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What each Steam Deck compatibility label means
| Label | What Valve says it means | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Verified | The game works great on Steam Deck right out of the box. | A strong sign of a smooth handheld experience without required setup changes. It is not a guarantee about every future update or every player’s preferences. |
| Playable | The game works, but may require some manual adjustment. | Check the compatibility details for the adjustment. Examples include choosing a community controller layout or using the touchscreen to navigate a launcher. |
| Unsupported | The game is currently not functional on Steam Deck. | This describes its reviewed status now; it does not mean a workaround is impossible forever. Deck improvements can make previously Unsupported games playable. |
| Unknown | Valve has not checked the game for compatibility. | It is neither a positive nor a negative test result. If you are comfortable with uncertainty, look for current player information or try the game yourself. |
Valve’s definitions and criteria are on its Steam Deck compatibility page.
What Verified checks—and what it does not promise
Valve evaluates games across four areas: input, display, seamlessness, and system support. Verified is not a rating of every performance characteristic: Valve’s criteria do not establish a frame-rate or battery-life guarantee, and the badge cannot tell you whether every setting will suit you.
Input
The game should provide full controller support, use appropriate controller input icons, and automatically display the on-screen keyboard when it is needed.
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#1 Best Overall
- 1TB NVMe SSD
- 1280 x 800 HDR OLED display with premium anti-glare etched glass, 7.4" Diagonal display size up to 90Hz refresh rate
- Wi-Fi 6E
- 50Whr battery; 3-12 hours of gameplay (content-dependent)
- Carrying case with removable liner
Display
The game should support Steam Deck’s default resolution—1280×800 or 1280×720—use suitable default settings, and display legible text.
Seamlessness
The experience should not present compatibility warnings, and any launcher should be navigable with a controller.
Rank #2
- International (UK) Version
- 7.4” diagonal, HDR OLED, 1280 x 800 x RGB, up to 90Hz Refresh rate, High performance touch, <0.1 ms Response time, 1,000 nits peak brightness (HDR), 600 nits (SDR)
- SteamOS 3.0 (Arch-based)
- 512GB NVMe SSD, 16GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM (5500 MT/s quad 32-bit channels), microSD UHS-I supports SD, SDXC and SDHC
- 6 nm AMD APU, CPU: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32
System support
If a game uses Proton, the game and its middleware should work with Proton, including its anti-cheat system.
Is a Playable game still worth trying?
Often, yes. Playable means an adjustment may be needed, not that the game is broken or necessarily performs poorly. Read the game’s compatibility details before launching: they can identify the step involved, such as selecting a community controller configuration or using the touchscreen to get through a launcher. Whether that trade-off is acceptable depends on how often you will need to make the adjustment and whether it suits your preferred controls.
Rank #3
- Operating System: SteamOS 3.0
Can you play an Unsupported game?
Valve’s current label means the game is not functional on Steam Deck as reviewed. The category is not a claim that every workaround is impossible or that the game will never work. Valve notes that improvements to the Deck can enable titles that were previously Unsupported, so check the current listing rather than treating the label as permanent.
Where to find a game’s rating and compatibility details
Compatibility ratings appear while browsing the Steam Store and your library on Deck. The library can be filtered by rating, and reviewed games have compatibility details. The first Steam Store tab on Deck focuses on games that work well on the device; other tabs show the wider catalog.
Rank #4
- Valve is entering the gaming console marketplace with the new Steam Deck, a console geared towards PC gamers. The Steam Deck can be docked to a monitor, and used as a PC, or docked to a TV.
- Players can play a huge variety of games at any time with the comfort of a console and the freedom of a PC. Not anti-glare screen.
- Like the name suggests, the Steam Deck will include upgraded 1TB storage, and will include a carrying case. A micro SD slot will also enable expanded storage.
- Valve partnered with AMD to create a specialized APU optimized for handheld gaming, and Valve says the chip will deliver performance to run AAA gaming titles.
- The Steam Deck is outfitted with a 7-inch touchscreen, and two trackpads under the control sticks that allow gamers to operate games never designed outside of mouse and keyboard capabilities.
- Find the game in the Steam Store or your library on Deck.
- Check its compatibility label.
- Open the compatibility details if it has been reviewed, especially if it is marked Playable.
- Follow any manual steps listed, then check the listing again if the game or Deck software has since been updated.
Do LCD and OLED models have different compatibility ratings?
No. Valve says games it has tested carry the same compatibility rating on Steam Deck LCD and OLED. Buying or using the OLED model does not change a game’s label.
Why a game’s status can change
Compatibility review is ongoing. Games receive updates, and Valve improves the Deck; either can affect whether a game works as expected. Treat the listing as a point-in-time guide and consult the current store or library details when deciding about a specific title.
Player feedback does not directly assign or change a game’s category. In a March 25, 2022 post about opt-in feedback, Valve said collected objective data, such as crashes, could help it evaluate whether the review process meets player expectations, but would not directly change a title’s compatibility category.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
