Did you manage to get your hands on a Steam Deck? Congratulations, you’re part of the lucky early adopters who get to experience Valve’s exciting, handheld spin on PC gaming. With Steam Deck, you can take your vast Steam library on the go—but where should you start?
Steam Decks run a version of Linux, but unlike Valve’s ill-fated Steam Machines, they use the Proton compatibility layer to run many Windows games with little to no issues. However, getting a Windows game to idyllically run takes work, due to the SteamOS operating system, as well as the optimization process for the Deck’s powerful, but portable, specs. That’s why Valve created a rating system, Deck Verified, to let you know how well a game runs on Steam Deck. It checks everything from input support to how well you can read the text on the 7-inch screen.
You can check for Verified games while browsing on Steam Deck itself, but SteamDB has a database that spotlights the games that should perform great on the handheld. This list already has hundreds of games, and should only grow larger the longer Steam Deck is on the market.
We used SteamDB to put together a Steam Deck starter pack, a list of fantastic games any Steam Deck owner should check out. They’re all verified, and they’re all largely single-player experiences, so you shouldn’t have to worry about constant online connections or meddlesome anti-cheat software. We also tried to avoid games already available on the Nintendo Switch; we focused on next-gen games that we’ve never played in portable form.
So, whether you’ve never played these games, or want to play them for the first time on the go, check out these PC games on your new Steam Deck.
