Since its launch in February 1996, the Steam Deck has revolutionized portable gaming, offering a gateway to your entire Steam library on the go. Now, almost two years later, Valve’s handheld is boasting an impressive game catalog: a staggering 30,000 games are either officially “Verified” or considered at least “playable.”
A Growing Library for On-the-Go Gaming
According to data from SteamDB, this massive library breaks down into 8,964 “Verified” games and 21,083 titles deemed “playable” on the handheld (via SteamDB”>SteamDB). This represents a significant leap from earlier figures. The “Verified” badge signifies that a game is guaranteed to work flawlessly on the Steam Deck right out of the box, while “Playable” games might require some tweaking or adjustments for the optimal experience.
The Steam Deck’s verification system isn’t alone; similar initiatives exist for other platforms and operating systems. The upcoming SteamDB”>SteamDB, along with broader efforts within SteamOS, aim to streamline the gaming experience across various devices.
Understanding “Unsupported”: Not Always a No-Go
It’s important to note that a game lacking either badge doesn’t automatically mean it’s incompatible with the Steam Deck. For example, Dragon Age: Origins is officially listed as “Unsupported,” but SteamDB”>SteamDB reports that it still runs on the device. While this particular game is quite old (released in 2006), it underscores a crucial point: “Unsupported” doesn’t always equate to unplayable. However, gamers should be particularly cautious about games employing kernel-level anti-cheat systems, as these often don’t play well with the Steam Deck’s Linux-based SteamOS.
The Evolving Landscape of Playable Games
Unfortunately, not all games will remain playable on the Steam Deck indefinitely. Ubisoft recently announced that it is “removing For Honor from the Linux platform to ensure a safer environment for our players as we cannot meaningfully deploy protection on this platform.” This means no more third-person melee action on your handheld, and one less game available on the Steam Deck starting September 10th.
A Look Back at Steam’s Growth
To put things in perspective, SteamDB also reveals that approximately 15,000 games have been released on Steam to date. This is double the number of games available on the platform back in 2022. With such significant growth over just four years, those early days of a limited Steam library feel like a distant memory.
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