Valve’s Steam Deck compatibility list is bigger than ever, as over 6,000 Steam games are now classed as Verified or Playable. The milestone means you’ll be able to take more of your library on the go, but there’s a caveat worth considering when it comes to performance.

According to SteamDB, 2,381 Steam Deck games now live within Valve’s ‘Verified’ list, while an additional 3,626 are deemed ‘Playable’. That’s not to say the Deck’s library is limited to 6,007, as there are 71,410 releases dwelling on Valve’s storefront. However, 2,178 of them are marked as ‘unsupported’, meaning they potentially won’t work on the portable powerhouse.

The Valve compatibility checklist is valuable, but it doesn’t paint a complete Steam Deck experience. For starters, Verified status isn’t a performance guarantee, as you might want to boost fps beyond the handheld’s capabilities, or play with higher settings enabled. In other words, just because a game runs on the Deck without a hitch, doesn’t mean you’ll be able to play at 60fps with fancy effects enabled while using the best Steam Deck dock.



It’s also worth noting that games labelled as ‘Unsupported’ on Steam Deck aren’t necessarily incompatible, and some will even work with no manual intervention. Nevertheless, the system still helps prevent on-the-go disappointment, particularly when it comes to games that outright won’t launch.

The Steam Deck has come a long way since its debut earlier this year, and Valve’s compatibility list will undoubtedly keep growing. Ultimately, the gaming PC giant’s efforts will help give future devices like the Steam Deck 2 a chonky launch library – something that could help it fend off emerging opponents.

Posted: Oct 23, 2022 8:02 pm
Related Forum: PC Gaming Forum

Source: https://www.pcgamesn.com/steam-deck/compatibility-6000-verified-playable-games