Since its official release, the Steam Deck has begun offering new possibilities for gaming, and the only thing that seems to stand in its way is which games are supported and which don't currently work. Unrestricted access to home PC gaming on the go, with highly customizable Steam Deck features like intro videos, is a dream many have had in the past, one that the powerful hand-held device makes a reality. Boasting the entire Steam library, the Steam Deck seems like an easy competitor for the Nintendo Switch or other handheld devices, trading the Switch's simplicity for more power. However, despite containing the whole library, many games are unavailable to play or don't work correctly on the new system, leaving many disappointed and without their favorite games.
While the Steam Deck boasts the power to run almost every game on this list, usually the issues boil down to a software problem or inconsistency. This is generally caused by the operating system of the Steam Deck, which is Linux based, and often conflicts with many games' anti-cheat software, especially Easy Anti-Cheat. These kinds of Steam Deck issues prove the Switch isn't obsolete, although Valve is currently working on fixes for many of these issues, in addition to individual developers working to get their games better supported. But the process has been slow, with games like Apex Legends taking a long while to become playable. Other games don't allow for the Steam Deck to function due to inconsistencies with the way expansions work, or have impossible-to-navigate menus that render things unplayable. Currently, Valve is looking into fixing these problems, though in the meantime, these games have scored an Unsupported for Steam Deck tag on Steam.
When getting a Steam Deck for the first time, many fans were disappointed when their favorite Multi-player games, including Dragon Ball FighterZ, Dead By Daylight and Destiny 2 all had compatibility problems with the system. On top of this, some single player games are considered to be unsupported on the Steam Deck, including The Sims 3 and Batman: Arkham Knight. All of these games, though they could potentially work with a certain amount of tinkering, function suboptimally on the device, even when the incompatibilities are fixed.
Steam Deck With Destiny 2 Doesn't Allow Grinding On The Go
Destiny 2, Bungie's focus after Halo, is a first-person, Action MMORPG which tasks players with completing quests and gearing characters in a Sci-fi environment. Although many were thrilled for the opportunity to grind one of the biggest multiplayer games on Steam outside their homes, they quickly learned that the game on Steam Deck wasn't compatible with the anti-cheat software that Destiny 2 was using, preventing players from opening the game. Players who fixed the issue would eventually be flagged as a cheater in the game and promptly banned. In the end, though it seemed like it had promising potential on the console, Destiny 2 ended up being one of its biggest disappointments.
Dragon Ball FighterZ Has To Keep Its Fighting At Home Without Steam Deck Support
Another game that has incompatibilities with anti-cheat software is the popular fighting game, based on hit anime Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball FighterZ. This game, as well as the next entry of this list, uses the Easy Anti-Cheat software, which has known issues with the Steam Deck's operating system. For this game however, players truly committed to fighting alongside characters like recent Dragon Ball FighterZ DLC fusion Gogeta (SS4), can once again use 3rd party software to bypass starting the game with Anti-Cheat. Any person hoping to do so however should steer clear of the Online game modes, as venturing into these may lead to a ban. Though many people play the game purely for the competitive aspect of the Online game modes, having a device to practice on while out and about might not entirely be a deal-breaker.
Dead By Daylight May Be Fixed Soon, But Is Currently Unavailable For Steam Deck
Multiplayer horror game Dead by Daylight, is once again unavailable due to anti-cheat incompatibilities, ending the dream of those hoping for some hiding and horror on the go. Once again, due to the huge popularity of the game on platforms like Twitch and YouTube, many players were eager to try out this game on the new Steam Deck and were once again met with the Unsupported tag on its Steam page. However, for all three games, especially Dead by Daylight, there may be hope for them to become compatible with the Steam Deck in the future, especially since Apex Legends recently had the same issue fixed.
The Sims 3 Is Strangely Unsupported By Valve's Steam Deck
One bizarre unsupported game on the Steam Deck is The Sims 3, the hugely popular simulation game where you control the lives of various created characters. Despite its successor, The Sims 4, which is playable for free in some apps, working on the Steam Deck, many people have had problems running The Sims 3 without the assistance of 3rd party software. While most people have moved on to the latest of the series, many still like to revisit the more simplistic versions of the game. Due to multiple problems arising from the way expansions are integrated into the game, anyone hoping to dip into the nostalgia of The Sims 3 may have to strictly play at home.
Batman: Arkham Knight & Origins Won't Work On Steam Deck Either
Finally, another game that seems like it should work on the Steam Deck yet doesn't is Batman: Arkham Knight and Batman: Arkham Origins. Though Arkham City, the game regarded to be the best of the series, is cautiously playable, with only a few menus being difficult to navigate, the other two games of the series have earned an Unsupported tag on Steam, for unspecified reasons. For anyone looking forward to trying previous Batman games, especially with the new release of Gotham Knights, a home console or personal computer would function much better, but sadly prevent players from taking these games on the go.
Despite being incompatible with the system fresh out of the box, many players have found various bypasses for these issues, opting to download 3rd party software. Though for many games, this should only be a temporary solution, with Valve quickly working on fixes for each of the problems that these games have. Even with these problems, the Steam Deck still provides a leap forward into the future for gaming consoles, ushering in a new age of portable gaming. In the meantime, while Valve works on its solutions, the Steam Deck outshines even worthy competitors, boasting an extremely large library of games that work, finally bringing the power of a personal computer to a portable system.