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Proton is the compatibility layer that lets SteamOS run many Windows games. Verified, Playable, Unsupported and Unknown are Valve’s separate judgments about how a particular game behaves on the Steam Deck, including controls, text, launchers, Proton support and anti-cheat.
The practical rule is simple: Proton explains how a Windows game can run; the Deck label explains what using it is likely to be like. Check the game’s current Steam listing or your Deck library before installing, because ratings are reviewed continuously and can change.
What Proton does on Steam Deck
SteamOS is based on Linux, while most PC games were built for Windows. Proton is Valve’s compatibility layer for bridging that gap. It translates and adapts the Windows game’s expected interfaces so the title can run on SteamOS without the developer producing a separate Linux port. Valve describes the result this way: “SteamOS is Linux based, and the vast majority of the Steam library runs on SteamOS, thanks to the Proton compatibility layer Valve ships.” You can read the official explanation in Valve’s Steam Deck FAQ and update.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchProton is therefore a technology, not a quality badge. A game may launch through Proton yet still have awkward controls, tiny text, an inaccessible launcher or unsupported anti-cheat. Conversely, a title that needs a small adjustment can still be a good Deck experience. The four labels are intended to communicate that user-facing experience.
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Proton answers a different question from the badge
- Proton question: Can this Windows-oriented software interface with SteamOS well enough to run?
- Compatibility-label question: Does the complete game experience meet Valve’s expectations for controls, display, launching and system support on the Deck?
Valve says the vast majority of the Steam library runs on SteamOS, not every game. Proton also evolves: fixes in Proton, SteamOS or the game itself can alter a title’s behavior. Treat a label as a current assessment rather than a permanent technical guarantee.
Steam Deck compatibility labels at a glance
| Label | Valve’s meaning | What you should expect |
|---|---|---|
| Verified | The game works well on Deck out of the box. | Controls, display, launch flow and required Proton components meet Valve’s criteria with no material setup expected. |
| Playable | The game works, but one or more aspects may require manual adjustment. | You might select a community controller layout, use the touchscreen in a launcher or change another setting described in the compatibility details. |
| Unsupported | The game currently does not function in Valve’s category definition. | Do not plan on a normal working session unless the status changes; the label is the result of Valve’s current review. |
| Unknown | Valve has not checked the title. | There is no official Deck assessment yet. Unknown is not the same as a failed test. |
Valve’s Deck Verified criteria use these labels to summarize a particular title. The status belongs to the game, not to Proton as a whole, and it can differ from what an individual community report says.
What “Verified” checks on a Steam Deck
Verified is a whole-device experience rating. Valve’s review covers four areas rather than merely asking whether an executable starts.
Input: controls and text entry
A Verified game has full controller support for the Deck’s built-in controls, uses appropriate controller input icons and invokes the on-screen keyboard automatically when text entry is required. Correct glyphs matter because prompts should match the buttons the player is actually holding. Automatic keyboard behavior matters for names, passwords, search boxes and other fields that would otherwise require awkward desktop navigation.
A title that launches but leaves essential actions reachable only through a mouse may fail this part of the review. That is why “it runs through Proton” is not enough to predict a Verified result.
Display: resolution, defaults and readable text
The game must support the Deck’s default display resolution, either 1280×800 or 1280×720, and its default settings should be suitable. Text must remain legible on the Deck’s screen rather than requiring a player to guess at menus or immediately search for scaling fixes.
Rank #2
- Compatible with Nintendo-Switch 1 (NOT compatible with Nintendo-Switch 2), smartphones, and tablets
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Display approval concerns the default experience, not a promise that every optional graphics setting will deliver the same frame rate or image quality. A game can offer advanced settings while still meeting the basic readability and resolution requirements.
Seamlessness: launching without avoidable friction
Verified titles should not present compatibility warnings during normal startup. If the game uses a separate launcher, that launcher must be navigable with a controller. A launcher that requires a mouse, keyboard or hidden desktop mode can be the reason a technically running game receives a lower label.
System support: Proton, middleware and anti-cheat
When a game runs through Proton, Valve checks that the game and its middleware are supported. Middleware includes services the game depends on, and the review explicitly includes anti-cheat support. A multiplayer game can therefore be affected by a service outside the game’s main executable. If that component is not supported, the title may not qualify even when the single-player files launch.
Valve’s description of Verified is concise: “The game works great on Steam Deck, right out of the box.” Read that as an overall usability standard, not as a guarantee that every future patch, server change or optional mode will behave identically.
What “Playable” means on Steam Deck
Playable means the game works, but Valve found an interaction or setup issue that a player must address. It is not a synonym for broken. The issue may be minor for one person and decisive for another, so read the detail attached to the label instead of stopping at the word Playable.
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Typical adjustments Valve identifies
- Selecting a community controller configuration because the default layout does not expose every action conveniently.
- Using the touchscreen to operate a launcher that is not fully controller-friendly.
- Making another clearly described manual change before play.
These examples describe friction, not a universal failure pattern. A player comfortable with touchscreen navigation may consider the same title practically ready, while someone who wants a console-style start-to-play flow may prefer a Verified alternative.
Rank #3
- Compatible with Nintendo-Switch 1 (NOT Nintendo-Switch 2), smartphones, and tablets
- Boost your gaming experience with up to 160MB/s read for fast load times
- A2-rated app performance lets you quickly access and enjoy games and apps without lag for an enhanced gaming experience and a competitive edge
- Store more of your favorite games and other content with capacities up to 2TB
- Built to endure with temperature resistance, waterproofing, x-ray protection, and more
How to decide whether Playable is acceptable
- Open the compatibility details, not just the colored icon.
- Identify the exact action Valve says is needed: controller-layout selection, touchscreen navigation or another listed adjustment.
- Ask whether that action is required once or repeatedly. A one-time layout choice is different from a launcher that must be operated with touch every time.
- Consider the game mode you intend to use. A launcher or online component can matter more for multiplayer than for a local campaign.
- Install only when the stated workaround fits your controls and tolerance for setup.
Do not upgrade Playable to Verified in your own description simply because the workaround was easy. The distinction communicates the extra step other players should know about.
Unsupported and Unknown are not the same
Unsupported
Unsupported is Valve’s current category result that the game does not function on Deck under its definition. It is a present assessment, not a statement that the title can never work. Proton updates, game patches, middleware changes or developer work can move a game between categories, so check again after meaningful updates.
Unknown
Unknown means Valve has not reviewed the title. No official conclusion has been reached. It should not be rewritten as “incompatible,” and it should not be presented as an unofficial guarantee that the game works. If you choose to test an Unknown title, describe your own result as a particular test under particular software versions rather than as Valve’s rating.
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Individual ratings are volatile. Use the live Steam information for the title you intend to play rather than an old compatibility roundup.
- Open the game’s Steam store listing or find it in your Deck library. The current compatibility icon and text are attached to the title’s listing and library details.
- Read the label and its explanation. Verified, Playable, Unsupported and Unknown answer different questions; do not infer a more favorable or less favorable result than the text provides.
- For Playable, read the required adjustment. Look specifically for a community controller configuration, touchscreen launcher navigation or another stated manual step.
- For Unknown, record that Valve has not checked it. Do not treat the absence of a review as a negative test result.
- For Unsupported, treat the status as current. It is the official category result at the time you look, not necessarily a permanent verdict.
- Recheck after significant changes. A game update, Proton update or SteamOS update can alter compatibility, and Valve says reviews are ongoing.
The store page is also the safest place to verify whether an older article is stale. A label copied from a 2022 list may no longer match the title’s live status.
Why Steam Deck ratings change
Compatibility is a moving target because several layers can change independently: the game, its launcher, middleware, anti-cheat service, Proton and SteamOS. A fix in any one layer can remove a warning, restore a control path or enable an online component. A game update can also introduce a new launcher or alter default settings.
Rank #4
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Valve emphasized this point in a March 4, 2022 Deck Verified update: “Whenever we talk about compatibility rating numbers, we emphasize that this is just a snapshot of a single moment, and that ratings change over time.” The statement is historical, but the principle remains important when interpreting any dated list.
Valve’s historical update also reported that the catalog had passed over a thousand games rated Verified or Playable in 2022. That was a milestone at that date, not a current catalog count. Do not use it to estimate today’s library or to claim that a particular title has a particular status now.
Does Proton support mean a game is supported?
No. Proton support is one part of Valve’s system-support criterion. The final label also considers input, display and seamless launching. A game can open successfully and still be Playable because its launcher needs touch input, or fail to qualify as Verified because text is hard to read at the default resolution.
Anti-cheat illustrates the difference especially clearly. The main game may render and accept controller input, while the anti-cheat or other middleware prevents an online mode from functioning. Valve’s review therefore considers the game and its required middleware together.
Are LCD and OLED Deck ratings different?
Valve says tested titles maintain the same compatibility rating on LCD and OLED Steam Deck models. This is parity for the compatibility label. It does not promise that every game’s performance, battery behavior, image quality or subjective comfort will be identical between the hardware revisions. The rating answers whether the title meets Valve’s compatibility criteria, not every possible hardware-performance question.
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A Verified game has a problem
First, confirm that the game, SteamOS and Proton components are up to date, then revisit the live compatibility details. Because the rating is a snapshot and software changes, a new patch can create a temporary issue or a change that Valve has not yet reflected. Note whether the problem concerns controls, readability, the launcher or online middleware; those are the same areas Valve evaluates.
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A Playable game works better than expected
Your result does not erase the manual step that earned the label. Record the workaround so another player can reproduce it, but keep Valve’s official status separate from an individual experience.
An Unknown game works in your test
Report the result with the conditions that matter, such as the game version and the Proton or SteamOS version used. “Unknown” still means Valve has not reviewed it; a personal test is not a replacement for that category.
An Unsupported game appears fixed
Check the live listing again after updates. If Valve changes the label, use the new status. Until then, describe the improvement as an observed change rather than silently calling the game Verified or Playable.
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The Steam Deck includes a high-speed microSD slot supporting SD, SDXC and SDHC cards. A card can provide additional space for games, but storage capacity does not alter a game’s Verified, Playable, Unsupported or Unknown category. Treat expansion as a library-management option, not a compatibility fix.
A practical decision framework
- Choose Verified when you want the least setup and the title’s current details meet your expectations for controls, text, launching and online support.
- Choose Playable when you understand the listed workaround and consider it acceptable for the way you play.
- Approach Unknown deliberately when you are willing to test without an official assessment and can tolerate troubleshooting.
- Wait on Unsupported when the game is central to your purchase or play plan; monitor the live listing for a later change rather than assuming a fix.
The most reliable comparison between two games is not the color of their icons alone. Compare the specific friction in each title’s details: controller completeness, readable default display, launcher navigation, Proton and middleware support, anti-cheat behavior and any required manual workaround.
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