When I first purchased the Steam Deck, I immediately fell in love with it. Not only was it different from the Nintendo Switch, but it also allowed me to play a huge selection of indie games and even some AA/AAA titles—albeit with a bit of tweaking. However, times have been tough for Valve’s handheld PC, and it’s just not the same machine it once was, especially if you’re trying to stay on top of the latest releases.
Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not suggesting you toss your beloved Steam Deck into the trash while wondering how much the next version or another handheld will cost you. That would be silly. But it’s time to be realistic. The Steam Deck’s biggest selling point is its ability to play games on the go. Unfortunately, that library—especially when it comes to newer titles—continues to shrink. Many AA and AAA games that are released today are pushing even powerful PCs to their limits, yet people still expect the Steam Deck to handle them, only to be disappointed when it can’t.
Everywhere I turn, I see articles like, “Make your Steam Deck run this game by doing this,” or videos saying, “Yes, your Steam Deck can run this game with these tweaks.” But here’s the truth: they’re often terrible solutions. Sure, they might squeeze a few extra frames, but at what cost? Some guides recommend dropping all settings to their lowest just to get a game running. That might work for some, but it also ruins the vision the developers intended. Playing a game where your character looks like a polygon mess? Not my idea of fun.
But wait—what about games that run just fine on the Steam Deck? And didn’t Ubisoft announce that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will run on the device? Sure, some games still work well. But the reality is, as games increasingly require upscaling and technical wizardry, these successes are becoming rarer. For every AAA game that runs on the Steam Deck, there are dozens more that don’t.
In my opinion, both Valve and game developers share some blame here. The term “Steam Deck Verified” needs to go—especially for AA and AAA games. Valve shouldn’t encourage developers to label games as Verified just because they technically run. There’s a big difference between running and barely running—like the difference between breathing freely and gasping for air. Sure, it’s still breathing, but wouldn’t you rather do so without struggling?
For a handheld PC that was released two years ago with an underpowered CPU and GPU—decent for its time—its moment in the spotlight is fading. Newer devices like the ROG Ally, Lenovo Go, and recently the updated MSI Claw are stealing the spotlight as they provide better performance, though they come at a higher and unrealistic cost. And let’s be real—these devices can’t even handle the AAA games that mid to high-end PCs struggle with.
And that’s okay. The Steam Deck can still be a fantastic device—more than capable of running indie games, games that don’t require the power of a cutting-edge, energy-hungry PC, and console emulation. That’s where it shines. Honestly, if all you play are indie games or games that aren’t power-hungry, you’ll be perfectly happy with a Steam Deck. Maybe Valve’s next Steam Deck will pack more power—but even then, with newer games requiring upscaling and frame generation, I’m not sure it will be enough. But I’m no fortune teller. Only time will tell.
Enough doom and gloom from me. Go play some Hades 2, Balatro, Sonic Mania, Hi-Fi Rush, Dark Souls (any of them), or even Vampire Survivors—they all run great on the Steam Deck.
