Valve’s Steam Deck compatible games list is growing by the second, 4,500 releases now play nice with the portable powerhouse. Big newcomers like Multiversus and Spider-man Remastered have earned their Playable and Verified stripes since we last checked, and 500 titles in total have made their way to the handheld gaming PC’s good books since July.
Just over two weeks ago, the Steam Deck compatible game count featured just over 4,000 Verified and Playable releases. Now, that figure has increased to over 4,500, and Valve says 1,989 of them are “Great on Deck”. While the other 2,513 haven’t earned a green tick yet, their newfound playable status means they should still work well on the mini rig.
Recently, Insomniac Games confirmed that the PC port of Spider-Man Remastered is Steam Deck verified, meaning you can enjoy Peter Parker’s web-slinging adventure on the portable without any hiccups. Naturally, you’ll need to tinker with settings to boost fps, as the Marvel game will likely make even the best graphics cards sweat. Nevertheless, its inclusion on the Verified list is Valve’s great gameplay guarantee, and it should help you pretend the device is a new Sony Vita successor.
Multiverus has also earned its Steam Deck stripes, as the franchise fighter is now classified as Playable. We’re not exactly sure what’s keeping it from achieving Verified greatness, but the Smash Bros-style brawler runs without a hitch on the handheld.
It’s needless to say the Steam Deck is becoming a serious contender within the portable scene, and Valve’s Verified system helps make it a viable gaming PC experience. Sure, the device won’t hold up against next-gen RTX 4000 and RDNA 3 GPUs, but if you prioritise versatility of performance, you’re probably better off investing in the mini machine.
Valve has confirmed that it’ll fulfil all current reservations by the end of 2022, and some preorders might arrive within the next few weeks. Newcomers are also in for a treat, as the company has made subtle improvements to the device’s buttons and haptics, and the Steam Deck dock experience is now even better. If you’re a bit sceptical about the hype, you could wait for the Steam Deck 2 to roll up, but it’ll likely be a while before a successor steals the limelight.