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Steam Deck ratings are Valve’s guidance about how smoothly a game is expected to work on the handheld, not a permanent statement that a title can or cannot run. Verified means the game should work well out of the box. Playable means it can be used but may need a manual adjustment. Unsupported means Valve currently considers it nonfunctional on Steam Deck. Unknown means Valve has not checked it yet. Because games, Proton, and Steam Deck software change, always open the current compatibility details on the game’s Steam store or library page before buying or troubleshooting.
The four Steam Deck ratings at a glance
Valve uses four labels to summarize the expected compatibility experience on a Steam Deck handheld gaming PC. The label is an assessment of the complete experience—controls, display, setup, and system support—not merely whether an executable launches.
| Rating | Valve’s meaning | What you should expect |
|---|---|---|
| Verified | The game works great on Steam Deck, right out of the box. | Controller, display, menus, and required system components meet Valve’s expectations with no significant setup friction. |
| Playable | The game can be played, but may require manual tweaking. | You may need a specific controller layout, touchscreen input, a launcher step, or another adjustment shown in the live compatibility details. |
| Unsupported | The game is currently not functional on Steam Deck. | Valve’s current assessment is that the title does not provide a working experience. This status can change as the game, Proton, or the Deck is updated. |
| Unknown | Valve has not checked the game for compatibility yet. | There is no Valve test result to rely on. Unknown is untested, not a finding that the game fails. |
These categories are not a simple “works” versus “doesn’t work” switch. Playable identifies a game that may be fine after an intervention, while Unsupported is Valve’s present judgment that the title is not functional. Unknown tells you only that a compatibility review has not been completed.
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Verified is the smoothest of the four experiences. Valve’s definition is that the game “works great on Steam Deck, right out of the box.” To earn that designation, Valve groups its checks into four areas.
#1 Best Overall
- 1TB NVMe SSD
- 1280 x 800 HDR OLED display with premium anti-glare etched glass, 7.4" Diagonal display size up to 90Hz refresh rate
- Wi-Fi 6E
- 50Whr battery; 3-12 hours of gameplay (content-dependent)
- Carrying case with removable liner
Input and controller behavior
The game should provide full controller support, use appropriate controller-input icons, and bring up the Steam Deck’s on-screen keyboard automatically when text entry is required. A title that expects a mouse and keyboard for ordinary tasks, displays confusing keyboard prompts, or fails to invoke the on-screen keyboard can fall short of Verified even if its main gameplay starts.
Display and readability
Verified games should support the Deck’s default display resolutions—1280×800 or 1280×720—use sensible default graphics settings, and present text that is legible on the handheld screen. Compatibility therefore includes whether menus, subtitles, and interface elements can be read without immediately changing resolution, scaling, or other settings.
Seamless launch and navigation
The expected path from selecting the game to playing it should not be interrupted by compatibility warnings. If the game uses a launcher, that launcher should be navigable with a controller. A launcher that requires a mouse, a warning that appears every time, or a setup screen that cannot be operated comfortably from the Deck can prevent a Verified result.
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When a Windows game runs through Proton, both the game and its middleware must be supported by Proton. That includes anti-cheat technology. A title can look fine once inside a match yet fail this system-level requirement if its anti-cheat or other middleware does not work correctly on the Deck.
These checks explain why “it launches on my Deck” is not enough to predict a Verified badge. Valve evaluates the complete first-use and play experience across input, display, seamlessness, and underlying system components.
Rank #2
- International (UK) Version
- 7.4” diagonal, HDR OLED, 1280 x 800 x RGB, up to 90Hz Refresh rate, High performance touch, <0.1 ms Response time, 1,000 nits peak brightness (HDR), 600 nits (SDR)
- SteamOS 3.0 (Arch-based)
- 512GB NVMe SSD, 16GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM (5500 MT/s quad 32-bit channels), microSD UHS-I supports SD, SDXC and SDHC
- 6 nm AMD APU, CPU: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32
What Playable means in practice
Playable is a usable category, not a synonym for broken. Valve expects the game to be playable, but says that some manual tweaking may be needed. The exact intervention differs by title, so read the game’s current compatibility details instead of assuming that every Playable game needs the same workaround.
Typical adjustments Valve has cited
- Selecting a community controller configuration manually instead of using a ready-made layout.
- Using the touchscreen to operate a launcher or another interface that is not fully controller-friendly.
Those examples are deliberately practical: a game may run correctly after one extra choice or a short touchscreen interaction. Playable does not tell you how difficult the adjustment is, so the per-game notes are more useful than the badge alone. One title may need a one-time launcher click; another may require a controller layout change whenever you reinstall or switch profiles.
How to evaluate a Playable game
- Open the game’s current compatibility details in Steam rather than relying only on the colored badge.
- Identify the specific issue Valve lists—input layout, touchscreen navigation, text entry, display behavior, launcher friction, or another item.
- Decide whether that intervention is acceptable for the way you intend to play, especially if you need a console-like experience for children, guests, or quick sessions.
- After an update, check the details again. A game can move to Verified when its developer, Proton, or Deck software removes the friction.
What Unsupported means—and what it does not
Unsupported is Valve’s current category for a game that is not functional on Steam Deck. It is stronger than Playable: Valve is not warning about a small inconvenience but reporting that the title does not currently provide a working experience under its criteria.
Unsupported is also time-dependent. It does not prove that the game will never work, and it is not a hardware-damage warning. Valve continues to add Deck features and improvements that can enable previously Unsupported titles to play, while game updates can introduce or remove compatibility. Treat the badge as the latest published assessment, not a lifetime property of the game.
Can you play an Unsupported game?
You should not buy an Unsupported title expecting a reliable Deck experience. Valve’s definition is that it is currently not functional, so there is no official expectation that normal setup will solve the problem. If the game later receives a fix, Proton gains support for a required component, or the Deck changes, its rating may be revised. Recheck the live store or library details before trying again rather than assuming an old badge is still accurate.
Rank #3
- 【Upgraded】We sells product with professionally upgraded to 2TB SSD. Original Seal is opened for upgrade ONLY.
- 【Stunning 7.4" HDR OLED & 90Hz Motion】 Experience striking contrast and brilliant clarity with the all-new 7.4-inch HDR OLED display. Designed from the ground up for gaming, it features a 90Hz refresh rate for smooth motion and pure blacks. This handheld is capable of delivering an immersive visual experience, ensuring your Steam library looks better than ever with vibrant colors and amazing motion rendition.
- 【30-50% More Battery & Efficient Performance】 Play your favorites longer with up to 50% more battery life. By fitting a larger battery and a power-efficient OLED panel, this device provides extended gameplay sessions. It’s the perfect travel companion for long flights or commutes. The updated AMD APU ensures high-speed performance for AAA titles while maintaining incredible energy efficiency.
- 【3X Faster Downloads with Wi-Fi 6E】 Never wait for a game again. Equipped with Wi-Fi 6E, this Steam Deck OLED offers increased bandwidth and lower latency, delivering downloads up to 3 times faster than previous models. This ensures stable online play and rapid updates, making it the most reliable wireless gaming handheld for modern high-speed home networks.
- 【Responsive Touch & Enhanced Connectivity】 Enjoy a vastly improved touchscreen with higher fidelity and faster haptics. We’ve added a dedicated Bluetooth antenna to improve connections for multiple controllers. Whether using the built-in trackpads or the included external controller, this allows for precision play in everything from FPS to complex strategy games.
What Unknown means
Unknown means Valve has not checked the game for compatibility. It is an absence of a test result, not evidence of failure or success. An Unknown game might work well, require substantial configuration, or fail for reasons Valve has not documented. If a purchase depends on guaranteed plug-and-play behavior, Unknown carries more uncertainty than Verified or a clearly documented Playable title.
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Ratings and their explanatory details appear in Steam’s store and library interfaces. Use the current listing whenever you are deciding whether to buy or launch a title.
- In Steam, open the game’s store page or select it in your Library.
- Find the Steam Deck compatibility badge and open the associated details.
- Read the notes for the specific title, including any required controller configuration, touchscreen action, launcher limitation, display issue, or system-support warning.
- In the Library, use the category filter when you want to see groups of Verified, Playable, Unsupported, or Unknown games.
- Check again after major game, Proton, or Steam Deck updates because the result can change.
The details matter more than a color or one-word label. Two Playable games may demand completely different amounts of effort, and a previously Unsupported game may become usable after an update.
Why a rating can change
Valve describes compatibility ratings as a snapshot of a single moment and emphasizes that ratings change over time. There are several moving parts:
- Game updates: Developers can fix controller handling, resize interface elements, change launchers, or alter anti-cheat and other middleware.
- Proton updates: Improvements to the Windows-compatibility layer can add support for a game or a component it depends on.
- Steam Deck updates: Valve can add platform features and improve input, display, or system behavior.
- Regression or new requirements: An update can also introduce a launcher, middleware, or control change that makes the experience less compatible until fixed.
For that reason, a screenshot, forum post, or old purchase decision is not a substitute for the current Steam listing. Use historical claims only as context, not as a promise about today’s status.
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Rank #4
- Valve is entering the gaming console marketplace with the new Steam Deck, a console geared towards PC gamers. The Steam Deck can be docked to a monitor, and used as a PC, or docked to a TV.
- Players can play a huge variety of games at any time with the comfort of a console and the freedom of a PC. Not anti-glare screen.
- Like the name suggests, the Steam Deck will include upgraded 1TB storage, and will include a carrying case. A micro SD slot will also enable expanded storage.
- Valve partnered with AMD to create a specialized APU optimized for handheld gaming, and Valve says the chip will deliver performance to run AAA gaming titles.
- The Steam Deck is outfitted with a 7-inch touchscreen, and two trackpads under the control sticks that allow gamers to operate games never designed outside of mouse and keyboard capabilities.
Valve’s historical examples of the standards
In its March 4, 2022 Deck Verified announcement, Valve illustrated why a game might receive a less favorable label even when much of it appears to work. Valve said a game that showed controller glyphs most of the time but occasionally asked the player to “press F” would be Playable rather than Verified. It also said an optional minigame crash could result in an Unsupported rating even if the rest of the game’s functionality worked.
These were illustrations of Valve’s standards at that time, not a rule that every current rating follows those exact scenarios. They demonstrate the underlying principle: Valve considers edge cases, optional features, and interruptions that can affect the overall experience, not just the main menu and first level.
Does the rating differ on Steam Deck OLED?
Valve says tested titles have the same compatibility rating on LCD and OLED Steam Deck models. The display technology and other hardware differences do not create separate Verified, Playable, Unsupported, or Unknown badges for the same tested title. You should still read the current per-game notes, because the rating describes the title’s compatibility assessment rather than promising identical battery life, frame rate, or visual quality between models.
How to compare games beyond the badge
When choosing between titles, compare the details along the same four axes Valve uses for Verified. This prevents a broad label from hiding the issue that matters most to you.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors| Comparison question | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Controller and input | Full controller support, correct button glyphs, automatic on-screen keyboard, and any required community layout. | Input friction determines whether the game feels like a handheld title or a desktop game requiring workarounds. |
| Display | Support for 1280×800 or 1280×720, sensible defaults, and legible text. | A game can technically run while menus or subtitles remain uncomfortable to read. |
| Launch and navigation | Compatibility warnings, launcher behavior, and whether every setup screen is controller-navigable. | Repeated mouse or touchscreen steps can matter more than a one-time configuration for frequent play. |
| System support | Proton compatibility for the game and middleware, including anti-cheat. | System components can block multiplayer or startup even when ordinary gameplay appears compatible. |
For a quick, console-like session, Verified is the safest choice. Playable may be a good fit when you are comfortable making the listed adjustment. Unknown requires your own tolerance for uncertainty, while Unsupported should be treated as currently nonfunctional until Valve’s details change.
What the historical game count tells you
Valve reported more than 1,000 games rated Verified or Playable in its March 4, 2022 announcement. That figure belongs to that announcement and is not a current total. It shows the scale of the program at that date, but it should not be used to estimate how many games carry each badge now.
Quick Recap
A practical decision checklist
- Read the live Steam Deck compatibility details, not only the badge.
- For Playable titles, identify the exact manual step and decide whether it fits your use.
- For Unsupported titles, assume the current experience is nonfunctional and wait for a documented status change if reliability matters.
- For Unknown titles, recognize that Valve has not tested them; do not interpret Unknown as either approval or rejection.
- Recheck after game, Proton, or Steam Deck updates.
- Use the same rating for LCD and OLED models, while treating performance and battery behavior as separate questions from compatibility status.
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