We usually don’t bother posting about Steam sales since there are many each year with thousands of discounts. But the release of the new Steam Deck OLED makes the Steam Autumn Sale 2023 a bit more notable since there are many people getting their first Steam Deck this week, or replacing the LCD model with the new one. If you missed our Black Friday 2023 game deal coverage so far, I’ve written about the best iOS and iPadOS deals here and Shaun wrote about the best eShop deals here. While there are tons of games discounted on Steam right now, I’ve picked my 10 favorite game deals for games I recommend on Steam Deck, and I’ll also highlight specific publisher sales at the end to make things easier for you.
Street Fighter 6
Street Fighter 6 is one of the best games in ages, and it is easily one of my favorite fighting games of all time already. I’ve crossed 250 hours in it across platforms, and still play it daily on Steam Deck on the system itself and docked under my monitor with an arcade controller. Street Fighter 6 is currently 34% off on Steam with the higher-tier editions that include the DLC characters also discounted by smaller amounts. If you aren’t sure if Street Fighter 6 is for you, give the demo a shot. The striking aesthetic will also shine on the Steam Deck OLED.
Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty
Cyberpunk 2077 and its Phantom Liberty expansion finally make the game worth playing and even grabbing together. If you skipped it at launch (like I should have), this is now the best time to play a great RPG from CDPR. The game and expansion also look and run surprisingly well on Steam Deck. If you aren’t sure if you want the expansion, even the base game discounted right now is worth grabbing. While I don’t know if Cyberpunk 2077 will be as good as The Witcher 3 long term, it really is a great experience now.
Dave the Diver
I already reviewed Dave the Diver on Switch recently, but Dave the Diver remains one of the best games of 2023. It blends in a few genres so well while delivering a ton of great gameplay, humor, charm, and music. Dave the Diver is going to be a game I hope we see ported to every platform, but right now it is definitely best on Steam Deck. The discount isn’t much but Dave the Diver is worth full price and you should grab it.
Persona 5 Royal
Wanting ports of Persona 5 on other platforms became a meme, but a few years later it is now on every platform with great ports. Having played it on every platform, Persona 5 Royal definitely shines on Steam Deck, and the gorgeous and striking aesthetic will definitely shine on Steam Deck OLED. You can even grab a Persona 5 Royal startup movie from the Steam points shop. Just keep in mind that Persona 5 Royal will take you about 100 hours or more to finish. It is worth it for sure. Trust me.
Diablo IV
Since launching, Diablo IV has gone through a lot, but I’ve always found the campaign really great and worth playing. The new season is also excellent, and its recent Steam launch with it being Steam Deck Verified makes it a great time to get it if you didn’t. Diablo IV is currently 40% off on Steam, and it has a free play trial right now so give it a shot if you aren’t sure. I’m definitely satisfied enough with the current state of the game to recommend getting it even without a discount.
Risk of Rain 2
Risk of Rain 2 was a game I was worried about pre-release. I wasn’t happy about the awesome Risk of Rain going 3D, but the developers pulled it off. It is a bit rough on console, but Risk of Rain 2 shines on PC, and is amazing on Steam Deck even in its expansion. If you haven’t played Risk of Rain or Risk of Rain 2, Risk of Rain 2 on Steam Deck is going to be a fantastic introduction, but I’d also cheat here and recommend Risk of Rain Returns. They are both sublime on Steam Deck.
Monster Hunter World
Monster Hunter World with its Iceborne expansion is in my top 10 games of all time list. It not only fixed the annoying issues I had with prior games despite enjoying them, but it did so much to make the action hunting game actually enjoyable to play with friends online. If you’re new to Monster Hunter, this is the best entry point, and it literally has more than 1000 hours of content I’ve enjoyed playing and replaying. Truly a gem that plays brilliantly on Steam Deck.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
Final Fantasy VII is a legendary game that I recommend everyone play since it is ported to every platform, but Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, is a fantastic reimagining and remake of the first part of Final Fantasy VII for modern platforms with gorgeous visuals, stunning action, and amazing music. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade brings the PS5 version of the game to PC, and it actually plays really well on Steam Deck. The Final Fantasy VII visual style will be amazing on the Steam Deck OLED as well.
Pentiment
Pentiment is one of Microsoft’s best games in over a decade, and despite owning it on Xbox and PC, it is best on Steam Deck by far, until it gets an iPad or Switch version. I love the writing, music, and visual style Pentiment has, and it (with Disco Elysium) is one of the most interesting games in a while. It is my favorite Obsidian game for sure.
Hades
When Supergiant Games released Transistor, I thought the studio would never top that. I was wrong. Hades is a big step up, and one of the best games in many years. I own it and play it on every platform, but the Steam Deck is easily my favorite place to play it. The gorgeous aesthetic will definitely be a good showcase for your Steam Deck OLED. Hades was always worth full price, but this discount makes it worth buying twice.
Steam Autumn 2023 sale publisher deals
Barring the games above, I recommend checking out deals by the following publishers with a few recommendations from me: Xbox Game Studios + Bethesda (Hi-Fi Rush, Quake, Ori), Capcom (Monster Hunter Rise, Resident Evil 4 remake), the Supergiant Games bundle, Bandai Namco Entertainment (Ace Combat 7, Katamari), Focus Entertainment (Chants of Sennaar, Dordogne), WB Games (Mortal Kombat 1 and 11), Raw Fury (Cassette Beasts, Mr Sun’s Hatbox), Spike Chunsoft (AI: The Somnium Files, Zero Escape, Danganronpa), Fulqrum Publishing (Forgive Me Father, Wrath), Koei Tecmo (Nioh 2), Square Enix (Tactics Ogre: Reborn, Life is Strange), Humble Games (Unpacking, Signalis, Project Wingman), Playism (Gnosia, Drago Noka, Drainus), Arc System Works (Guilty Gear Strive, UNICLR, BlazBlue), NIS America (Falcom games, NIS classics, and more), and finally SEGA/Atlus (Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Two Point Campus).
If you ended up buying something on Steam you think more folks should try, let us know in the comments. As usual, you can read all our Steam Deck coverage here including Jared’s review of the Steam Deck OLED when it goes up.
