Not all games will work on the Steam Deck, but Valve says 8,000 games are now officially classified as supported. The number of games with the store giant’s handheld seal of approval has doubled since July 2021, with the milestone almost marking the anniversary of the handheld’s release date.
Valve’s Steam Deck Verified system is far from perfect, serving more as a helpful warning than a final verdict. Sure, the shiny “Enjoyable” and “Verified” badges mean you shouldn’t come across groundbreaking scams, but they’re anything but a guarantee of performance. This rings especially true when you pair the laptop with the best Steam Deck dock and a high-resolution monitor, a combination that could hamper the handheld’s ability to increase fps in demanding games.
However, the official “Great on Deck” list includes 8,003 releases so far, and that’s an achievement worth noting. For context, that’s almost double the number of games available on the Nintendo Switch right now, so it’s safe to say that the mighty machine packs a hefty library. Recent additions to the fold include Cyberpunk 2077, a game that makes even powerful PCs sweat, and the new Dead Space Remake, which means the list includes more than just indie games.
Again, the Steam Deck Verified listing isn’t legal, and tons of adventures out there without a showcase badge will do just fine. We’ve even come across some “unsupported” quirks that work well with the laptop, with Square Enix’s Sleeping Dogs serving as an example manual. Of course, there could be disruptive bugs and quirks lurking in any game bearing the mark of the curse, so it pays to use the system in conjunction with your own instincts.
The list of verified decks will no doubt hit the 10,000 mark soon, and we’ll be sure to let you know when it does. Until then, we’ll be putting all the latest PC games through their paces, so you might want to invest in the best Steam Deck SD Card to take them all with you on your travels.
Wondering if Sons of the Forest Steam Deck compatibility is a thing? We’ve tried the handheld survival horror game before, but you might want to stay home for now.