Optimizing Your Game for Steam Deck: 6 Essential Tips from Valve

The Steam Deck, a portable gaming device by Valve, has been made widely available for purchase, making it an ideal time for developers to ensure their games are compatible with the device. According to Erik Peterson, the process of optimizing a game for Steam Deck is relatively straightforward and requires minimal extra work. He notes that many games already work seamlessly on the Steam Deck without any additional configuration, thanks to Proton, the compatibility layer that enables Windows games to run on Linux. However, to enhance the player experience, Peterson suggests several key considerations. Valve categorizes Steam Deck games into four compatibility ratings: Verified, Playable, Unsupported, and Unknown. To achieve the 'Verified' rating, games must pass all compatibility checks, allowing users to access all in-game functionality without requiring any manual configuration. Peterson emphasizes the importance of ensuring controller support, as the Steam Deck is essentially a handheld gaming PC with a built-in controller. He recommends that all in-game functionality should be accessible via the default controller configuration, which is a requirement for the 'Verified on Deck' badge. Developers should also ensure that their games do not require launchers that may prevent users from accessing the game on the Steam Deck. Instead, all game functionality should be integrated into the game client. Additionally, Valve recommends using Steam Cloud to handle automatic transfers of save data, avoiding the syncing of game configuration settings, and testing games without online connectivity to ensure they work offline. Furthermore, developers should ensure that text is legible on the Steam Deck's smaller screen, and that onscreen keyboards are automatically brought up when players need to enter text. By following these guidelines, developers can optimize their games for the Steam Deck, providing a seamless and enjoyable experience for players.