9 of 12Valve's handheld PC, rated game by game.
Games for Steam Deck
Valve rates Steam games for its handheld. For our twelve, the pattern is clear: big single-player games are Verified, some competitive shooters are blocked by their anti-cheat, and games sold outside Steam are on their own.
The Deck runs Windows games through Valve's compatibility layer, and Valve tests each Steam game for controls, text size and performance. A Verified game works out of the box; Playable means it works with some effort; Unsupported means it does not.
Online shooters are where it breaks down. Anti-cheat systems can run on the Deck only if the developer switches that on, and several have not, or have switched it off again. Games sold only through other launchers, such as Fortnite, VALORANT and Minecraft, have no Valve rating at all.
Plays4
Stardew Valley · VerifiedValve rates it Verified.9.4/ 10
Baldur's Gate 3 · VerifiedVerified, and since September 2025 a native Steam Deck build installs automatically, using less power and loading faster.8.9/ 10
Cyberpunk 2077 · VerifiedValve rates it Verified: controls, on-screen prompts, text size and default settings all pass.8.7/ 10
Elden Ring · VerifiedValve rates it Verified: default controls, on-screen prompts, text and settings all pass its checks.8.2/ 10
Plays, with a catch5
Minecraft · Not on SteamNot sold on Steam, so there is no Valve rating. Java Edition's official Linux launcher can be installed in desktop mode, unsupported.9.0/ 10
Final Fantasy XIV · PlayableValve rates the Steam version Playable: the launcher may need the touchscreen, the controller has to be switched on in settings, and default graphics need lowering.8.4/ 10
Helldivers 2 · PlayableValve rates it Playable: some text is small, but its anti-cheat does work on the Deck.8.0/ 10
Dota 2 · PlayableValve rates it Playable: controls work, but some text is small and a few prompts show keyboard icons.7.7/ 10
Marvel Rivals · PlayableValve rates it Playable: the default controls need adjusting and some text is small.7.6/ 10
Not available3
Fortnite · Not supportedEpic says it cannot be played on Steam Deck directly: its anti-cheat is not enabled for Linux. Epic suggests Xbox cloud streaming in a browser instead.8.2/ 10
VALORANT · Not supportedNot on Steam, and Vanguard cannot run on Linux.7.4/ 10
Apex Legends · UnsupportedUnsupported: EA blocked Linux and Steam Deck in October 2024 because of cheating.7.0/ 10
Setting it up well
- Check the label on the game's Steam page before buying; it can change after updates.
- Plug into a TV or monitor for games with small text.
- Keep the Deck updated: Valve's compatibility layer improves with each release.
- Our Steam Deck ratings note explains the four labels.