Skip to main content

Valve is reviewing every game on Steam for the Steam Deck

To make sure that players aren’t disappointed once they finally have their Steam Decks, Valve has said it would test every single game on Steam for the handheld console. The statement comes as part of a larger post regarding the Steam Deck’s verification process, which grades games based on their performance on Valve’s console.

There are four grades that games can get, ranging from Verified, which means a game can simply be played on a Steam Deck with no issue, to Unsupported. While a large number of games will either be Verified or at least Playable, which means users can play the game after some tooling around with controller configuration, a solid chunk of Steam games will be completely unsupported. Specifically, Steam Deck users won’t be able to tape the console to their heads and play VR titles, although that should be a given.

Steam deck grading shown in Steam's library.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

What’s a bit more concerning is just how Valve will be reviewing each and every game in Steam’s massive library. We have reached out to Valve to confirm that it is looking through every entry in Steam’s catalog and will update this article when we get a response. It seems nearly impossible for any team to sort through all the games on Steam. Instead, it’s likely that important games will be graded immediately while other titles that may not have broad appeal will be stuck in some form of grading queue, where they may never actually get evaluated.

Steam Decks have been available to order for some time now, with early customers able to expect their mobile PC hardware this December. Newly reserved Steam Decks will likely ship sometime in the second quarter of 2022.

Editors' Recommendations

Otto Kratky
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Otto Kratky is a freelance writer with many homes. You can find his work at Digital Trends, GameSpot, and Gamepur. If he's…
Steam Deck 2: release date speculation, specs, pricing
Steam Deck held between two hands.

It's a matter of when we'll see the Steam Deck 2, not if we'll see it. Valve has talked publicly multiple times about its plans for a next-gen Steam Deck, which shouldn't come as a surprise given that the original is easily the best handheld gaming PC you can buy.

Although the Steam Deck 2 is still a few years off, Valve has been dropping hints about the handheld for a while. Here's everything we know about the Steam Deck 2 right now, from the possible release date to details on specs and performance.
Steam Deck 2: release date speculation

Read more
WWE’s Xavier Woods has an ‘amazing’ Steam Deck travel hack
Xavier Woods stares menacingly during WWE Raw.

Looking for a new way to soup up your Steam Deck? WWE superstar Xavier Woods has a unique portable setup you might want to try.

Ahead of this weekend’s Wrestlemania XL, WWE Superstars gathered in Philadelphia for a week of fan activities. That included a WWE 2K24 tournament hosted by Woods, a member of the decorated tag team The New Day and host of the YouTube gaming channel UpUpDownDown. Ahead of the tournament, I chatted with Woods backstage about how he’s able to keep up with new games while constantly traveling. He revealed his ingenious Steam Deck hack that’s worth trying out.

Read more
I’ve reviewed every AMD and Nvidia GPU this generation — here’s how the two companies stack up
Three graphics cards on a gray background.

Nvidia and AMD make the best graphics cards you can buy, but choosing between them isn't easy. Unlike previous generations, AMD and Nvidia trade blows point-for-point in 2024, and picking a brand to go with isn't as easy as counting the dollars in your wallet.

I've reviewed every graphics card AMD and Nvidia have released this generation, comparing not only raw performance, but also features like DLSS and FSR, ray tracing performance, and how VRAM works in modern games. After dozens of graphics card reviews, here's how AMD and Nvidia stack up against each other in 2024.
Nvidia vs. AMD in 2024

Read more