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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteSteam Deck compatibility badges are Valve’s guidance about how a game is expected to work on the handheld, not a permanent statement that a title can or cannot ever run. Verified means the game should work well out of the box; Playable means it works but may need a manual adjustment; Unsupported means Valve currently considers it non-functional on Steam Deck; and Unknown means Valve has not checked it. Ratings can change as Valve, Proton, and game developers release updates, so check the current badge and the title’s detailed compatibility notes before buying or installing.
The four Steam Deck ratings at a glance
Valve uses four labels to summarize a game’s expected compatibility experience on a Steam Deck handheld gaming PC. They are not performance tiers, review scores, or guarantees of a particular frame rate. The labels describe whether the game’s controls, display, startup flow, and underlying software support meet Valve’s expectations.
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| Rating | Valve’s meaning | What you should expect |
|---|---|---|
| Verified | “The game works great on Steam Deck, right out of the box.” | Normal setup should be unnecessary. Controls, display, menus, and required middleware are expected to work without special intervention. |
| Playable | The game can be played, but may require manual tweaking. | You may need to choose a controller layout, use the touchscreen for a launcher, adjust a setting, or handle another stated inconvenience. |
| Unsupported | The game is currently not functional on Steam Deck. | Valve’s present assessment is that the title does not provide a functional experience on the device. |
| Unknown | Valve has not checked the game for compatibility yet. | There is no Valve compatibility finding. Unknown is not the same as “broken.” |
The distinction between the middle two labels matters most. Playable is a warning about friction or a limited issue, not a declaration that the whole game is unusable. Unsupported is Valve’s current judgment that the title is not functional. Unknown simply indicates that a review has not been completed.
What “Steam Deck Verified” means
Verified is the smoothest out-of-box category, but it has a specific scope. Valve evaluates four areas rather than checking only whether a game launches.
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Input and controls
A Verified game should support the Deck’s controls fully. Controller input must work throughout the game, the interface should show appropriate controller glyphs, and the on-screen keyboard should appear automatically when text entry is required. A title that launches but repeatedly expects a physical keyboard or mouse can fail this part of the standard.
Display and readability
The game should support the Deck’s default resolutions—1280×800 or 1280×720—without requiring an unusual setup. Valve also checks that default settings are sensible and that text is legible on the Deck’s screen. A game can therefore lose the Verified label because menus or subtitles are difficult to read even when its core rendering works.
Seamless startup and navigation
Verified games should not present compatibility warnings that interrupt the experience. If a title uses a separate launcher, that launcher should be navigable with a controller. A launcher that demands desktop-style pointer input, or a warning that must be dismissed with a keyboard, introduces the kind of setup friction Valve’s highest rating is intended to exclude.
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Many Windows games run on Steam Deck through Proton, Valve’s compatibility software. For Verified status, the game and its middleware must be supported by Proton, including any anti-cheat technology the game requires. This system-level check explains why a game may look fine in a short test yet receive a less favorable badge: an essential service, multiplayer component, or anti-cheat layer can determine the rating.
What “Playable” means in practice
Playable means Valve expects the game to be usable, but not entirely effortless. The particular issue is shown in the game’s current compatibility details; there is no single workaround that applies to every Playable title.
Common types of adjustment
- Selecting a community controller configuration manually instead of relying on a perfect default layout.
- Using the touchscreen to operate a launcher or another interface that is not fully controller-friendly.
- Changing a graphics, display, or input setting before play.
- Accepting a minor presentation or navigation problem that does not prevent the game from being played.
Valve’s examples illustrate the threshold. In a March 4, 2022 announcement, Valve said a game that displayed controller glyphs most of the time but occasionally asked the player to “press F” would be Playable rather than Verified. That example describes the standard Valve used at that time; it is not a promise that every current Playable decision involves a keyboard prompt.
Read the live detail attached to the badge instead of treating Playable as a generic warning. One game may need a touchscreen tap only at startup, while another may require a controller-layout change or have a persistent readability issue. Those are materially different experiences even though both carry the same broad label.
What “Unsupported” means—and what it does not
Unsupported is Valve’s category for a game that is currently not functional on Steam Deck. It is stronger than “needs tweaking” and different from “not reviewed.” A title can be Unsupported because a required component, launcher, anti-cheat system, or other part of the software stack prevents a functional experience.
The label is not a permanent technical law. Valve continues to add Deck features and improvements, and game developers update their software. Either kind of change can alter compatibility. Until the badge changes, however, Unsupported should be treated as a clear warning that Valve does not consider the game functional on the device.
Can an Unsupported game ever run?
The rating answers whether Valve currently considers the title functional under its compatibility review, not whether an experiment can make a program start in an unusual configuration. If you choose to test an Unsupported game, do so with the expectation that essential functions may fail and that Valve is not promising a usable experience. The current store or library details are the authoritative place to see whether the status has changed.
Why a partly working game can still be Unsupported
Valve’s historical example was an optional minigame that crashed. Valve said a title could be Unsupported even if the rest of its functionality worked, because a broken component can prevent the overall experience from meeting the functional standard. This is an illustration from the March 4, 2022 announcement, not a rule that every isolated crash automatically produces the same label today.
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What “Unknown” means
Unknown means Valve has not checked the game for compatibility. It is an absence of a rating, not a negative finding. The badge gives you no Valve-backed expectation about controls, display, launchers, Proton, or anti-cheat.
Unknown titles can be excellent, poor, or somewhere in between on the Deck. If a game matters to your purchase decision, look for current compatibility information on its Steam store page and in your library, then consider whether you are comfortable testing a title without a completed Valve review.
How to check a game’s current rating
- Open the game’s Steam store page. Look for the Steam Deck compatibility badge and expand the associated details rather than relying on the color or label alone.
- Check the same title in your Steam Library. The library shows the compatibility category and its explanatory details for games you own.
- Read the specific issue listed. For a Playable game, identify the exact adjustment Valve describes. Do not assume that another Playable title has the same requirement.
- Use library filters when browsing. Steam allows library views to be filtered by compatibility category, which can help you find titles with a particular status.
- Recheck before installing or buying. Ratings are a snapshot and can change after a game update, a Proton change, or a Deck software improvement.
The detailed note is more useful than the badge by itself. It tells you whether the problem concerns input, display, a launcher, warnings, or system support—the same areas used for Valve’s formal review.
Why ratings change
Valve and Proton updates
Valve describes compatibility as an ongoing review. New Deck features, SteamOS changes, and Proton improvements can enable a title that was previously Unsupported to work. Conversely, a platform change can expose a new issue that leads to a different assessment.
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Game and middleware updates
Developers can repair controller support, improve scaling, replace a launcher, or update anti-cheat and other middleware. They can also introduce regressions. Because the rating reflects the current software combination, a badge from an older purchase decision may no longer describe today’s build.
The rating is a snapshot, not a promise
Valve wrote on March 4, 2022: “Whenever we talk about compatibility rating numbers, we emphasize that this is just a snapshot of a single moment, and that ratings change over time.” That statement is why a historical count should not be used as a current catalog total. The same principle applies to an individual game’s badge.
Does the rating differ between LCD and OLED Steam Decks?
Valve says tested titles have the same compatibility rating on LCD and OLED Steam Deck models. The badge is therefore not a separate compatibility score for each screen variant. Hardware differences can still affect personal preferences such as display appearance or battery behavior, but Valve’s tested compatibility category is shared between the two models.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to compare two games beyond the badge
When both games have the same label, compare the underlying experience rather than assuming the labels are interchangeable.
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|---|---|---|
| Will every control work? | Input problems can range from one inconvenient prompt to a layout that makes play impractical. | Controller support, glyph behavior, keyboard requirements, and any stated layout change. |
| Can I read and navigate the interface? | Resolution and text-size problems affect menus, subtitles, and setup. | Default resolution support, legibility notes, scaling requirements, and touchscreen use. |
| Is startup seamless? | A launcher or warning can add friction before every session. | Launcher navigation, compatibility warnings, and whether a controller is sufficient. |
| Will online or protected features work? | Middleware and anti-cheat can determine whether a game is functional at all. | Proton support and notes about anti-cheat or other required services. |
| How stable is the information? | A correct rating today can change after updates. | The date you checked and any current detail shown on the store or library page. |
A Verified game is the safest choice when you want minimal setup. A Playable game may be the better choice if its one listed adjustment is acceptable to you. An Unknown game requires more uncertainty tolerance, while Unsupported should be approached as a title Valve currently does not consider functional.
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What the ratings do not tell you
- They are not frame-rate guarantees. Verified describes compatibility criteria, not a universal performance target for every graphics setting or scene.
- They are not quality scores. A Verified game can still have design, balance, or content issues unrelated to Deck compatibility.
- They do not replace the detailed note. Two Playable games can require very different interventions.
- They do not freeze at purchase time. The status can change as the game, Proton, and Deck software evolve.
- They do not create separate LCD and OLED categories. Valve says tested titles share the same rating across those models.
A practical decision rule
Choose Verified when you want plug-and-play use
Verified is the clearest signal for a straightforward handheld session: controller input, display behavior, startup flow, and required system components have met Valve’s criteria.
Choose Playable when the stated compromise is acceptable
Read the detail, decide whether the required touchscreen action, controller-layout selection, or other adjustment fits your routine, and then make the decision on that specific information.
Treat Unknown as an investigation
Because Unknown means unchecked, seek current information and be prepared to test the title yourself. Do not infer failure merely from the absence of a badge.
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Unsupported means Valve currently considers the game non-functional. Revisit the status later if updates are released, but do not buy or install it expecting the same experience as a Verified or Playable title.
The dated statistic you may still see
Valve reported more than 1,000 games rated Verified or Playable in its March 4, 2022 announcement. That figure describes the catalog at that time; it is not a current total. Since Valve continues reviewing titles and ratings can move between categories, use the live badge for any present-day count or purchase decision.
Bottom line for a purchase or play decision
Start with the current Steam store or library rating, then read its specific compatibility explanation. Verified is the smoothest out-of-box category; Playable means an adjustment may be needed; Unsupported means Valve currently finds the title non-functional; and Unknown means no Valve check has been completed. Because the review is ongoing and LCD and OLED Decks share ratings for tested titles, the current per-game details matter more than an old badge, a catalog statistic, or a label viewed without its explanation.
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