Valve evaluates Steam games and their running on the Steam Deck -apkrig

Much has been written about the performance and compatibility of Valve’s “handheld”. Some estimates were relatively reserved, others very optimistic. But how do I know if the game on Steam Deck works or not? Or how does it work? Valve has introduced a system to help customers navigate the range of compatible titles. This functionality is verified directly by Valve and is intended to give players information on how the game with Steam Deck understands it. People from Valve check compatibility and assign it a rating that will be shown in the store and in the library.

There are four levels of compatibility. Full guarantees operation without any modifications. Partial (Playable) means that the user must, for example, adjust something in the settings or “bite”. Unsupported naturally means that the game is not supported at all. Unknown then indicates a title that is still awaiting verification. Valve requires full compatibility. Such a game should have full driver support, use the appropriate icons and automatically invoke the on-screen keyboard if necessary.

The title should also support the default resolution of the Steam Deck (1280 × 800 or 1280 × 720), be playable by default, and have legible lyrics. The game should not show any compatibility warnings, and if it requires a launcher, it should be adapted for navigation using a controller. “If a game runs through Proton, it should support all of its components, including cheat protection and other middleware,” says Valve.

The Steam Deck store will primarily display games with full compatibility on the main page, Valve points out, but of course you will see all the others in other categories as well. In addition, each title that has already been inspected will offer details about what works in it and what may not be completely ideal. Compatibility information is also indicated by an icon in your Steam Deck library.

Valve promises to be actively working on a way to let users check the compatibility of their games with the Steam Deck before it is released. They will also give us an insight into the library of proven games and how they turned out. In this sense, we should see some more news soon. Valve says that testing is already in full swing and will of course continue after the release of Steam Deck. After all, new games will be released all the time.

However, the fact that a game receives a “stamp” does not mean that this status is definitive and unchangeable. “Our goal is to check the entire catalog on an ongoing basis, so the outcome of the game may change over time – for example, when developers update the title or improve the software of the device itself,” writes Valve. They also attract developers to find out the details of this process.

You can find more details about the Steam Deck in our older articles.