Before buying a Steam game for your Steam Deck, open that game’s Steam Store page and inspect its Steam Deck Compatibility badge and details. Verified means it works out of the box; Playable means it may need a workaround; Unsupported means it currently is not functional on Deck; and Unknown means Valve has not checked it. Because ratings can change, check the live page near checkout rather than relying on an old screenshot. Valve’s official guidance was checked October 30, 2026.
How do I check Steam Deck compatibility before buying?
Use the individual game’s Store page, not a general controller-support or operating-system label. Valve provides the compatibility badge and details there so you can see whether a game’s specific requirements or caveats matter to you. The check takes only a few steps, but reading the explanation is more useful than stopping at the color or word on the badge.
- Find the exact game on the Steam Store. Search for the title and open its individual Store page. Check that you have the right edition or bundle; a compatibility assessment belongs to the particular Steam listing you are considering.
- Locate the Steam Deck compatibility badge. On the Store page, open the Steam Deck Compatibility details. Valve and Steam Support direct shoppers to this section to see requirements that a Playable or Unsupported game does not meet.
- Read the explanation, not just the label. The details identify the practical issue, such as a community controller configuration or touchscreen navigation for a launcher. Those instructions tell you what playing the game will actually involve.
- Decide whether the stated caveat is acceptable. A workaround that takes one tap may be fine for you, while a launcher that requires repeated touchscreen use may not suit your preferred way to play. Treat the individual caveat as the buying information.
- Recheck near checkout. Valve can revisit ratings after Proton changes, reports of inaccurate test data, or other review work. A screenshot or forum post from months ago may no longer describe the live listing.
Steam Store search also offers separate Verified and Playable compatibility filters. They are useful when you are browsing a category rather than checking one known title. The Deck-focused Store tab emphasizes games that work well on Deck, but the wider Store includes more than those titles. Use a filter to narrow discovery, then open the individual game page for the final purchase check.
What do Verified, Playable, Unsupported, and Unknown mean?
The four labels describe Valve’s current Steam Deck compatibility assessment. They are not a quality ranking, a review score, or a guarantee about how much you will enjoy the game. An Unknown rating is also not evidence that a game either will or will not work.
| Badge | What it means | What to check before buying |
|---|---|---|
| Verified | Valve says the game works great on Steam Deck, right out of the box. | Read the details if you want to understand the assessment. The badge addresses Deck compatibility, not the game’s quality, content, value, or performance in every future update. |
| Playable | The game works, but may require manual configuration or another adjustment. | Read the specific caveat. Valve’s examples include selecting a community controller configuration or using the touchscreen to navigate a launcher. Judge whether that task is acceptable to you. |
| Unsupported | The game is currently not functional on Steam Deck. | Inspect the stated issue. If it involves Proton, anti-cheat, or other middleware, do not assume that changing a controller layout will cure it. |
| Unknown | Valve has not checked the game. | Treat compatibility as unconfirmed. Unknown is not a synonym for Unsupported, but it is not a promise that the game works either. |
The badge does not determine whether the game is offered for purchase on Deck. A title can remain available in the Store even when its assessment is Unsupported or Unknown. Nor should a general Windows, Linux, or controller-support label be treated as a Steam Deck rating. Always use the specific Deck badge and its explanation.
What does Valve check when it rates a game?
Valve’s Steam Deck assessment looks beyond whether a game launches. Its four criteria address input, display, seamlessness, and system support. That is why a game that plays well on a desktop can receive a different Deck assessment: the handheld has a different screen, controls, resolution, operating environment, and interaction model.
- Input: The game should support the Deck’s controller, show appropriate button prompts, and handle keyboard input where needed. A title can be technically playable yet require a control setup that is awkward without a workaround.
- Display: Valve checks support for the Deck’s resolution, legible text, and suitable default settings. Tiny menus or unreadable instructions can matter even when the game starts normally.
- Seamlessness: The experience should not present a compatibility warning that blocks play, and any launcher should be navigable. A launcher that demands a mouse or touchscreen interaction is the sort of friction that can move a title into Playable.
- System support: Valve considers Proton and relevant middleware, including anti-cheat where applicable. A system-level incompatibility is different from a missing button mapping and may explain an Unsupported result.
Valve’s Steamworks compatibility documentation calls for a playable default configuration at 30 fps at 800p. This is a developer review criterion in documentation checked in 2026; its publication year is not stated. It is not a promise that every scene, graphics setting, game update, or future version of a particular title will hold 30 fps. It is also not a game-specific benchmark. Do not turn the criterion into a claim about a named game unless the Store page supplies that information.
Why can a rating change?
Deck ratings are assessments that can be revisited, not permanent labels. Valve describes ongoing reviews and automatic re-reviews after changes such as Proton updates or reports that earlier test data was inaccurate. A developer update, a middleware change, or a correction to the test record can therefore alter the details shown on a Store page.
This is why the live listing is more reliable than an old screenshot, a cached shopping guide, or a post written when a game had a different version. Reopen the compatibility panel shortly before paying. If the label has changed, read the new explanation rather than assuming the earlier status still applies.
Does the rating apply to both Steam Deck LCD and OLED?
Valve says tested titles retain their Steam Deck Verified ratings across Steam Deck LCD and OLED models. The shared rating means Valve does not assign a separate Verified badge simply because the display model changed. It does not guarantee identical frame rates, battery life, image quality, or behavior in every game, setting, or future update. Use the current compatibility explanation for what Valve has assessed, and evaluate the hardware differences separately if they matter to your purchase.
Can I check games I already own?
Yes. A game’s Steam Deck rating appears in its library entry, and Valve says the library can be filtered by compatibility. Steam also provides a personalized library breakdown, which is useful for seeing how many of your owned games fall into each category.
The library view answers “What can I try from what I already own?” The Store page answers the immediate buying question and shows the current caveat attached to the listing. If you have not launched a title for a long time, check its Store page again because the rating or explanation may have been revisited.
What if a game’s Playable workaround is inconvenient?
Use the exact caveat to decide whether the game fits how you want to play. A one-time controller-layout selection may be reasonable. A launcher that must be operated with the touchscreen every time may be acceptable for one player and a deal-breaker for another. Playable does not mean that every title has the same degree of friction, so comparing only the word “Playable” hides the important difference.
If the stated issue is limited to input or launcher interaction, Valve’s docking guidance supports mouse and keyboard connections and USB-C power-delivery passthrough. A Steam Deck-compatible USB-C dock with PD passthrough, optionally paired with a USB mouse, can make that narrow interaction easier at a desk. Prefer the Deck’s built-in touchscreen or a suitable controller layout when either is sufficient. A dock or mouse is not a remedy for Unsupported status, Proton failure, anti-cheat incompatibility, or other middleware problems.
What should I do if the rating is Unsupported?
Read the stated reason before making assumptions. “Unsupported” currently means the game is not functional on Deck according to Valve’s assessment. If the explanation points to Proton, anti-cheat, a launcher, or other middleware, the obstacle is at the system or software layer. Buying a different controller, a dock, or a faster storage card does not change that assessment.
Valve may review a title again later, so an Unsupported label is a statement about the current listing, not a prediction that the game can never work. If you are considering waiting, set your own reminder to check the Store page again rather than relying on an undated claim that the status will change.
What should I do if the rating is Unknown?
Unknown means Valve has not checked the game. It provides no Valve-backed confirmation either way. Some untested games may run well, while others may fail at launch or have serious control and display problems; the label alone cannot distinguish them.
Decide whether you are comfortable buying without the Deck assessment. Do not substitute another platform’s compatibility label, a generic gamepad icon, or a Windows requirement for the Deck-specific rating. If you proceed, keep the purchase channel and Steam’s refund conditions in mind, and recheck the Store page for any later review.
Can I get a refund if the game does not suit my Deck?
For eligible games bought through Steam, Valve’s standard refund offer is a request made within 14 days of purchase and with less than two hours of playtime. These are policy thresholds, not a guaranteed outcome in every case. Valve says people can still request consideration outside the standard rules, but an exception is not assured.
Valve’s Steam refund policy does not cover purchases made outside Steam, such as third-party keys. Check the current policy and the channel through which you bought the game before relying on a refund as a fallback. A short trial is not risk-free: playtime can accumulate quickly, and a key bought elsewhere is governed by that seller’s terms rather than Steam’s standard process.
How should I compare games that have different badges?
Start with the compatibility category, then compare the actual evidence behind it. A Verified game is the simpler out-of-box choice. A Playable game may still be a good purchase if its one manual step suits you. An Unsupported title has a stated current failure that you should take seriously. An Unknown title requires you to accept unconfirmed compatibility.
For two Playable games, compare their specific instructions rather than treating them as equivalent. “Select a community controller configuration” and “use the touchscreen to navigate a launcher” impose different kinds of effort. For an Unsupported game, compare the reason and whether it involves Proton or middleware; a controller tweak is not a substitute for a system fix. For Unknown titles, decide how much uncertainty you are willing to take on.
Once two games are Verified, compare the games themselves separately: genre, price, content, reviews, storage needs, and your preferences. The Verified badge is not a ranking of quality and does not say that one Verified game is better than another.
Does installing a game on a microSD card change its Verified status?
No. Storage capacity and compatibility are separate. Installing a game on a card does not change Valve’s rating or make an incompatible game Verified. Valve’s basic-use guidance supports UHS-I class 3 or better cards for Steam Deck. Faster UHS-II and UHS-III transfer speeds are not supported. Choose storage for capacity and supported performance, not as a compatibility fix.
The same distinction applies to internal storage, a dock, a mouse, and other accessories. They can affect where or how you interact with an installed game, but they do not alter the badge on the Store page.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Checking only a search filter: Filters help discovery, but the individual Store page contains the current details and caveat.
- Assuming Unknown means Unsupported: Unknown is untested, not a confirmed failure.
- Assuming Playable means identical for every game: Read the workaround because the required effort varies.
- Assuming Verified is a performance guarantee: Valve’s 30-fps-at-800p criterion is a review standard, not an unchanging benchmark for every scene or update.
- Confusing Deck compatibility with desktop requirements: A Deck badge does not replace the game’s PC requirements for a desktop purchase.
- Relying on an old screenshot: Ratings can be revisited after Proton changes or corrected test data.
- Expecting an accessory to cure Unsupported: A dock or controller can address limited interaction friction, not a Proton or middleware incompatibility.
- Ignoring the purchase channel: Steam’s standard refund policy does not cover third-party keys.
A quick pre-purchase checklist
- Open the exact game’s live Steam Store page.
- Find and expand Steam Deck Compatibility.
- Record whether the badge is Verified, Playable, Unsupported, or Unknown.
- If it is Playable or Unsupported, read the complete reason and every required step.
- Ask whether the workaround fits your controls, eyesight, preferred seating, and tolerance for setup.
- Recheck the page immediately before checkout.
- If buying through Steam, remember the 14-day and under-two-hour standard refund thresholds; do not assume the same protection for a third-party key.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does installing a game on a microSD card change its Steam Deck Verified status?
No. Storage capacity and compatibility are separate: a card does not change Valve’s rating or make an incompatible game Verified. Valve supports UHS-I class 3 or better cards; faster UHS-II and UHS-III transfer speeds are not supported.
Is Steam Deck Verified a separate edition of a game?
No. It is a compatibility assessment attached to a game’s Steam listing, not a separate Deck edition. The rating concerns how the game works on Deck, rather than the quality or content of the game.
Does Steam Deck Verified tell me whether a game will work well on a desktop PC?
Not by itself. Valve’s assessment focuses on Deck-specific factors such as controller input, display legibility, launcher navigation, Proton, and middleware; check the game’s PC requirements separately for a desktop decision.
Can a Playable game become Verified later?
It can be reassessed. Valve describes ongoing reviews and automatic re-reviews after changes such as Proton updates or reports of inaccurate test data. Check the live Store page for the current status rather than relying on an old label.
Is Unknown the same as Unsupported on Steam Deck?
No. Unknown means Valve has not checked the game. Unsupported means Valve’s current assessment finds it not functional. Unknown confirms neither success nor failure.
Will a dock make an Unsupported game work?
No. A dock and USB mouse may help with a narrow input or launcher inconvenience in a Playable game. They do not fix Proton, anti-cheat, middleware, or other system incompatibilities identified under Unsupported.
Does Verified guarantee 30 fps everywhere?
No. Valve’s developer checklist uses a playable default configuration at 30 fps and 800p as a review criterion. It is not a promise of an unwavering frame rate in every scene, setting, or future version.
Do LCD and OLED Steam Decks have different Verified ratings?
Valve says tested titles retain their Steam Deck Verified ratings across LCD and OLED models. The shared rating does not promise identical performance in every game or update.
Can I rely on Steam’s refund policy if I buy a key elsewhere?
No. Valve’s standard refund policy applies to eligible purchases made through Steam and generally uses a 14-day, under-two-hour threshold. Third-party keys are outside that policy and follow the seller’s terms.
Are Verified games better than Playable games?
Not necessarily. Verified describes out-of-box Deck compatibility, while Playable describes a game that works with a manual adjustment. The badge is not a quality ranking; compare games, prices, content, and reviews separately.
The Bottom Line
Open the game’s live Steam Store page, expand Steam Deck Compatibility, and read the actual explanation. Verified is out-of-box compatibility; Playable can require a specific workaround; Unsupported is currently nonfunctional; and Unknown is simply untested. Recheck near checkout, and treat Steam’s refund rules as conditional rather than guaranteed.