The Problem With Steam Deck Compatibility Ratings

Summary

The Steam Deck's compatibility with a vast array of games has been a revelation, showcasing Linux's capabilities. With over 16,000 games verified or playable, and up to 22,000 according to community reviews, the device has made Linux gaming more accessible. However, issues persist, particularly with anti-cheat systems and games erroneously marked playable or verified. The speaker suggests improvements, such as redefining 'unsupported' as 'unoptimized' and leveraging community feedback to refine game ratings. They recommend users consult ProtonDB for more accurate game compatibility information.

Takeaways

• 🆕 The Steam Deck has significantly expanded Linux gaming possibilities, with 16,000 games verified or playable by Valve, and up to 22,000 according to community reviews.
• 🚫 There are ongoing compatibility issues with certain games, particularly those with anti-cheat systems that have not enabled Linux support despite being compatible.
• 🔍 The script highlights the importance of accurate game status representation to avoid misleading users about game compatibility on the Steam Deck.
• 🛠️ Valve's Steam Deck compatibility review process categorizes games into 'Verified', 'Playable', and 'Unsupported' based on specific criteria like controller support and resolution compatibility.
• ❌ The 'Unsupported' tag is criticized for potentially causing a loss of sales for games that might work with some tweaks or updates.
• 💡 A suggestion is made to replace 'Unsupported' with 'Unoptimized' to better reflect the possibility of a game working with adjustments.
• 🔄 The script proposes improvements to the Steam Deck's compatibility rating system, including community feedback integration and reevaluation of the current rating criteria.
• 👥 Valve is encouraged to collaborate with ProtonDB to leverage community data and feedback for a more accurate and dynamic compatibility rating system.
• 🤔 The speaker recommends users to consult ProtonDB for a more reliable assessment of game compatibility on Linux and Steam Deck, rather than relying solely on Valve's ratings.
• 🎮 Personal anecdotes and recommendations are shared, such as the user's experience with the Steam Deck and suggestions for games that work well on the device.

Q & A

What is the significance of the Steam Deck in the context of Linux gaming?

The Steam Deck signifies a major step forward for Linux gaming, demonstrating that Linux is a capable system for gaming with a large library of verified and playable games, much like the initial launch of Proton showed the potential of Linux for gaming.

How many games are marked as verified or playable by Valve on the Steam Deck?

Valve directly marks 16,000 games as verified or playable on the Steam Deck, and when including community reviews, around 22,000 games are considered playable.

What are some of the issues faced by certain games on the Steam Deck?

Some games, particularly those in the top 10 list, still face issues with anti-cheat systems that do not support Linux, despite the system being Linux-supported.

What is the difference between a game being marked as 'verified' versus 'playable' on the Steam Deck?

A 'verified' game passes all compatibility checks and requires no configuration work for users, while a 'playable' game functions on the Steam Deck but may require manual user intervention.

What does the term 'unsupported' mean in the context of Steam Deck compatibility?

'Unsupported' indicates that a game has blocking bugs or performance problems specific to Proton, and it is not functional on the Steam Deck until these issues are resolved.

How does Valve's internal issue tracking system work with the Steam Deck compatibility review process?

If a game's Steam Deck compatibility review reveals issues, they are added to Valve's internal issue tracking system, and the game is marked as 'unsupported' until the issues are fixed.

What suggestions are made to improve the Steam Deck compatibility rating system?

It is suggested to eliminate the 'unsupported' tag in favor of 'unoptimized' to better communicate the game's potential performance on the Steam Deck. Additionally, incorporating community feedback more directly into the rating system is proposed.

Why is it recommended to ignore Valve's compatibility ratings according to the speaker?

The speaker recommends ignoring Valve's compatibility ratings because they may not accurately reflect the community's experience, and ProtonDB provides a more reliable and community-informed source of compatibility information.

What is ProtonDB and how does it relate to the Steam Deck?

ProtonDB is a community-driven database that provides user feedback and reviews on the compatibility of games with Proton, which is used on the Steam Deck. It is seen as a more accurate resource for game compatibility than Valve's own ratings.

How can users provide feedback on a game's compatibility with the Steam Deck?

Users can provide feedback on a game's compatibility by reporting their experience after playing the game on the Steam Deck, which can then be used to adjust the game's rating.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 Steam Deck's Linux Gaming Revolution

The Steam Deck has significantly advanced Linux gaming, with over 16,000 games verified or playable by Valve, and up to 22,000 according to community reviews. Despite some games having issues, particularly those with anti-cheat systems not supporting Linux, the device has proven Linux's capability. The script emphasizes the importance of accurate game status presentation to users, such as 'verified', 'playable', or 'unsupported', to prevent misinterpretation. It also discusses the potential negative impact of incorrect game status labeling on sales and the need for quick information updates when issues are identified. The paragraph concludes with an introduction to the Steam Deck compatibility review process, explaining the criteria for each category and the importance of transparency and accuracy in game categorization.

05:08

🔍 Rethinking Steam Deck Compatibility Tags

The speaker suggests improvements to the Steam Deck's game compatibility system, proposing the removal of the 'unsupported' tag in favor of an 'unoptimized' label to better communicate potential game performance. They recommend focusing the 'unsupported' tag on games with guaranteed incompatibilities, such as those with heavy anti-cheat systems or VR requirements. The paragraph also discusses the value of community feedback, suggesting a system where users can report their experiences to help refine game categorizations. The speaker praises Valve's existing mechanisms for gathering user feedback and proposes integrating community insights with Valve's internal testing to enhance the accuracy of game compatibility ratings.

10:13

🤔 Beyond Valve's Ratings: Trusting Community Insights

The speaker expresses skepticism about Valve's compatibility ratings, advocating for users to rely more on ProtonDB for accurate game compatibility information. They highlight ProtonDB's detailed breakdown of game performance on various systems and its community-driven approach to resolving issues. The paragraph concludes with a call for viewers to share their Steam Deck gaming experiences and an invitation to support the content through Patreon, SubscribeStar, and Liberpay. The speaker also shares their personal Steam Deck gaming choices, hinting at a preference for playing through the Ys series.

Keywords

💡Steam Deck

The Steam Deck is a handheld gaming device developed by Valve Corporation. It is designed to run games from the Steam platform, which is a digital distribution platform for video games. In the script, the Steam Deck is central to the discussion as it showcases the capability of Linux as a gaming platform. The script mentions that thousands of games are marked as verified or playable on the Steam Deck, indicating its broad compatibility with existing games.

💡Proton

Proton is a compatibility layer developed by Valve that allows users to run Windows-based games on Linux operating systems. It was initially launched to demonstrate that Linux gaming was possible and has since evolved. The script refers to Proton's original launch and how it has expanded the list of games that can be played on Linux, now including the Steam Deck.

💡Linux gaming

Linux gaming refers to the practice of playing video games on Linux-based operating systems. The script highlights the evolution of Linux gaming, from a limited selection of compatible games to a vast library of playable titles on the Steam Deck, showcasing the growth and capability of Linux as a viable platform for gaming.

💡Verified games

In the context of the Steam Deck, 'verified' games are those that pass all compatibility checks and require no configuration work for users to access all game functionality. The script discusses the importance of accurate labeling of games as verified, playable, or unsupported to ensure users are not misled about a game's compatibility with the Steam Deck.

💡Playable games

Games marked as 'playable' on the Steam Deck function on the device but may require manual user intervention. The script points out that there can be discrepancies in how games are categorized, with some playable games potentially being mislabeled as verified or unsupported, which can affect user expectations and game sales.

💡Unsupported games

The term 'unsupported' in the script refers to games that have blocking bugs or performance issues specific to the Steam Deck's compatibility layer and are not functional without fixes. The script suggests that the label 'unsupported' might be misleading and proposes alternatives to better reflect a game's compatibility status.

💡Compatibility review process

The compatibility review process is a set of criteria that Valve uses to evaluate how well a game works on the Steam Deck. The script explains that games are categorized as verified, playable, or unsupported based on this process, which includes checks for controller support, text input, resolution support, and other factors.

💡Anti-cheat

Anti-cheat systems are measures implemented in games to prevent cheating. The script notes that some games with anti-cheat systems are not marked as compatible with Linux or the Steam Deck, even though the underlying system supports Linux, which can be confusing for users looking for games that will work on their devices.

💡ProtonDB

ProtonDB is a community-driven database that provides user-submitted reviews and compatibility ratings for games on Linux using Proton. The script suggests that users might find ProtonDB more reliable than Valve's own compatibility ratings, as it is updated with community feedback and can provide a more accurate picture of a game's performance on Linux.

💡Community feedback

Community feedback refers to the input from users who have tested and played games on the Steam Deck. The script proposes that incorporating this feedback into the compatibility review process could improve the accuracy of game ratings and help Valve correct any mislabeling of games as verified, playable, or unsupported.

Highlights

The Steam Deck has revitalized the perception of Linux gaming, similar to the initial launch of Proton.

Valve has verified or marked 16,000 games as playable on Linux, with community reviews suggesting 22,000 are playable.

Some games, particularly those with anti-cheat systems, still lack Linux support despite being compatible.

Mislabeling of games as playable or verified when they have serious issues can mislead users.

The importance of accurate information presentation to users regarding game compatibility statuses.

The Steam Deck compatibility review process is publicly documented and outlines criteria for game categories.

Games are categorized as verified, playable, or unsupported based on specific criteria.

The 'unsupported' tag is considered too negative and could be replaced with 'unoptimized' for better clarity.

Suggestion to eliminate the 'unsupported' tag and only apply it to games guaranteed not to work.

Valve's system for aggregating user feedback could be used to improve game compatibility ratings.

Proposing a collaborative effort with ProtonDB to leverage community feedback for game compatibility.

The current Steam Deck compatibility rating system may not reflect the true state of games.

Recommendation to ignore Valve's compatibility ratings and refer to ProtonDB for more accurate information.

ProtonDB provides detailed breakdowns of game compatibility across different systems.

The video encourages viewers to share their Steam Deck gaming experiences and preferences.

Transcripts

The Steam Deck is a really cool device, much like when Proton originally launched and people

learned that Linux gaming was now actually possible, now it's shown people once again

that Linux is a capable system. The only difference is the list isn't seven or nine games long like

it was back when Proton was first announced. Now, 16,000 games are marked verified or playable by

Valve directly and if you include community reviews of at least one, 22,000 games are playable.

And don't get me wrong, there are still issues with some games out there especially those involving

anti-cheat in the top 10 list which for some reason still don't go and enable the Linux support

when they're using a system that is supported by Linux. I don't understand why they don't do this.

Whatever and of course there are issues with mistakes being made along the way where a game

is marked as playable but it's actually supposed to be verified or a game is marked as verified but

has some serious game breaking issues that make it so it's just not going to function on this thing

let alone on desktop Linux or Chrome OS and things like that. What I think is a lot more important

is how that information is presented to the user so if they see a game as verified, playable,

unsupported, how the information is portrayed to them to make sure that when there are mistakes

they aren't misled into thinking that something is in a worse state or a better state than it

actually is and when those mistakes are discovered not just by Valve but by the community how that

is handled to make sure the information gets updated in as quick of a state as is possible.

Being marked as verified or playable when it's actually in a worse state I don't think is as

bad as a game that is supposed to be playable or verified being marked as unsupported. In those

cases that can lead to a loss of sale that the developer just didn't have any control over.

Before we can talk about how to better handle this system we need to understand how the system

actually works how a game is supposed to end up in certain categories. This is done with the Steam

Deck compatibility review process all of which is publicly available in their documentation

so verified your game passes all compatibility checks no configuration work is required for

users to access all game functionality playable is your game functions on deck but may require

manual user intervention so the criteria being used is all of this controller support correct

controller glyphs text input resolution support for what the Steam Deck natively runs at default

configuration that is playable on the Steam Deck text legibility on the screen of the Steam Deck

no device compatibility warnings and if you have a launcher it's recommended that you don't have a

launcher the launcher needs to be controller driven if your game meets all of this criteria

works exactly like it should on the Steam Deck no Steam Deck specific bugs that game is going to

mark as verified if any of this criteria is not met for example you have an old game like the old

East games which have a launcher but the launcher is keyboard and mouse driven that game can still be

marked as playable but it won't be verified until that issue is fixed now unsupported is the bottom

tier if your game's Steam Deck compatibility review turns up blocking bugs or performance

problems specific to Proton those issues will be added to our internal issue tracking system

and your game will appear with an unsupported badge once the issue has been resolved will

automatically notify you and retest your game stated in another way unsupported means the game

is currently not functional on the Steam Deck recently this post made it past my twitter feed

yeah it runs on stovetop timers github commit history boxes pure css and pregnancy tests

honestly I believe half of those things but you have to draw the line somewhere Steam Deck

compatibility unsupported now this is a special case where it did make sense because it was running

on the old engine and recently there was a new engine re-release that is running nicely on

modern hardware modern hardware including the Steam Deck and now the game is going to be

rechecked and is probably going to be marked as verified but I understand why it was like this

however it did get me thinking about my own Steam Library what games in here are marked as unsupported

that are very clearly not unsupported games that haven't been updated games that never

had an issue running on the Steam Deck games that were working perfectly fine before the

Steam Deck even came out maybe these games I'm cycling through on screen shouldn't be in the

verified category some of them have annoying launches and would still fall into the playable

category small text is also often a problem you'll see especially for older games that are just

made to be played on a big TV screen but I can say for an absolute fact none of these games

should be marked as unsupported and again with 16 000 games cross both playable and verified

mistakes are going to happen and it's kind of unreasonable to go back and test out random

little games that frankly most people don't really care about like how many people are actually going

to care if Ys Origin, Ty 3, Holocure are marked as unsupported on the Steam Deck

Holocure probably the most out of all of them but even then it's just not really that big of a deal

but I think there are some changes that could be made to drastically improve the system to make

sure this doesn't keep happening in the future firstly I would probably just eliminate the

unsupported tag entirely and replace it with something like unoptimized where it doesn't say

the game isn't going to work on the Steam Deck whatsoever it's just saying okay it might work

on the Steam Deck but your mileage may vary you might need to make some tweaks you might do

something and then it might work but it's not explicitly saying this is definitely not going

to work which is the impression that people seem to get from the unsupported tag and

i understand it because that's what it says on the Steam Deck compatibility unsupported is supposed

to mean it won't work on the Steam Deck along with this or doing this I would also go and

change the way the unsupported is added and make sure it's only being put on games that

basically are guaranteed to not work things like very heavy anti-cheat where the developers just

haven't enabled it VR because the Steam Deck is not a VR device so obviously it is unsupported

also requiring some sort of like unique input control that doesn't match what the Steam Deck has

but this only partially addresses the problem it doesn't fix the issue of the ratings just

being misapplied a game that is verified that is not supposed to be verified a game that is

playable there's not supposed to be playable if unoptimized or unsupported is there a game still

having that rating and not supposed to be in that category any longer the thing is Valve already has

all of the pieces in place to fix this issue and they've already implemented part of the way there

but they've just haven't connected everything together firstly when you play a game on the

Steam Deck and you quit out of the game it'll say hey does verified, playable, unsupported

match your experience with the game you can say yes no and I believe there's a maybe option as well

okay this is one thing this is a way to give a bit of feedback about the current state of the game

secondly there's been a recent addition to the Steam reviews now if you played on a Steam Deck

it'll say this game was primarily played on a Steam Deck and this person noticed that this is a

game that is marked as unsupported but runs perfectly fine on the Steam Deck thirdly Valve

already has a system for aggregating user feedback and aggregating feedback based on when it was given

in the form of the review system so you might already see where i'm going here what i'd like to

see from Valve is keep your internal testing system keep the criteria for what a verified playable

and unsupported game is whilst i don't like this system i really doubt unsupported is going to go

away but I do like criteria for what makes a game actually verified this is perfectly fine

keep the system keep doing your testing but alongside having your internal testing

also do something like we see from ProtonDB and make it this even better a collaborative effort

with ProtonDB where you can build off their already existing large data set and then

have a way for the community to give direct feedback about the current state of a game

so if a game is marked as verified and players who have a Steam Deck on their account who played

the game on a Steam Deck because I know you already have that information because you can

show it in the reviews if those people say the game is not actually verified it has this issue

that issue you can then use that as a guidepost to then possibly lower it down if players play an

unsupported game and that game works perfectly fine not with Proton ge but with a mainline version

of Proton use that as a guidepost to indicate maybe there's something we need to retest and have that

shown directly next to the game like it's already being shown with your review status where people

can say a game is really good and it shows very positive there if it could show unsupported and

then right under that use a feedback verified use a feedback playable or maybe use some other

different rating system like very playable something like that so it doesn't like step over

your current system but have a way to keep your testing in check using the people who obviously

want to play the games who obviously are already willing to write reviews and do other things like

this make use of that large community that is there to sort of outsource some of that work

but here's the thing this is probably not gonna happen so because that's the case i don't think

you should pay any attention to what Valve says the compatibility rating of a game actually is

they can do the testing all they want but if the testing is gonna just not make any sense and is

not going to be informed by the community I would say just ignore what they have and just look at

ProtonDB because here you're gonna find out the state the games are actually in let's say I don't

know what is Age of Empire's 3 Definitive Edition this will also break it down by the

different system you want to play on so we have PC reviews we have Steam depth reviews we have

okay there's no one just done ChromeOS one cares about ChromeOS, but yeah ChromeOS reviews are also

supported on ProtonDB as well but you can then break this down and if there are problems you can

then see what was done with a game that potentially ends up fixing it this is what i do every single

time I don't pay any attention to what it says on the Steam Deck let's say I wanted to play

Black Myth: Wukong for example which I wouldn't recommend playing on a Steam Deck because it

looks really really good and um you cannot really configure it to run well on the Steam Deck but

assuming it's a game that is going to run well or just generally on linux desktop this is where I go

to this is always a good resource but what do you think do you think the Steam Deck compatibility

rating is totally fine do you ever look at it do you just go to ProtonDB I would love to know so if

you liked video go like video and if you really liked video and you want to become one over these

amazing people over here check out the Patreon, SubscribeStar, Liberpay linked in the description down below

and if you have a Steam Deck let me know what you've been playing on it the last thing i played

on this was uh Ys 1 & 2 so I'll probably play through most of the rest of the series on

this thing anyway