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The two labels side by side
| Axis | Steam Deck Verified | Steam Frame Standalone Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Device | Steam Deck (LCD and OLED) | Steam Frame |
| Play mode | Game running on the Deck | Game running on the headset itself, out of the box, not streamed |
| Published criteria | Input, display, seamlessness, system support | Default graphics performance, clear and legible text/UI, working default controller configuration (high-level summary) |
| Applies to | Games on Deck | VR and non-VR games, under the same high-level criteria |
| Full public checklist | Yes, four areas | Not published in full; Valve calls the criteria “similar” to Deck’s |
What Steam Deck Verified means
Verified is the top tier of Valve’s Deck Verified program. Valve’s wording is that the game “works great on Steam Deck, right out of the box.” To earn it, Valve checks four areas:
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- Input: the game is fully usable with the controls, and on-screen button prompts match the Deck.
- Display: the default resolution and settings suit the screen, and text is legible.
- Seamlessness: launchers are navigable with the controls, and the player isn’t hit by awkward warnings or setup hurdles.
- System support: Proton and any middleware the game needs work properly where relevant.
The other Deck categories
- Playable: it works, but you may need to adjust something manually.
- Unsupported: the game is currently not functional on Deck.
- Unknown: Valve hasn’t reviewed it yet.
These describe compatibility, not whether a game is good. Valve also says tested titles get the same rating on Deck LCD and OLED. That statement covers those two Deck models only.
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What Steam Frame Standalone Verified means
Valve introduced the Frame program in a Steamworks announcement dated June 4, 2026. In Valve’s words, “Like Steam Deck Verified, the Steam Frame Standalone Verified program focuses on the experience customers will have with the device out-of-the-box in standalone mode.”
#1 Best Overall
- 1TB NVMe SSD
- 1280 x 800 HDR OLED display with premium anti-glare etched glass, 7.4" Diagonal display size up to 90Hz refresh rate
- Wi-Fi 6E
- 50Whr battery; 3-12 hours of gameplay (content-dependent)
- Carrying case with removable liner
The announcement highlights three things: default graphics performance, clear and legible text and UI, and a working default controller configuration. It applies the same criteria to VR and non-VR games.
The program is explicitly about the headset’s own hardware. A game that runs well when streamed from a gaming PC says nothing about how it runs on the headset’s own chip.
Rank #2
- International (UK) Version
- 7.4” diagonal, HDR OLED, 1280 x 800 x RGB, up to 90Hz Refresh rate, High performance touch, <0.1 ms Response time, 1,000 nits peak brightness (HDR), 600 nits (SDR)
- SteamOS 3.0 (Arch-based)
- 512GB NVMe SSD, 16GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM (5500 MT/s quad 32-bit channels), microSD UHS-I supports SD, SDXC and SDHC
- 6 nm AMD APU, CPU: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32
Standalone versus streaming
Valve’s Steam Frame page describes the device as streaming-first, with the ability to run some games standalone. Users can stream their Steam library to it. The Standalone Verified program identifies the titles that work on the headset itself.
So there are three situations to keep apart:
- Game on Steam Deck: the Deck rating applies.
- Game running directly on Frame: look for the Standalone Verified label.
- Game streamed to Frame from a PC: neither badge applies. What matters is your PC, your network and the streaming setup.
Does Deck Verified mean a game works on Steam Frame?
No, not as a guarantee. The Deck rating covers the Deck’s screen, controls and software environment. Frame has a different display, different input and a different standalone mode, and Valve evaluates it separately. A Deck Verified game may well run fine on Frame, but the Deck badge alone doesn’t establish that. Only the Frame standalone label does.
Rank #3
- Operating System: SteamOS 3.0
The reverse holds too. A game without a Frame standalone badge isn’t necessarily broken. It may not have been checked, and streaming may still work.
Don’t assume Frame’s full checklist matches Deck’s. Valve calls the criteria similar, but the public announcement gives only the high-level summary.
Rank #4
- Valve is entering the gaming console marketplace with the new Steam Deck, a console geared towards PC gamers. The Steam Deck can be docked to a monitor, and used as a PC, or docked to a TV.
- Players can play a huge variety of games at any time with the comfort of a console and the freedom of a PC. Not anti-glare screen.
- Like the name suggests, the Steam Deck will include upgraded 1TB storage, and will include a carrying case. A micro SD slot will also enable expanded storage.
- Valve partnered with AMD to create a specialized APU optimized for handheld gaming, and Valve says the chip will deliver performance to run AAA gaming titles.
- The Steam Deck is outfitted with a 7-inch touchscreen, and two trackpads under the control sticks that allow gamers to operate games never designed outside of mouse and keyboard capabilities.
Why Proton shows up in Deck’s checklist
SteamOS is Linux-based, and Valve describes Proton as the compatibility layer it ships to run Windows games there. That’s why system support is a Deck criterion. Proton working is one input, not a promise of a Verified rating. The game also has to pass the input, display and seamlessness checks.
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Valve describes Deck review as ongoing, with new releases, game updates and device improvements all able to shift compatibility. Its March 2022 Deck Verified update called the compatibility counts a snapshot in time. Check the game’s current store page or your library details before relying on an older screenshot or article.
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