Valve Launches Steam Deck Compatibility Program to Determine What Games Run Best on the Portable Gaming PC

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Image: Valve

Valve has launched a new compatibility program for Steam Deck that will make it easier for users to determine how well a game might perform on the portable gaming PC. Titles that are verified to run great on the Steam Deck out of the box will carry a green check mark on the Steam store, while playable (e.g., games that require some tweaking) and unsupported titles will receive caution and prohibition symbols, respectively. Valve will be reviewing the entire Steam catalog to highlight the Steam Deck’s level of compatibility.

From Valve:

With Steam Deck, we’re bringing your Steam Library to a new form factor—a portable gaming PC. While many games run great on Deck out of the box, this shift means there are some games that, while they may be great on a desktop PC, aren’t a great experience on Steam Deck. We want it to be easy for you to find great gaming experiences on Steam Deck, so we’ve designed a system to do just that.

Image: Valve

Steam titles that carry the green check mark have been evaluated for the following:

  • Input: The title should have full controller support, use appropriate controller input icons, and automatically bring up the on-screen keyboard when needed.
  • Display: The game should support the default resolution of Steam Deck (1280×800 or 1280×720), have good default settings, and text should be legible.
  • Seamlessness: The title shouldn’t display any compatibility warnings, and if there’s a launcher it should be navigable with a controller.
  • System Support: If running through Proton, the game and all its middleware should be supported by Proton. This includes anti-cheat support.

The initial efforts of the Steam Deck Compatibility Program will be avaialble ahead of the portable gaming PC’s launch in December 2021. Valve has warned that a game’s rating can change over time, as game updates could prompt a reassessment.

Source: Valve

Tsing Mui
News poster at The FPS Review.

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