Steam Deck ~ PC Switch

[Infinitron]

Review fucking everything: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-deck-compatibility-interview

Exclusive: Here's how you'll know which games will run on Valve's Steam Deck
We speak to Valve about their Steam Deck compatibility review programme



Valve have always maintained that the Steam Deck is closer to a conventional PC than a handheld console, and as such should be able to run your existing library of games on Steam. But while the official Steam Deck Twitter is full of videos showing games performing well on dev kits, the compatibility status of many more games remains up in the air. That could just be through a lack of confirmation, or it could be deep-lying technical issues relating to hardware requirements or anti-cheat services that needed tweaks to work on the Deck’s Proton-based OS. Ahead of the planned December launch, Valve have unveiled their plan to bring clarity on whether specific games will be able to run (and run effectively) on the Steam Deck.

It’s an ambitious plan, too: Steam games, of which there are tens of thousands, will be manually reviewed by Valve themselves, and assigned to a category denoting how well they work on the Steam Deck. This reviewing process will focus on four key attributes: input support, native display resolution support (with readable text), general hardware compatibility and compatibility with Proton, including middleware like anti-cheat.

Games that meet all these criteria will find themselves in the ‘Verified’ category, whereas some will enter the ‘Playable’ category if they mostly work outside of needing some settings changes on the user’s part. The ‘Unsupported’ category will cover games that aren’t sufficiently functional on the Steam Deck, and the final ‘Unknown’ category will contain games that Valve haven’t reviewed yet. When you’re browsing Steam on the Steam Deck, games will display a badge marking their category (and thus degree of compatibility), hopefully making it much easier to know which of your collection will perform on the portable PC. Steam’s library section will also get a new ‘Great on Deck’ tab solely containing games with Verified status, and even before the Steam Deck is released, Valve are aiming to let Steam users see which of their games will be compatible on launch.


Those green checkmarks show the game has achieved Verified status, and should run without trouble.

To find out more about how the review and category system will work, I mailed some questions to Valve, and was replied to jointly by Steam Deck designers Greg Coomer and Lawrence Yang, who previously chatted to Katharine about the Steam Deck on its initial reveal. Here’s what they had to say about the newly-announced compatibility programme, the criteria for Verified status, how Valve and other developers are collaborating to bring games to the Steam Deck, and a sadly hypothetical Gordon Freeman typing trainer.

Steam has a lot of games. What kind of resources are being put towards reviewing the entire catalogue, and how much will stay in place to review future game releases?

Steam does have a lot of games, and Valve is putting significant effort into this review program. We've hired an additional group of testers specifically for Steam Deck compatibility, and will continue to hire additional staff to support this group. It will take time to review the Steam catalog (in addition to the new titles that are being launched all the time), and we see some version of this process being in place for the foreseeable future.

How’s the review process going so far? Are you happy with the number of Verified and Playable games coming through?

The review process is going well, and we are generally happy with the spread of compatibility ratings we're seeing so far- especially given that up until now developers haven't had a specific set of targets to aim for.

‘Playable’ games may require some user tweaking – what kind of tweaks are we talking?

Some examples of this would be titles that require a player to manually select a community controller config, require players to manually bring up the on-screen keyboard for text input, or requires them to use the touchscreen to navigate a launcher.

Spoiler

In terms of Proton support, we know some games use compatible anti-cheat like Easy Anti-Cheat and BattlEye, but their developers haven’t fully committed to making sure their games will be ready for the Steam Deck at launch. What’s the mechanism for re-reviewing games that might not initially be playable, but gain full compatibility later?

It's really important for customers to know that compatibility information will be accurate, throughout the life of a game. We fully expect that some games will be reviewed multiple times - for example, when the developer releases a major update, addresses earlier compatibility failures to move their game into the Verified category, or when Valve fixes a Proton bug. There will also be re-reviews if there is community feedback that our rating is incorrect. On this note, we absolutely view Proton support issues as bugs for Valve to solve. Any Proton bugs encountered during compatibility testing are tracked, logged, and associated with the game being tested. As we fix these bugs, we can automatically re-test all the games that were affected by it.

How does the review process judge general performance? Presumably a game wouldn’t get Verified status if it ran at 12fps on its lowest settings.

Our team is primarily testing for a good experience on default settings. In terms of framerate, the floor is a minimum of 30fps to meet the Verified bar. To make this easier to target for developers, we've provided an API that allows them to tell whether their title is running on Steam Deck - so they can adjust default settings as needed.

Issues like Proton support seem more within Valve’s influence than, say, resolution support or text size. Will Valve be encouraging or offering support to developers to clear these other potential hurdles?

Definitely. In addition to providing these guidelines, we're continuing to add new tools to the Steamworks API to make developer lives easier on both Deck and PC. Older APIs like Steam Input are continually updated to make it easier for developers to support matching controller glyphs on all devices. We've also recently introduced new APIs for developers to more easily support on-screen keyboards, suspend/resume functionality, and other Deck technologies. We fully expect we'll continue expanding our support here in the future as developers tell us how we can be the most helpful.

On a similar note, how closely are you working with developers on the reviewing process itself? Or is it not even necessary for games that work well out of the box?

To be successful, this compatibility review process needs to serve both customers and developers. We've been working extensively with both groups to make sure the results of the testing process, as well as the process itself, help make shopping for and playing games on Deck more comfortable for everyone. As for developer involvement in the review process itself - they are involved at all steps. They can initiate a review, get feedback and notes whenever a game is reviewed, and can request a re-review if they make any big updates or improvements to their Steam Deck compatibility.



Will users be able to attempt to play ‘Unknown’, or unreviewed, games on their Steam Deck? Will there be a warning or is it an “at your own risk” kind of thing?

We want customers to be informed, but fundamentally the Deck is a gaming PC, and Valve doesn't want to be in the position of telling customers they're not allowed to do things on their own device. So yes, they will be able to purchase, install, and launch games that are categorized in the compatibility review as "Unknown", and we will make sure they're aware of the game's status before doing so.

Will the compatibility badges be visible when viewing games on a PC, or in the Steam mobile app? It would be good to see if a game works well on the Steam Deck even if you’re primarily playing on a desktop or laptop.

We plan to make the Steam Deck compatibility badge visible on PC for players who own a Steam Deck, and compatibility badges will also be discoverable via searching and tag browsing for everyone using the desktop version of Steam or the Steam web site. In addition, the team is currently working on a new feature, to be released before Steam Deck's launch, that will let players check the compatibility category of each of the games in their own library.

Having developed the criteria for Deck Verified status, is it still Valve’s intention for every game on Steam to be playable on the Steam Deck? Or to put it another way, is that still seen as a viable outcome?

We're going to get as close to 100% as we can. That said, not every game makes sense to bring to Steam Deck - for instance, we're all proud of Half Life: Alyx, but it's not a game that Steam Deck was meant to run. Same reasoning applies for a game like "Gordon Teaches Typing" (not a real game, don't try to look it up). Sure, you could plug a keyboard into Deck, but that's not the default experience so we wouldn't call a game like that a Verified title. In addition, there are some factors that are out of our control that can determine a title's compatibility - anti-cheat is a big one. We're working with major anti-cheat providers to have Proton support for launch, and while we've gotten to a great place with BattlEye support, Easy Anti-Cheat is a bit more complicated.

 

[Alter Sack]

I still think this thing is too big and heavy to be a success and will share the fate of the Sega Game Gear thirty years ago.

And I would be really surprised if the battery pack will last longer than two hours.

Isn't a RG351 or a RGB10Max a much better alternative for mobile gaming?



These devices cost less than half the price of a steam deck.

They are smaller, weigh less and the battery pack lasts longer.

I also think that they are more comfortable to play with because of the lesser size/weight.

You can even stream your pc games onto these devices, so even our couch potatoes who like to play on handhelds at home should seriously consider them.

The only disadvantage I see is that you can't play pc games on the go with these devices.

 

[Naraya]

The only disadvantage I see is that you can't play pc games on the go with these devices.

That's a... pretty disqualifying disadvantage for most people.

 

[Alter Sack]

The only disadvantage I see is that you can't play pc games on the go with these devices.

That's a... pretty disqualifying disadvantage for most people.

For some enthusiasts certainly.

But for the broad mass of people?

I think most people who are looking for a handheld to pass the time during a longer commute are perfectly fine with playing 16bit games and up to psp on the go.

And what use is the ability to play pc games if you can only play them for a very limited time on the go.

Furthermore you have to have a backpack with you to stow away that beast. On the other hand the smaller devices can fit into a pocket.

Or do they sell it with a special fanny pack?

That would be awesome.

 

[Bad Sector]

The only disadvantage I see is that you can't play pc games on the go with these devices.

That's a... pretty disqualifying disadvantage for most people.

For some enthusiasts certainly.

But for the broad mass of people?

GPD Win series despite being niche (and quite pricey) devices have been way more successful than most of those emulator-oriented devices exactly because they are basically PCs on a handheld form (and IMO if you care about them being pocketable, they are better than Deck since they are smaller - but also either way pricier or way weaker).

TBH personally i'm not a fan of Steam Deck's humongous size, but i've barely seen anyone mention that so i guess it isn't a problem for the majority of people (I also think Switch is quite big and again... nobody seems to mention that either).

Or do they sell it with a special fanny pack?

There is a carrying case.

 

[Alter Sack]

The only disadvantage I see is that you can't play pc games on the go with these devices.

That's a... pretty disqualifying disadvantage for most people.

For some enthusiasts certainly.

But for the broad mass of people?

GPD Win series despite being niche (and quite pricey) devices have been way more successful than most of those emulator-oriented devices exactly because they are basically PCs on a handheld form (and IMO if you care about them being pocketable, they are better than Deck since they are smaller - but also either way pricier or way weaker).

TBH personally i'm not a fan of Steam Deck's humongous size, but i've barely seen anyone mention that so i guess it isn't a problem for the majority of people (I also think Switch is quite big and again... nobody seems to mention that either).

Or do they sell it with a special fanny pack?

There is a carrying case.

That's a shame. A fanny pack would be so much more stylish.

 

[OSK]

the Deck’s Proton-based OS.

I had to stop reading here. The author needs to go back to his Microsoft Office-based OS and do some research.

 

[PrettyDeadman]

Or do they sell it with a special fanny pack?

Why not put it in your car, briefcase, suitcase, travelbag, backpack and etc?
Carrying your gaming console in your pocket seems pretty cringe.
If I buy it I will probably use it to game in my cabin or in my backyard/frontyard gazebos, maybe during travel too.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

it's pretty simple: if you have tiny child hands, buy the device that's made for children

 

[Bad Sector]

That's a shame. A fanny pack would be so much more stylish.

You can always get a GPD Win instead, it is small enough - at least GPD Win 1 and 2 are, dunno about 3 - to fit in a fanny pack.

 

[OSK]

Steam Deck delayed two months: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1675180/view/3084396982306430712

Steam Deck Shipping Update

The launch of Steam Deck will be delayed by two months. We’re sorry about this—we did our best to work around the global supply chain issues, but due to material shortages, components aren’t reaching our manufacturing facilities in time for us to meet our initial launch dates.

Based on our updated build estimates, Steam Deck will start shipping to customers February 2022. This will be the new start date of the reservation queue—all reservation holders keep their place in line but dates will shift back accordingly. Reservation date estimates will be updated shortly after this announcement.

Again, we’re sorry we won’t be able to make our original ship date. We’ll continue working to improve reservation dates based on the new timeline, and will keep folks updated as we go.

To view your updated expected order availability and FAQ, please visit https://store.steampowered.com/steamdeck.

 

[Bad Sector]

Here is another one:

Spoiler

I wonder if all those buttons, knobs and touchpads can make KCD's controls a bit more... agreeable...

 

[ADL]

That screen looks pretty good in direct lighting and I'm pretty sure the units Valve sent out aren't even the laser etched anti-glare glass on the NVMe models.

 

[Infinitron]

https://steamcommunity.com/games/1675180/announcements/detail/3122680206583792326

Steam Deck - Final Packaging + Dev Kits
Hi, here's a quick Steam Deck update for you all -

We’ve recently completed our DV (Design Validation) manufacturing build of Steam Deck, and we'll be using these units for additional testing and developer kits. DV is the final prototype build before production, and it includes improvements from the EV2 build. After this build, there will be additional minor changes in the final product.

One of the main differences between these units and the previous (EV2) prototypes is that we are now testing our packaging design. So before we start sending these out to developers, we wanted to give you a sneak peek of the final packaging that customers will see in February.

Please do not use the shipping box as an umbrella, smash on the ground, or use as a magnet.

So many places and languages in which to play Steam Deck!

Contents: One Steam Deck. One power supply.
(customers will receive the appropriate power supply for their region)

This is the 64GB and 256GB Steam Deck carry-case.

And there we go, one Steam Deck DV prototype, ready for testing.


That’s it for now - we'll start shipping this wave of dev-kits out to developers very soon. More news to come!

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/the-steam-deck-is-still-on-track-for-february-launch-valve-says/

The Steam Deck is still 'on track' for February launch, Valve says
Don't be too worried about another delay for Valve's handheld PC.

Production shortages and shipping delays continue to play havoc with the tech industry, but here's a spot of good news: Valve is optimistic that the Steam Deck won't need another delay past its intended launch in February.

"We do feel like we're on track for that," Valve designer Greg Coomer said in an interview with PC Gamer on Thursday. "We're still bummed that we had to move from end of this year to beginning of next. But yeah, all the signs are pointing to us being able to ship in February."

When Valve first opened up pre-orders for the Steam Deck, the shipping estimates quickly shifted from the launch window to many months later, a symptom of the supply chain issues hardware companies are facing. With that in mind I asked Coomer what kind of numbers Valve will actually be able to ship in February.

"It's a real product launch, so many thousands of people right away are going to receive Decks as soon as we're able to ship them," Coomer said. "But even talking about thousands would be quite low compared to the volumes we're shooting for in the first few months."

Valve hasn't disclosed how many Steam Deck pre-orders it's gotten, but Coomer pointed out that the Steam Deck's launch is different than many other hardware launches, where companies need to supply thousands of retail stores. For now the Deck is only being sold through Steam.

"We're going to have a launch that looks like a significant number of users right out of the gate, and then build that over time, rather than having the biggest splash on day one and then generally declining after that," he said. "If you extend the timeline out through 2022 and all the way to 2023, we expect to be building on our numbers constantly throughout that whole time, to the point where there's many millions of customers if things go the way we think they will, who are using Steam Deck by the end of that year or so, through 2023."

The bottleneck for Valve isn't production of the Steam Deck itself, but rather getting all the parts needed for the system. I asked if Coomer could explain the kinds of shortages hardware makers have had to deal with over the last two years, and he said that with the shortages in mind the Steam Deck team identified about 50 components that were "high risk"—potentially difficult to get in the quantities they'd need. Members of the team have been devoted to ensuring they have commitments from manufacturing partners and that those parts will actually show up in time.

"The primary reason we had to move from the end of this year to the beginning of next, is a couple of those parts were really hard to get on time," Coomer said. "They ended up being late. It really came down to just a couple. They're in the category of like, microchip type ICs that are hard to get from multiple sources, and when lots of people are clamoring for those parts—just like cars have had those shortages with specific integrated circuits—we were in a similar situation. We almost got to the point where it was smooth sailing out of all those 50 things, but it wasn't quite the case. So it came down to that."

https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/valve-is...f-its-games-to-play-better-on-the-steam-deck/

Valve is updating Half-Life, CS:GO, and more of its games to play better on the Steam Deck
Which brave souls will dare play Dota 2 or Counter-Strike with a controller?

In an interview with Valve on Thursday, members of the Steam Deck team told me that everything is on track for the planned February launch. While we mostly talked about the Steam Deck hardware and Valve's work to prepare the Steam Deck for other developers, Valve also shared some plans for its own games. Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and the Half-Life series are all getting updates designed to make them better experiences on the Steam Deck.

Multiple Valve game development teams are involved in the effort, but how the games are being updated for the Steam Deck varies.

The update also included the return of a 4-player co-op mode that seems well-suited to the control scheme.

Designer Lawrence Yang elaborates: "They call it experimental controller support because they're still looking for feedback, but you can play a real game of Dota with the gamepad now."

Diehard Steam Controller fans have probably been using gyro aiming in CS:GO for years, but the Steam Deck update will tighten up some fit and finish elements in CS:GO's controller support. Coomer described it as an update of things like the radial menus that haven't been touched in a long time. "The team is really giving that renewed polish and design intention," he said.

Coomer said Valve is bringing a "bunch" of tweaks to Half-Life, though it sounds like here it's less about controlling Gordon Freeman and more about navigating menus and such. "Even if the core experience in Half-Life games is pretty polished with a controller, a lot of things around the experience tend to either get left out or not be brought to the same level of polish over time," he said. All the Half-Life games should be getting updates, though they may not all drop at once.

Yang added that the Portal games are already verified on Steam Deck and work nicely on the handheld, but Left 4 Dead 2 may be getting some attention as well. "I think we do want to look at all of the Valve catalog to make sure things are good on Deck," he said.

 

[Ivan]

I don't get the appeal for these things. Pretty much sums up my sentiment:

 

[DJOGamer PT]

Didn't you buy a Switch or something?

 

[ADL]

It's a dockable portable gaming computer at a low cost that's being sold at a time when discrete GPUs are practically impossible to acquire. Combine this with upscaling techniques like FSR and Intel's XeSS and this should be more than enough for 1080p gaming until hardware becomes more available.

 

[Ivan]

Didn't you buy a Switch or something?

No way jose. No Bayonetta 3, no switch. even then...prob play it on Yuzu or ask a console friendo

 

[ferratilis]

 

[rusty_shackleford]

seems pretty impressive for something that costs less(or roughly the same for top-end model) as a low-to-mid range GPU

 

[Naraya]

Battery life in the worst constructed case is ~90 minutes.
4 hours are possible in more demanding games when limiting FPS to 30
6 hours in less demanding games.

Pretty underwhelming or am I delusional?

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Battery life in the worst constructed case is ~90 minutes. 4 hours are possible in more demanding games when limiting FPS to 30; 6 hours in less demanding games.

Pretty underwhelming or am I delusional?

nintendo switch battery life while playing "demanding games" is "2.5 to 4 hours"
linus said you can expect 8 hours out of the steam deck while light gaming

mobile platforms don't get gameboy hours anymore, sadly.

 

[ADL]

Battery life in the worst constructed case is ~90 minutes.
4 hours are possible in more demanding games when limiting FPS to 30
6 hours in less demanding games.

Pretty underwhelming or am I delusional?

Comparable to the Switch but instead of playing those demanding games via Cloud streaming, it's running on the Deck's hardware for only $100 more than the Switch and $50 more than the OLED model. I'm impressed.

 

[Lyric Suite]

I think most people who are looking for a handheld to pass the time during a longer commute are perfectly fine with playing 16bit games and up to psp on the go.

And you are delutional and living in the past.

Just the fact you don't have to buy games separately makes this thing appealing despite the high cost. Even if not all steam games work just the fact you have your entire PC library at the ready at launch is a big deal i would think.