It looks like official support for The Last of Us Steam Deck might be a thing at launch, as Valve is using the PS5 port to promote its portable gaming PC. While we already have good reason to believe The Last of Us Part 1 will be compatible with the handheld, Valve’s seal of approval might give gamers some confidence in the performance ahead of its release.
Over 8,000 games are now supported on Steam Deck, and a number of them proudly carry Valve’s “Verified” seal of approval. The Last of Us Part 1 has yet to earn the Steam Verified stripes, but the badge theoretically means it wouldn’t include any game-breaking bugs or portable hiccups. Fortunately, Valve has hinted that the PlayStation 5 game for PC will be on the “Big on Deck” list, so you can potentially play it even if you’re AFK.
On the official Steam Deck website, Valve is currently using an iconic scene from The Last of Us Part 1 as part of a promotional banner. Again, the PS5 port is not yet rated Verified or Playable, but its presence on the storefront means it will be one of the best Steam Deck games in 2023. It’s also worth noting that the reel also includes clips from No Man’s Sky, Hades, Stray and Persona 5, all of which have a seat at the Great on Deck table.
We’re not saying the Valve-verified TLoU PC port is necessarily unusual, as other PlayStation games like Uncharted are verified. However, The Last of Us system requirements are anything but light and it comes with a higher minimum spec bar than Naughty Dog’s other big release.
Naturally, we’ll have to wait until after the official release date of Last of Us on PlayStation PC to find out if it will get Verified status. After all, there’s no guarantee that the port will work well with portable power, and further SteamOS optimization may be required. That said, we’re pretty sure Joel and Ellie Hugs will be a Steam Deck favorite, so watch this space.
Want to create an impromptu Last of Us experience on Nintendo Switch? Check out the best Steam Deck docking station options and turn your handheld into a hybrid.