Play these first

With such a terrifyingly vast catalogue of games at your fingertips, where should you start?

Portal 2

Portal 2 might be over a decade old now but Valve’s masterpiece is still one of the very best games ever made and, as you’d expect, runs like a dream on the Steam Deck, easily maintaining 60fps.

Elden Ring

As you’ll learn from our review on p78, we rather like Elden Ring. And while this open-world epic is best enjoyed on a massive telly, there’s no rush like downing one of its bosses while you’re sat on the loo.

Disco Elysium

As much a brilliant story as it is a groundbreaking role-playing game, Disco Elysium always felt like it would be well suited to handheld play. The Switch port was disappointing; this one fares better.

Vampire Survivors

True, it’s the kind of game a budget phone could handle with ease, but this ingenious roguelike survival game is about quickfire thrills, making it the perfect game to enjoy on Valve’s handheld.