Launched in December 2021, the Steam Deck is a portable video game console that allows users to play their favorite Steam games. Valve's Steam Deck runs on SteamOS, but it can also run many of your favorite Windows PC games.
However, this isn't the case for all video games. Some don't run on SteamOS for various reasons, but one of them is that the Steam Deck's hardware may not be powerful enough to run some high-end, graphically demanding games.
Here's how to check Steam Deck compatibility of your favorite Steam games!
How to use the Steam Deck Compatibility Checker?
Valve hasan official Steam webpage which allows you to see exactly which games in your library are compatible with the Steam Deck. From your web browser, go to the your Steam Deck library compatibility page and sign in with your Steam account to learn more.
Valve says the Steam Deck validation team works daily to test games and determine if they're compatible, so be sure to check back regularly to see if other games in your library have been added to the validated list.
How do you know which of your games are compatible for Steam Deck?
Steam Deck compatibility isn't a simple "yes" or "no." Some games are defined as "compatible," while others are only "playable." Some games on your Steam library are not supported or have not been tested for compatibility with the Steam Deck.
Here are the 4 statuses that games in your Steam library can have:
- Compatible: These titles from your Steam library are fully functional on the Steam Deck and run perfectly with the built-in controls and display.
- Playable: These titles from your Steam library are functional on the Steam Deck but may require additional setup steps.
- Not supported: These games in your Steam library have been tested but do not currently work on the Steam Deck (but may become compatible with the Steam Deck in the future).
- Untested: Valve's testing team hasn't tackled these games yet. But since validation teams regularly work to verify new games, it may only be a matter of time.
How to check Steam Deck compatibility details for each of your games?
As you can see, there's no need to check the compatibility details for games listed as compatible; they've been fully tested and Valve claims they're 100% playable on the Steam Deck. However, for games listed as "playable," you should definitely check the details to see where the problem lies.
To check compatibility details of playable games:
- Scroll down to the “Playable” section and hover over the game you want to check out.
- You will then see a small window appear with a button containing the text “Steam Deck Compatibility”.
- Click this button to view compatibility details.
- A pop-up will then open in the middle of the window to indicate the elements that may cause problems on Steam Deck with the selected game.
For example, with the game Re:Legend we can see above that there are some elements that are potentially annoying, particularly in terms of the game controller configuration and the font size. On the other hand, the good news is that the graphics configuration does not pose any performance problems.
The advantage of this tool is that it allows you to determine whether the problems are prohibitive for you or not!
How to see the list of games validated by Valve for Steam Deck
Valve has obviously thought of everything and offers on Steam in the store page a classification " Great on Deck » which allows you to view all the games that have passed the validation of its teams and which therefore display 100% compatibility with Steam Deck.
As is often the case on Steam, games are categorized by lists: popular titles, recommended new releases, and the usual categories (New and Trending, Best Sellers, Trending, Top Rated, etc.).
If you're wondering what games to buy after getting a Steam Deck, this is the place to go! This section of Steam (viewable online or on the launcher) is updated regularly!
