Now that some of you have been able to put the Steam Deck OLED to the test: which games do you feel have benefitted the most from the upgrades? Whether it’s the OLED colours, the 90hz refresh rate, the improved touchscreen & haptics, the stronger fan etc.

For me it’s been a few unexpected ones, which I just started playing out of curiosity but got carried away and impressed by how much better they play with the upgrades.

1. Prototype 2 - I know it’s an older game, but playing such a fast paced action game at 90hz feels like the best version of it I’ve experienced. Especially as it’s still locked at 30fps on consoles.

2. Star Ocean: Second Story R - this was already a game perfect for a handheld, but the deeper blacks and blues really compliment the graphical style perfectly. A constant 90hz everywhere besides the world map too, making the game look smooth as butter.

3. Basically any rhythm game - Rhythm Doctor, Soundfall, Spin Rhythm XD, Everhood - the improved latency and response time as reported by Digital Foundry make rhythm games feel better than ever. Every single input feels spot on, and it’s easier to hit perfect beats with the extra frame generation.

4. Roboquest - I imagine any first person shooter is gonna feel much better, but here the colours of the game completely pop like I’m seeing a comic book come to life. The aiming feels so responsive and I’m hitting enemies more accurately than ever. The improved feel of the shoulder buttons really benefit here too, with how often you’re pressing them mid-combat.

5. Astral Ascent - I took a huge break from roguelikes, but with the 1.0 release and Steam Deck OLED upgrade I thought it would be the perfect time to jump back in. The hundreds of spells all look incredible and the frame perfect dodging required is so much easier with the rock solid 90fps. An incredible experience.

6. Fearless Fantasy - an old rough around the edges game that basically plays like a Newgrounds or Kongregate flash title. However the improved touch screen responsiveness makes a game that was previously played with the mouse, now instead plays perfectly using touch controls instead. Not a single misinput for any of the gesture based attacks.

7. Lies of P - I’m in disbelief at how well this game runs on the Steam Deck. More importantly: the dark and brooding city looks incredible with the new OLED screen, making the gloomy streets look far less washed out than they did on the prior LCD screen. It can’t quite hit 90fps, but you can either play it at a mostly stable 60fps, or pump up the graphics and lock it to 45fps, which is much more responsive with the natively 90hz screen.

8. Dota 2 - okay hear me out: trying to play a proper match on the steam deck would be disrespectful to my team. However I’ve been having a lot of fun in the arcade mode. The improved trackpad detection makes playing an intensive game like a MOBA much easier with fewer mistakes.

I’m impressed by just how many games are improved by at least one of the upgrades on the Steam Deck OLED. Amazing screen aside, the device feels much better overall to use, and gives a new lease of life to an already spectacular device.

What are some games you’ve played that feel markedly better on the OLED model?