Valve just rolled out a big update to the Steam Deck Beta Client which re-enables and improves HDR support for Remote Play. This is important because it means that people playing streamed games from the PC to the handheld can once again enjoy high dynamic range visuals. Basically, this update addresses an issue that prevented HDR functionality on the OLED model for remote play previously.
Beta client update restores HDR streaming for OLED owners and expands OS support
Central to this update is the introduction of new client settings related to controlling HDR. Specifically, users now have options for Automatic, On, and Off modes. Automatic mode allows HDR to be enabled only if the source content has HDR capabilities. While On mode forces the HDR brightness level to be applied, even when content is in standard dynamic range.
- HDR Remote Play Support: Added advanced client setting for HDR with options: Automatic, On, Off. HDR capture supported on Windows desktop, Linux (pipewire), and macOS.
- Steam Deck OLED HDR: HDR enabled again on Steam Deck OLED.
- Android HDR Support: HDR enabled on Android phones running Android 15 and newer using the beta Steam Link app.
Valve has also extended the list of platforms capable of HDR capture for remote play. This update now brings in HDR capture support for Linux (pipewire) and MacOS systems. There's still HDR capture support for Windows desktop as before. So basically it brings remote play streaming to all major OSes with parity.
Even Android phones (Android 15 or later) now support HDR too. This feature requires the use of the beta Steam Link app to work. No changes to price/availability for the Steam Deck itself – it's a free software patch update for existing users.
This update comes on the heels of the last beta update which addressed a non-steam game launch regression. We did notice similar balance/stability trends to the last update to the Steam Deck. This particular update is focused on visual fidelity for remote play users.
Source: SteamDeckHQ




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