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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Proton is the technology that lets SteamOS run many Windows games; Verified, Playable, Unsupported and Unknown are Valve’s assessments of the resulting Steam Deck experience. Proton alone does not mean a game is comfortable or officially supported. Verified means the title should work well out of the box, Playable means it runs but may require a stated adjustment, Unsupported means it currently fails Valve’s compatibility test, and Unknown means Valve has not reviewed it yet. Check the game’s live Steam listing or your Deck library before relying on any status, because ratings can change.
What Proton does on Steam Deck
SteamOS is based on Linux, while most PC games in the Steam catalog were built for Windows. Proton is Valve’s compatibility layer: it translates the Windows game’s calls so the software can run on SteamOS without the developer creating a separate Linux port. Valve describes it as the reason the vast majority of the Steam library runs on SteamOS. You can read the explanation in Valve’s SteamOS and Proton FAQ.
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That answers a technical question—can this Windows build run through Proton?—but not the broader question most Deck owners care about: will the whole game be easy to use from the handheld? A game can launch through Proton and still have tiny text, an awkward launcher, incomplete controller support or an anti-cheat component that does not work. Valve’s Deck rating combines those user-facing issues with Proton and middleware support.
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Valve’s own wording for the top rating is that “the game works great on Steam Deck, right out of the box.” The rating is therefore a usability judgment, not a statement that Proton is a magic port or that every Windows title is guaranteed to run.
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Steam Deck compatibility labels at a glance
| Label | What Valve’s category means | What you should expect |
|---|---|---|
| Verified | The game meets Valve’s input, display, seamlessness and system-support criteria. | It should be comfortable to start and play with the Deck’s built-in controls and default display settings, without a required workaround. |
| Playable | The game runs, but one or more parts of the experience need a user adjustment. | You may need a community controller layout, touchscreen interaction or another clearly described step. |
| Unsupported | The title currently does not function in Valve’s category definition. | Do not buy it assuming a normal Deck session will work. The status is current rather than a promise that it can never change. |
| Unknown | Valve has not checked the game for a Deck rating. | There is no official conclusion yet. Unknown is not the same as failed testing or incompatibility. |
The label is attached to a specific game and its current build, not to Proton as a whole. Open the title’s store page or its entry in the Deck library to see the present category and any notes Valve provides.
What Verified checks
Valve evaluates four groups of conditions. A title must satisfy the whole-device experience, so passing the technical launch test is only one part of the decision.
Input and controls
A Verified game has full controller support for the Deck’s controls, shows the correct controller-button icons rather than assuming a keyboard and mouse, and brings up the on-screen keyboard automatically when text entry is required. This matters for menus, naming characters, entering a password in a launcher and any other field where a physical keyboard would otherwise be necessary.
If a game technically accepts a controller but regularly sends you back to a keyboard prompt or displays the wrong button symbols, it can miss Verified even when its graphics and frame rate are otherwise acceptable.
Display and readable text
The title must support the Deck’s default display modes—1280×800 or 1280×720—while presenting sensible default settings. Text and interface elements need to remain legible on the handheld screen. A game that launches only after you select an unusual resolution, or whose menus are too small to read without changing settings, does not meet the out-of-box standard.
Seamless startup and launcher navigation
Verified requires no compatibility warning that interrupts the normal launch flow. If the game opens a separate launcher, that launcher must be usable with a controller. You should not be forced to attach a mouse just to pass an account screen before reaching the game.
Rank #2
- Compatible with Nintendo-Switch 1 (NOT compatible with Nintendo-Switch 2), smartphones, and tablets
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- A2-rated app performance lets you quickly access and enjoy games and apps without lag for an enhanced gaming experience and a competitive edge
- Store more of your favorite games and other content with capacities up to 2TB
- Built to endure with temperature resistance, waterproofing, x-ray protection, and more
System support, Proton and middleware
When a title runs through Proton, Valve checks that the game and its middleware are supported. Middleware includes services such as anti-cheat. A game can therefore lose the top rating because an online protection component is not supported, even if the single-player executable opens correctly.
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These criteria explain why “it starts” is not equivalent to Verified. Valve is checking the path from pressing Play to controlling the game, reading its interface and using the required services.
What Playable means in practice
Playable is a usable category, but it signals friction that Verified is meant to avoid. Valve’s examples include selecting a community controller configuration or using the touchscreen to navigate a launcher. The exact adjustment appears in the compatibility details for the individual game.
Controller-layout adjustment
Some Playable titles do not expose every action through their default layout. Steam may suggest a community configuration that maps missing commands to the Deck’s buttons, trackpads or back grips. If you are comfortable selecting and, when necessary, editing that layout, the game may be a good fit. If you need a strict plug-and-play experience, treat the required setup as a meaningful drawback rather than ignoring the label.
Touchscreen or launcher step
A game may be fully playable once you tap through a launcher, sign-in window or settings panel with the touchscreen. That is a small intervention for some players and an unacceptable interruption for others. Read the note before installing so you know whether the launcher appears once, at every start or during account changes; Valve’s category itself only tells you that some manual interaction is involved.
How to decide whether Playable is acceptable
- Read the specific adjustment in the title’s compatibility details instead of treating every Playable game as identical.
- Decide whether you are willing to use the touchscreen, a community layout or another stated workaround.
- Check whether the game’s main mode depends on online services or middleware, where support can be different from the basic launch experience.
- After a major game, Proton or SteamOS update, look at the live listing again because the rating can move.
Unsupported and Unknown are different answers
Unsupported
Unsupported is Valve’s current category for a title that does not function on Deck under its definition. It is not merely a warning that the controls feel awkward. If the game relies on an anti-cheat system or other middleware that Proton cannot currently support, that system can prevent the title from working and lead to this result.
Rank #3
- Compatible with Nintendo-Switch 1 (NOT Nintendo-Switch 2), smartphones, and tablets
- Boost your gaming experience with up to 160MB/s read for fast load times
- A2-rated app performance lets you quickly access and enjoy games and apps without lag for an enhanced gaming experience and a competitive edge
- Store more of your favorite games and other content with capacities up to 2TB
- Built to endure with temperature resistance, waterproofing, x-ray protection, and more
“Currently” is important. Valve has said that ratings are a snapshot and can change as Proton fixes arrive, developers update their games or middleware support improves. Do not turn Unsupported into a permanent impossibility claim, but do treat it as a reason not to expect a working session today.
Unknown
Unknown means Valve has not completed a review. It supplies no official pass or fail result. Unknown games may work, need configuration or fail for reasons that have not been assessed, so the label alone cannot answer whether you should install one.
Community reports can be useful context, but they are not the same as changing Valve’s category. Keep the official status and any personal testing clearly separate.
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- Open the game’s Steam store listing or find it in your Steam Deck library. The compatibility badge is shown with the title’s current product information.
- Open the compatibility details. Read the explanation attached to the badge, not just the color or one-word label. It can identify a controller, display, launcher or middleware issue.
- For Playable, identify the required adjustment. Note whether Valve mentions a community controller configuration, touchscreen navigation or another manual step, then decide whether that fits how you intend to play.
- Interpret Unknown and Unsupported literally. Unknown is unreviewed; Unsupported is the current official nonfunctional result. Neither status is a substitute for a fresh, verified community test.
- Recheck after meaningful updates. A game patch, Proton revision or SteamOS update can alter behavior and, eventually, the official rating.
This workflow is more reliable than an old compatibility roundup because individual statuses are volatile. A page saved months ago can describe a different game build or a different Proton and SteamOS combination.
How to compare two games beyond the badge
When two titles carry the same label, compare the details that affect your routine. Use these axes in the order you will encounter them:
| Question | Why it matters | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Are all Deck inputs supported? | Missing actions or incorrect button glyphs create repeated control friction. | Input portion of the compatibility details. |
| Can you read the interface at the default resolution? | Legibility determines whether menus and objectives are practical on the handheld screen. | Display notes and the title’s default behavior. |
| Does a launcher require extra navigation? | A controller-only player may be blocked before the game starts. | Seamlessness or launcher notes. |
| Are Proton and middleware supported? | Anti-cheat or another required service can affect online play even when the executable launches. | System-support notes. |
| Is a workaround required? | A Playable game may be fine for an experienced owner but inconvenient for someone expecting console-like startup. | The adjustment stated beside the Playable rating. |
This is why a simple list of green badges is not a substitute for reading each title’s details. The same label can represent different kinds of effort.
Rank #4
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- 5-year limited manufacturer warranty
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Why a rating can change
Valve reviews compatibility continuously rather than freezing a game’s status forever. In a March 4, 2022 Deck Verified update, Valve described compatibility numbers as “just a snapshot of a single moment” and noted that ratings change over time. That statement is historical context, not a current catalog count.
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- A Proton fix can resolve a launch, graphics or input problem without a developer shipping a Linux build.
- The game developer can change its executable, launcher or controller support.
- An anti-cheat or other middleware provider can add or remove Proton support.
- A SteamOS or Deck software update can alter the environment Valve evaluates.
Valve reported that its catalog had passed more than 1,000 Verified or Playable games in that 2022 update. That was a dated milestone, not a present-day total, so it should not be used as the current size of the compatible catalog.
LCD and OLED models: what rating parity does and does not mean
Valve says tested titles keep the same compatibility rating on Steam Deck LCD and Steam Deck OLED. The parity applies to the official category. It does not promise that every game will deliver identical battery life, frame-rate behavior, brightness, loading times or subjective comfort on the two hardware revisions.
Use the shared rating to understand Valve’s compatibility assessment, then consider model-specific performance information separately if those differences matter to you. Do not infer from a matching badge that every setting or result is guaranteed to be identical.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common misconceptions to avoid
“Proton means the game is supported.”
Proton is the compatibility mechanism, not a support guarantee. Valve can mark a game Playable, Unsupported or Unknown even though Proton is installed on the Deck.
“Playable means broken.”
Playable means the game runs with a stated manual adjustment. The adjustment may be minor, such as tapping a launcher or choosing a controller layout, but you should read what it is rather than assuming either perfect operation or total failure.
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“Unsupported means it can never work.”
It means the current official result is nonfunctional. Future Proton, game or middleware changes can alter a rating, so check again after substantial updates.
“Unknown means incompatible.”
Unknown only says Valve has not checked the title. It is an absence of an official result, not a failed test.
“A Verified badge guarantees every PC feature.”
Verified addresses Valve’s stated Deck criteria: controls, controller icons, keyboard access, display support and legibility, launcher usability, and Proton or middleware support. It does not claim that every optional mod, unusual peripheral or PC-only workflow has been evaluated.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems“A larger storage card changes compatibility.”
Steam Deck includes a high-speed microSD slot with SD, SDHC and SDXC support, so an optional card can expand room for game files. Storage capacity does not change a title’s Verified, Playable, Unsupported or Unknown category. If you add a card, treat it as a space solution rather than a compatibility fix.
What to do when a game does not behave as expected
The game is Verified but asks for a setup step
First compare what you see with the current compatibility details; the title or its launcher may have changed since Valve’s review. Confirm that SteamOS and the game are up to date, then recheck the listing. If the issue is a missing controller action or an unreadable menu, document the exact screen and input rather than assuming the Proton layer alone is at fault.
The game is Playable and the workaround is unclear
Return to the title’s compatibility explanation and identify the named adjustment. Try that adjustment before changing unrelated system settings. If a community layout is recommended, inspect its bindings so you know which Deck control performs each action; if a launcher is the issue, use the touchscreen as indicated. The goal is to address the specific friction Valve recorded.
The game is Unknown
Do not present an unofficial test as a new Valve rating. You can decide whether to experiment, but keep a fallback plan such as refund eligibility in mind and record the game version, SteamOS version and Proton choice if you report your result to others. Those details help distinguish a reproducible observation from a general claim.
The game is Unsupported
Assume it will not provide a normal working session under the current category. Watch for later changes to the game, Proton or required middleware, then inspect the live listing again. Avoid treating a one-off workaround as proof that Valve’s official status has changed.
How to use compatibility information when deciding to buy
- Start with your tolerance for setup. If you want console-like behavior, prioritize Verified. If you are comfortable adjusting controls or touching a launcher, Playable may offer more options.
- Check the exact mode you care about. Online features that depend on anti-cheat or other middleware deserve special attention; a successful launch does not establish that every service works.
- Read display and input notes before downloading. A game can be graphically impressive yet impractical if text is too small or essential actions lack controller support.
- Use the current listing, not a static list. Ratings and their explanations can move as software changes.
- Separate compatibility from capacity. If storage is the only constraint, a supported microSD card can add space, but it cannot turn an Unsupported game into a Verified one.
Bottom line: use Proton and the labels for different questions
Ask Proton whether a Windows game has a Linux compatibility path on SteamOS. Ask the Deck rating whether Valve expects the complete handheld experience to work, and read the attached details to learn where any friction lies. Verified is the out-of-box target; Playable identifies a workable title that needs an adjustment; Unsupported is the current nonfunctional result; Unknown is simply unreviewed. Because Valve’s reviews are ongoing, confirm the status on the live Steam page whenever you install a game or after a substantial update.
Quick Recap
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