Nvidia is announcing improved GeForce Now support on Steam Deck, allowing some of the biggest and best PC games to run on the handheld without the need to worry about hardware limitations and compatibility ratings.
While the Steam Deck is our pick for the best handheld gaming PC, we can also see its shortcomings when it comes to power, especially against competitors like the ROG Ally and Legion Go. Playing huge triple-A games is starting to become tricky, as seen in the Unsupported rating assigned to games like Horizon Forbidden West. As such, this increased support from Nvidia is welcome.
Certain stumbling blocks are unavoidable as games demand more resources to run, and while the Steam Deck OLED performs admirably with some major releases like Baldur’s Gate 3, it also has its fair share of games that simply will not run without outside help from mods.
This new GeForce Now update looks to help bridge the gap, introducing an easier way to stream such titles without worrying about performance or storage space. Now, it’ll be easier to utilize the power of the cloud and stream games to your Deck, including ones not currently playable on the handheld.
A new installation method is being rolled out and automatically installs Google Chrome with the necessary settings to allow players to jump straight into their favorite games with minimal fuss.
This adds to last week’s update which added controller support for the GeForce Now menu. All in all, these two consecutive updates are targeting handheld compatibility and the Steam Deck benefits greatly as a result.
GeForce Now has always been compatible with Steam Deck, but the process is no longer quite as elongated and the controller support for menus is a welcome change.
You can also check out the best Steam Deck games playable natively on the handheld. We have hand-picked and tested each game on the list so you know they’re worth your time and money.