The first list of Steam Deck Verified games has been revealed. Although the list hasn't technically been unveiled by Valve, various games have a "SteamDeckVerified" tag within their Steam app IDs, which marks them as games confirmed to have been tested with Valve's upcoming handheld.
What games are in the Steam Deck verified list?
The Steam Deck Verified label is an official Valve process by which players can see which games are compatible with the upcoming handheld and which ones aren't. You can see the games that have the Steam Deck Verified label yourself with a quick SteamDB search. There are 67 games on the list in total; this won't be the full extent of the Steam Deck games you can play, of course, but just the initial wave confirmed to work with the device. These games include Aliens: Fireteam Elite, Remnant: From the Ashes, and Dark Souls III, among others. It's also worth noting that the "SteamDeckVerified" tag doesn't necessarily refer to games that will work with the Steam Deck; games that have been confirmed not to run on the device also bear this tag, like Persona 4 Golden and Job Simulator. Other Steam games are also pretty likely to work, although they haven't yet been officially tested by Valve.
As this Reddit thread handily points out, there are also a number of games that are playable on Steam Deck, but with issues present. These issues include incorrect controller glyphs, default controller configurations not working, and illegible text. We've verified the games with known issues on the Reddit list via SteamDB, but there's one exception: Nier: Automata's text is legible, although the Reddit thread lists it as illegible. Some games also already have workarounds or fixes; Slay the Spire's controller config doesn't work, but the devs are working on Steam Input, while Persona 4 Golden can be played via the Linux Steam compatibility tool Proton. Here are a couple of handy lists.
Currently unsupported by Steam Deck
- Persona 4 (users have found a Proton workaround)
- Job Simulator (Steam Deck doesn't currently support VR)
- Arizona Sunshine (VR)
- Budget Cuts (VR)
- theBlu (VR)
Currently playable on Steam Deck, but will need extra work or user input
- Among Trees (default controller config isn't working, controller glyphs don't match up, text input doesn't bring up software keyboard)
- Black Skylands (controller config, external controllers aren't supported)
- Bravely Default 2 (text input, no cross-save support, external controllers)
- Cats in Time (text input, external controllers)
- Cookie Clicker (illegible text)
- Crypt of the Necrodancer (controller config, controller glyphs)
- Dyson Sphere Program (controller config, controller glyphs, text input, illegible text, external controllers)
- Factorio (controller config, controller glyphs, text input, illegible text, external controllers)
- Farming Simulator 19 (controller glyphs, illegible text)
- Inscryption (controller config)
- Nier: Automata (text input, external controllers)
- Plants vs. Zombies GOTY Edition (text input, external controllers)
- RimWorld (text input)
- Rise of the Tomb Raider (text input, compatibility warnings)
- Season of Mystery: The Cherry Blossom Murders (text input, no cross-saves, external controllers)
- Slay the Spire (controller glyphs, but devs are working on a Steam Input solution)
- Stormworks: Build and Rescue (controller config, controller glyphs, no cross-saves)
- Subnautica (controller config, controller glyphs, no cross-saves, external controllers)
- Swords of Legends Online (launcher problems, controller config, controller glyphs, text input, external controllers)
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (illegible text, external controllers)
- Tomb Raider (2013 reboot) (launcher problems)
- Tribes of Midgard (illegible text)
- Valheim (controller glyphs, illegible text)
- War Thunder (launcher problems, illegible text)
What is the Steam Deck?
Originally unveiled back in July last year, the Steam Deck is essentially a handheld gaming PC running SteamOS, a Linux-based system on which the Steam Machine gaming PCs also ran. It comes with several storage options ranging from 64GB to 512GB and has a touchscreen display with a 1200x800 resolution, as well as a USB-C port you can use to plug in controllers or any other USB-C peripheral that works on your PC. The controller interface also has dual trackpad inputs, haptic feedback, and support for gyro controls. Of course, it also has a Switch-style dock you can use to charge it and plug in other peripherals. Unlike the Switch, however, the Steam Deck won't have enhanced performance while it's docked.
Despite ongoing semiconductor supply issues affecting Steam Deck shipping, Valve says there shouldn't be any more delays to the device's launch. It's currently expected to start shipping next month, although not everyone who pre-orders a Steam Deck will get one in February. In fact, the official Steam Deck page on (where else?) Steam says current order availability is expected after Q2 2022. At least you now know which games you'll definitely be able to play out of the box if you've managed to snag one early.
Did you manage to pre-order a Steam Deck? Let us know in the comments below!
