required files. Improvements to these features can make the process of moving and streaming games more reliable for Steam users. The new update therefore combines a visual feature with streaming technology and system fixes, giving the Steam Deck OLED a broader set of capabilities for users who rely on Remote Play. However, the software update arrives against a backdrop of significant price changes for Valve gaming hardware, making the cost of entering the Steam Deck ecosystem a major part of the current discussion around the company’s devices.
Valve increased the prices of its Steam Deck OLED models in May 2026, with the 512GB version rising from $549 to $789 and the 1TB model increasing from $649 to $949. The increases added as much as $300 to the price of the higher-capacity OLED model. Valve has also expanded beyond handheld gaming hardware with the launch of its Steam Machine, a home gaming system designed to run Steam games and support games verified for Steam Deck. The 512GB Steam Machine starts at $1,049, adding another premium hardware option to Valve’s current lineup. Against this pricing backdrop, the HDR Remote Play and AV1 streaming update provides Steam Deck OLED owners with additional software functionality without requiring a new handheld. The latest features particularly target users who stream games from a personal computer, while the AV1 support could provide an alternative for users seeking better streaming quality without requiring as much network bandwidth.
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