4 Decky plugins that did more for my handheld than any spec bump this year

Published Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM EDT Abid covers consumer hardware, gaming, and platform updates with an emphasis on accuracy, clarity, and reader-first context. He holds a BSc in Computer Science and Engineering, and his work can be found in multiple publications, including Notebookcheck. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring new gaming hardware, testing system performance, and keeping up with developments across the broader tech landscape. Flagship gaming handhelds released in 2026 bring some major improvements to the table. Beyond the mainstream options, devices like the OneXPlayer Apex, GPD Win 5, and Ayaneo Next 2 now deliver discrete GPU-level performance in a portable handheld. However, none of them come with an attractive price tag, and even the next-gen refresh for the more mainstream models isn't exactly affordable. Seeing that this year's gaming handhelds don't offer enough value to justify an upgrade for me, I decided to skip the hardware refresh and focus on the software instead. With a handful of Decky plugins, I managed to make my Radeon 780M-equipped handheld feel considerably more capable. Decky LSFG-VK made frame generation accessible on SteamOS An improvement in perceived smoothness can mean a lot The first plugin that made me question whether I really need a hardware upgrade was Decky LSFG-VK. It brings Lossless Scaling to SteamOS and Bazzite, and frame generation becomes easy with this add-on. At the core, Lossless Scaling adds generated frames in between the rendered frames, and while it didn't make my Radeon 780M twice as powerful as before, it improved perceived smoothness in many titles. Of course, many developers bake frame generation into their games, but this has only become common in modern releases. Many older games don't support upscaling or frame generation, and that's where Lossless Scaling shines. This plugin also works with games that have built-in support for FSR and DLSS, and in those games, the up to 4X multiplier is the main highlight. Even so, it's not a perfect replacement for having a faster GPU, but that's not really the point. The real win is the improved perceived smoothness, and it can make a last-gen gaming handheld feel more like a current-gen device. OptiScaler can unlock frame generation in supported games Decky-Framegen is a free but limited alternative to Decky LSFG-VK The Decky LSFG-VK isn't the only option for unlocking frame generation in games. Decky-Framegen brings OptiScaler to the table, and the good part is that it doesn't require any additional purchase, which makes it different from the former. However, there's a catch. Decky-Framegen only works in games where there's proper integration for technologies like DLSS, XeSS, or FSR. It also doesn't apply frame generation the same way. At its core, OptiScaler modifies the game's existing upscaling pipeline. For handhelds with AMD APUs, this is especially useful for playing games that support DLSS or XeSS but not FSR. SimpleDeckyTDP made my handheld more efficient While the built-in power management tool on my gaming handheld was good enough, SimpleDeckyTDP took things to the next level. It unlocked per-game power control, so I didn't need to change the TDP setting each time I hopped from one game to another. This might not sound as exciting as doubling the frame rate with frame generation, but it can make a notable difference in the overall handheld experience. Beyond per-game TDP settings, this plugin unlocked control over CPU boost, SMT, and the power governor. The plugin can even apply different power profiles by considering whether the handheld is connected to a charger or running on battery. This level of control can help enhance battery life, and while I'm traveling, even a 10-minute runtime boost can make a notable difference. Storage Cleaner made me stick with my 512GB SSD a little longer A bigger SSD isn't really worth it at the moment The final plugin on my list solved a problem that became increasingly annoying on my gaming handheld. I didn't upgrade the 512GB SSD it came with, and given that SSDs have become much more expensive than before, I'm not considering an upgrade anytime soon. That's where Storage Cleaner came in. This Decky plugin gives a detailed breakdown of the shader cache and compatibility data that are taking up space on the drive. The good part is that it highlights data from both non-Steam and Steam games, making it easier to decide what to keep and what to remove. Another notable highlight is that it selectively lets you remove the data you want to get rid of. This level of granular control over storage management made it easier for me to stick with the 512GB a little longer. Lexar NM790 SSD The Lexar NM790 2TB is a high-speed PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD that delivers responsive storage for gaming, creative work, PCs, laptops, and PS5 consoles.