Valve has started releasing Steam Deck Verified test results for several games.
Valve said in October 2021 it was reviewing "the entire Steam catalog" to determine each game's compatibility with the upcoming Steam Deck handheld. The status of a game is shown in the Steam storefront via a “Deck Verified” indicator, which indicates that a game is Verified, Playable (with some limitations), Unsupported, or Unknown, i.e. not tested.
Valve's efforts are starting to bear fruit. Members of the SteamDeck subreddit have noticed that some games have received Deck Verified status, and while this is not currently displayed on Steam store listings, it can be viewed on SteamDB (there's also a workaround to see them on Steam—more on that below). The list is quite small at the moment, covering only 60.000 of the 67+ games on Steam, and further complicating the situation is that not all games on the list have been verified. The only way to check the status of a game is to look at its individual list.
Cuphead , verified for example:
Subnautica is playable only:
Some limitations are relatively minor: For example, The Witcher 3 is fully functional and “performs well” on the unit using the default Steam Deck controller setup, but is only rated as “playable” because some in-game text is minor. The Steam Deck screen can be difficult to read.
There are a handful of “unsupported” games on the list, but the good news for Steam Deck stans is that all but one are VR games (Steam Deck does not support VR). The only standard game not supported in the list, 4 Golden Person .
editor Priception_Official There is a way to view these listings via Steam as laid out by . It's a bit of a hassle but I tried it and it really works, at least using the Firefox browser - it may work with others, but apparently Priception_Official hasn't tested it in different browsers.
Here is the process:
- Press CTRL + Shift + M in an open tab (This puts the browser in “Responsible Design Mode” which is a way to emulate different screen types to make websites work properly on other devices.)
- Set the resolution to 900×800
- Click the Settings icon in the top right and enable "Show User Agent"
- Type “Valve Steam Gamepad” in the “UA” field
- Make sure “Touch Simulation” (next to UA) is disabled
- store.steampowered.comGo to and check out some games
Assuming you have followed the steps correctly, you will see the Steam Deck Verified indicator in the upper right corner of the store page. Clicking the “More info” button will provide a detailed breakdown of the compatibility points.
It's not an ideal scanning solution, but it works, and more importantly, it's proof that Valve is making progress with it – a small advance, yes, but as the saying goes, single steps and great journeys. Presumably the approval process for games will speed up soon: Steam Deck is currently expected to start shipping in February.
There's currently no word on when the verification results will start appearing on standard Steam store pages, but Valve has confirmed in an email to PC Gamer that it has started offering Steam Deck Verified test results for several games.
“These first rounds are specifically for testing various parts of the Store and Library on the Steam Deck,” a Valve representative said. “We will do these small-scale tests in the next week or two before (and in the past) speed up significantly towards launch.”