Verified means Valve considers the game ready to play on Deck. Playable may require adjustments. Unsupported identifies current incompatibility. Unknown means it has not been checked. Build your own game evidence record.
Read the status before the badge
Works on Deck out of the box under Valve’s criteria.
May need manual adjustments or different interaction.
Currently not functional on Deck.
Not yet checked; not a finding that it cannot work.
What Valve checks
The program considers controller input, display and legibility, seamless interaction, and system support. Where Proton is used, the game’s supporting components also need to work. Valve’s Deck Verified program ↗
Before buying for a particular trip or setup, read the detailed compatibility notes on the game’s listing. A label is a useful first filter; the notes are where a specific inconvenience becomes visible.
Ask the question the badge cannot answer for you
Decide what matters to your own session: comfortable text, a particular control scheme, your preferred mode, or the amount of setup you want to do. An official category should help frame that check. It cannot tell you whether you personally enjoy a game or whether its interface suits every accessibility need.
Keep the check dated. Software changes, and a saved screenshot of a badge is evidence of what you saw at that point, rather than a timeless promise.
Do not transfer a badge between execution paths
Valve documents a shared Deck and Machine compatibility review, while Frame has its own standalone compatibility context. Valve states that every Deck Verified game is also Machine Verified; the reverse does not follow. The Deck list is therefore a documented starting subset, not the full Machine catalogue. Check your library and the game’s device-specific details for more titles. Steam Deck and Steam Machine compatibility review ↗ Steam Frame — Steamworks ↗
Valve’s default review targets differ: at least 30 fps at 800p on Deck and 30 fps at 1080p on Machine. These are classification baselines, not promises of 4K, 60 fps or maximum settings. Machine uses an external display, so its review does not repeat Deck’s fixed-screen readability check. For Frame, first separate local headset execution from a PC-hosted stream. For any device, record the game build, mode, controls and date of the evidence. Steam Deck and Steam Machine compatibility review ↗
A badge is not a benchmark or an offline test
Our editorial rule is to keep compatibility classification separate from measured frame rate, battery life and disconnected play. We have not measured those outcomes. Use the badge to decide what to investigate, then collect evidence for your actual session.
Start with offline preparation for travel, Steam Input for controller assumptions, or SteamOS and Proton for software layers.
The important Deck-to-Machine exception
Valve’s review documentation explicitly states that a Deck Verified game will also be Machine Verified. It also describes independent device ratings: do not reverse that implication or extend it to Frame standalone. Valve: Deck and Machine compatibility review ↗
The documented default-performance criteria differ: 30 fps at 800p for Deck and 30 fps at 1080p for Machine. These are review criteria, not our measurements or a promise about every setting and scene. This specific relationship is more useful than either assuming all badges transfer or claiming none can.
Frame Standalone Verified: what the review actually checks
| Review target | Documented default performance minimum |
|---|---|
| 2D game running on Frame | 30 fps at 1280 × 720 during normal play |
| VR game running on Frame | 72 fps at 1728 × 1728 during normal play |
Valve also requires appropriate default controls and usable presentation. The review applies to local headset execution, not PC-streamed games. Verified, Playable, Unsupported and Unknown describe that standalone review context. Valve: Steam Frame standalone review criteria ↗
These are review criteria—not measured results from this site, recommended settings for every game or a guarantee about every scene. Read the actual title’s rating and notes. A PC VR demonstration does not settle this question.
Build a game-specific evidence record
Use this for one game and one intended session. It organizes your evidence; it does not look up your library or decide whether a game works.
No account connection, autosave or transmission of entries. Copy the record before leaving. Do not enter passwords, account identifiers or private support details.
The interactive controls have not loaded. Use these questions and guide links as a manual checklist; no entries are submitted.
Your evidence record
“Recorded” is not a pass. Recheck material changes and unresolved requirements before relying on the setup.
Sources & review
- Valve’s Deck Verified program ↗
- Steam Deck and Steam Machine compatibility review ↗
- Steam Frame — Steamworks ↗
- Valve: Steam Frame standalone review criteria ↗
Prepared with AI assistance under the Steam Updates Editorial Desk role. Source-based editorial review; not hands-on testing. Local expansion checked against Steamworks compatibility and Frame documentation; no game or hardware performance test. Account-specific outcomes remain with Steam Support. Our methodology explains the limits.
Published 11 September 2026 · Published revision 10 October 2026 — Clarified search questions and source boundaries in the 10 October 2026 review. View editorial revisions.