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The four Steam Deck ratings at a glance
Valve’s labels are not a simple yes-or-no test of whether a game launches. They describe how much friction a typical player should expect across controls, screen behavior, setup, and system compatibility.
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| Rating | Valve’s definition | What it means for your decision |
|---|---|---|
| Verified | The game works great on Steam Deck, right out of the box. | Expect the smoothest supported experience without needing a workaround for normal play. |
| Playable | The game can be played, but may require manual tweaking. | Read the game’s listed compatibility details before buying or launching; the required adjustment differs by title. |
| Unsupported | The game is currently not functional on Steam Deck. | Valve’s present assessment is that the title does not provide a working Deck experience. |
| Unknown | Valve has not checked the game for compatibility yet. | There is no Valve test result to rely on, so the badge is not evidence that the game works or fails. |
A rating applies to the compatibility experience Valve assessed, not to the game’s quality, genre, performance on another computer, or whether every individual player will have identical results. The detailed note attached to a title is therefore more useful than the color or word alone.
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For a Verified result, Valve groups its requirements into four areas. A game can appear to run and still receive a less favorable label if it creates problems in any of these areas.
#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
Input and controller behavior
The game must provide full controller support for normal use. Its on-screen prompts should show appropriate controller icons rather than keyboard keys that make a Deck player guess which button to press. When text entry is required, the Steam Deck on-screen keyboard should appear automatically at the relevant point.
This requirement covers the whole ordinary flow, not just whether a controller can move a character. Menus, settings, prompts, and text fields all contribute to whether the game feels native to a handheld.
Display, resolution, and readability
Verified games support the Deck’s default display resolutions: 1280×800 or 1280×720. They should start with sensible default settings and present text that is legible on the Deck’s screen. A title that technically renders but leaves important instructions tiny, clipped, or difficult to read can fail this part of the assessment.
The resolution requirement does not mean every game must use one fixed aspect ratio. It means the game needs to handle the Deck’s standard display modes properly and provide a usable default presentation.
Seamlessness and launch flow
Valve looks for a setup that does not interrupt normal play with compatibility warnings. If a game uses a separate launcher, that launcher must be navigable with a controller. Reaching the main menu should not require a player to leave the handheld’s normal input path and search for a keyboard or mouse.
System and Proton support
When a Windows game runs through Proton, the game and its middleware must be supported by Proton. This includes anti-cheat technology. A title may therefore be rejected even when its graphics and controls appear correct if an essential system component prevents reliable play.
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
These four headings explain why “it starts on my Deck” is not the same as Verified. Valve evaluates the complete out-of-box experience, including the parts that happen before the first playable moment.
Playable versus Unsupported: the difference that matters
Playable means intervention may be enough
A Playable badge says the game can be played, but a player may need to make a manual change. Valve’s examples include manually selecting a community controller configuration or using the touchscreen to move through a launcher. Those are usability hurdles, not a declaration that the game is broken.
There is no single “Playable fix.” One title may need a controller layout selected once; another may require touchscreen navigation for a launcher; a third may have a different issue recorded in its live compatibility details. Open the specific note for the game instead of assuming that a workaround mentioned for one Playable title applies to all of them.
Unsupported means Valve currently finds it non-functional
Unsupported is a stronger finding than Playable. Under Valve’s category definition, the title is currently not functional on Steam Deck. That does not describe a permanent property of the game, because Valve can change a rating after Deck software, Proton, or the game itself changes, but it is a warning not to treat the title as a normal working purchase today.
An optional feature failing can be enough to affect a rating. Valve used a crashed optional minigame as a historical illustration of how a game could be judged Unsupported even when its other functions worked. That example comes from Valve’s March 4, 2022 announcement and illustrates the strictness of the criteria at that time; it is not a promise that every current rating follows that exact scenario.
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Unknown means untested, not failed
Unknown indicates that Valve has not checked compatibility. It should not be read as a cautious form of Unsupported, nor as an implied recommendation. If you are deciding whether to buy, treat the game as needing additional verification from the title’s current details and your own tolerance for uncertainty.
Rank #3
- 【Upgraded】We sells product with professionally upgraded to 2TB SSD. Original Seal is opened for upgrade ONLY.
- 【Stunning 7.4" HDR OLED & 90Hz Motion】 Experience striking contrast and brilliant clarity with the all-new 7.4-inch HDR OLED display. Designed from the ground up for gaming, it features a 90Hz refresh rate for smooth motion and pure blacks. This handheld is capable of delivering an immersive visual experience, ensuring your Steam library looks better than ever with vibrant colors and amazing motion rendition.
- 【30-50% More Battery & Efficient Performance】 Play your favorites longer with up to 50% more battery life. By fitting a larger battery and a power-efficient OLED panel, this device provides extended gameplay sessions. It’s the perfect travel companion for long flights or commutes. The updated AMD APU ensures high-speed performance for AAA titles while maintaining incredible energy efficiency.
- 【3X Faster Downloads with Wi-Fi 6E】 Never wait for a game again. Equipped with Wi-Fi 6E, this Steam Deck OLED offers increased bandwidth and lower latency, delivering downloads up to 3 times faster than previous models. This ensures stable online play and rapid updates, making it the most reliable wireless gaming handheld for modern high-speed home networks.
- 【Responsive Touch & Enhanced Connectivity】 Enjoy a vastly improved touchscreen with higher fidelity and faster haptics. We’ve added a dedicated Bluetooth antenna to improve connections for multiple controllers. Whether using the built-in trackpads or the included external controller, this allows for precision play in everything from FPS to complex strategy games.
How to check a game’s current rating
Use the live Steam listing or your library rather than relying on an old screenshot, forum post, or badge copied into a third-party list. Valve displays the rating and its compatibility details in both places.
- Open the game’s page in the Steam store, or select the game in your Steam Deck library.
- Locate the Steam Deck compatibility section and read the current label.
- Open the accompanying details, especially any note about controls, launchers, display behavior, or required adjustments.
- If you are browsing your library, use the category filter to show titles by compatibility rating.
- Make your decision from the current entry. Do not assume that a rating seen in an older review is still active.
The detail text is essential for Playable games because the category only tells you that manual tweaking may be required; the title-specific note tells you what kind of tweaking Valve identified.
Why a Steam Deck rating can change
Valve describes compatibility ratings as a snapshot of a single moment. Its review process is ongoing, and the company continues adding Deck features and improvements that can make previously Unsupported titles playable. Game updates can also add or remove a launcher, change controller handling, alter display defaults, or introduce a middleware and anti-cheat change that affects Proton support.
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Because both sides of the compatibility relationship change, a badge is guidance rather than a permanent certificate. Recheck the store or library details when you are about to buy or return to a game after a long break. A historical article or a launch-day rating may no longer describe the current build.
Valve reported more than 1,000 games rated Verified or Playable in its March 4, 2022 announcement. That figure is a dated historical count, not a current total, and it should not be used to estimate how many titles carry either label now.
Does the rating differ between LCD and OLED Steam Deck models?
Valve says tested titles have the same compatibility rating on the LCD and OLED Steam Deck models. The badge therefore does not change merely because you own the newer screen variant. You should still read the current per-game details, since those notes describe the title’s controls, launch flow, display behavior, and system requirements rather than a model-specific performance promise.
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.
How to use the labels when choosing a game
Choose Verified when you want a console-like start
Verified is the best fit when you want to install a game and begin playing without selecting layouts, navigating a launcher by touch, or correcting basic display and input behavior. It is the category designed around the smoothest out-of-box experience.
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Playable can be a sensible choice if you are comfortable following a clearly stated adjustment. Read the exact note first, then decide whether that step is acceptable in your normal play pattern. A one-time controller-layout selection is a different inconvenience from a recurring launcher or touchscreen requirement, and the label alone does not distinguish them.
Treat Unsupported as a stop signal for a normal purchase decision
If a game is currently Unsupported, Valve’s own category says it is not functional on Deck. Unless you have a specific reason to wait for a future update and are willing to accept that uncertainty, choose a title with a working rating instead. Do not convert an Unsupported badge into “probably Playable” simply because another Windows game runs through Proton.
Handle Unknown as an evidence gap
Unknown is appropriate for a title Valve has not tested. If the game is important to you, look for the current compatibility details when they become available and consider whether you can return or play it on another system if the Deck experience is poor. The label itself supplies no positive or negative result.
Common rating misunderstandings
- “Verified” does not mean every setting is optimized. It means the title meets Valve’s compatibility expectations for input, display, seamlessness, and system support at the time of review.
- “Playable” does not mean unplayable. It means the game can be used with manual tweaking identified by Valve or required by the title’s flow.
- “Unsupported” is not a lifetime ban. It is Valve’s current functional assessment, and later Deck, Proton, or game updates can change it.
- “Unknown” is not a hidden failure rating. It means the compatibility check has not happened.
- A launch is not the whole test. Controller prompts, readable text, launchers, warnings, anti-cheat, and other middleware all matter to the final category.
- LCD and OLED do not receive separate tested badges. Valve states that tested titles share the same rating across those two Deck models.
What to check beyond the badge
When two games have different labels, compare the specific friction described in their live details rather than treating the categories as performance scores. Four questions map directly to Valve’s formal criteria:
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute- Will every normal action use the Deck’s controller, or will I need a community layout, touchscreen, keyboard, or mouse?
- Are the default resolution and text size usable at 1280×800 or 1280×720?
- Does the game launch cleanly without warnings or a controller-inaccessible launcher?
- Does Proton support the game’s middleware, including any anti-cheat system it requires?
This checklist gives a more precise purchase decision than the badge alone, especially when the choice is between a Verified title and a Playable title whose listed adjustment is minor and acceptable to you.
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