When the Steam Deck first released back in February, my colleague Nathan Grayson noted that several key features of the device were lacking. On the hardware side, its fans screamed like “tiny banshees,” and its battery was almost impossible to switch out should it eventually die. To combat this, Steam Deck developer Valve is releasing updated models with quieter cooling fans and easier extraction of the battery.
Months after its release, I preordered the device myself. I surprisingly got it a week or so later (perhaps I’ve gotten used to the incredibly taxing journey that is securing a PlayStation 5). In my testing, I can determine that these hardware issues simply aren’t the make-or-break factors for the console anymore. The two bigger issues that’ll determine your enjoyment with the console are on the software side: the content you can actually play, and the Steam Deck’s overall battery life.
Below are some key factors to consider before purchasing a Steam Deck this holiday season.
Check the Steam page for a game’s Steam Deck compatibility
Developer Valve’s Verified system is a godsend. Essentially, Valve testers play through a game on a Steam Deck to determine if it runs smoothly, if the controls map well to the buttons on the device and if the overall experience isn’t hindered by the smaller real estate of the handheld’s screen, such as game text becoming illegible. After testing, a game will receive one of three icons: a green check mark that means it’s fully playable, a yellow “i” indicating the game works but needs some graphical or control tweaks in-game to function properly or a slash sign indicating the game simply does not work on the device. A fourth icon, a question mark, indicates testing hasn’t begun on that particular title yet.
Before getting a Steam Deck, check the Verified section of the Steam store (or simply scroll down your game’s page and check the right-hand side) to see which symbol it received. This should absolutely be your first step before purchasing a Steam Deck.
Valve is pretty fast when it comes to testing games of all varieties and providing frequent updates for its OS to maximize compatibility (the recently released Choo-Choo Charles is a prime example of this). However, some updates have ended up breaking several games’ compatibility, notably several EA games, so it’s important to frequently check the Verified status to ensure things are working while Valve irons out the device’s kinks.
Don’t worry if a game as a yellow “i” status — it’s still very playable
Even given the advice above, don’t shy away from the Steam Deck if the game you want to play receives a yellow “i.” In my experience with the console, several games with this status worked, including “Deep Rock Galactic,” “Among Us” and “Team Fortress 2.” The major issues holding these games up were small text, which sometimes can be increased in-game, and the need for keyboard inputs, which, while clunky, can be toggled easily by pressing the Steam button and X together.
“We don’t want anybody to think that this set of games that get the green checkbox, that’s [all you can play on Steam Deck]. It really isn’t,” assures Jay Shaw, a designer working on the Steam Deck. “Customers will find that so many of their games will work well, regardless of the verification status.”
However, if the game you’re interested in relies heavily on the point-and-click functionality of a mouse, it’s probably not a great game the play on a Steam Deck, regardless of its verification status. “Dwarf Fortress,” for example, while receiving an “i,” became a chore to play due to how frequently you need precise mouse movement, and the Steam Deck’s trackpads and controls don’t really allow for that kind of finesse.
Research graphical settings and control scheme quirks
Sometimes the Steam Deck port overlooks a few things in its translation to a handheld setup. One game I tested, “Final Fantasy XV,” didn’t map an input on the controller to pressing down on the PS4/5’s touchpad. This was pretty big, as that’s the way you open the main menu and equip your party, and the game doesn’t allow you to change this input via in-game options.
Fortunately, the Steam Deck allows you to change button bindings if you push the Steam button, click the game you’re playing and keep hitting right until you see the mapping screen. Several games — even those with green check marks — overlook small quality-of-life things like this, so it’s important to think through your games and research if a control quirk like that may be missing.
The same goes for graphical settings. While it may be tempting to maximize the fidelity of your games, more often than not this comes at a cost to performance, like frame rate, and a major cost to battery life. In our testing with 2018’s “God of War,” we found that the max settings only allowed us approximately an hour and a half to two hours of battery life , while tweaking the settings to medium quality afforded us an extra hour.
Several websites and forums feature posts from early adopters of the Steam Deck who have researched which settings are optimal for performance and battery life in several games. Research them and determine if you’re comfortable with the graphics quality suggested.
Check for anti-cheat, which can make some games incompatible
Several popular games aren’t compatible with the Steam Deck thanks to anti-cheat measures. These include “Fall Guys,” “Fortnite” and “Destiny 2.” Valve’s developers promise to continue working on compatibility for these games, but they admit that they’ll need cooperation from other parties like Epic Games to overcome anti-cheat systems like Easy Anti-Cheat. This makes the time frame for when the games will become available on Steam Deck a little murky, which may influence your purchase.
Mod compatibility with the Deck is inconsistent — don’t rely on it working
In my testing with the Steam Deck, I found that mods — both available via Steam Workshop and off-site via Nexus — sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t. “Final Fantasy XV,” “Fallout 3” and “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order” (before it became incompatible with the Steam Deck) offered varying degrees of success, with little rhyme or reason as to what worked versus what didn’t.
While the issues may lay on the side of the people responsible for creating such mods, one thing is for certain — it’s probably not wise to rely on mods fully working on the Deck, especially if the game doesn’t receive the green check mark.
Consider the Steam Deck’s battery life, and how you’d typically like to use it
Battery life was a huge issue when the Steam Deck first released. Fortunately, several OS updates appear to have improved this slightly. Less demanding games like “Undertale” played for around 6 1/2 hours before battery depletion — that’s more time than a flight from Washington D.C. to San Francisco. Other high-fidelity games like “Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales” depleted in a little under 3 hours.
If you’re using it at home as a replacement for a high-quality PC to play games, then the Steam Deck is a no-brainer purchase. If you’re attempting to use it as a travel device, however, it’s important to consider its limitations, and how and when you’ll be using it most.
