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Steam Deck Verified: requirements and how to get the badge
DreamEp, founder of NextWishlist · Updated · 3 min read
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Short answerVerified means your game works on Steam Deck with no setup: full controller support with the right glyphs, 30 fps at 800p by default, text at least 9 px tall at 1280 × 800, and no launcher that needs a mouse. Request a review from Steamworks; the badge changes how Steam presents your game, not whether it's sold.
Steam Deck owners filter and sort their games by compatibility, and the badge shows on your store page. Getting "Verified" is often a few days of work on controls and text size. Here is what Valve checks and how the review works.
01The four ratings
- Verified: the game passes every check; players need no configuration to use all of it.
- Playable: it works, but players may need to do something, such as pick a community controller configuration.
- Unsupported: it doesn't work on the device, for example because of Proton or a hardware need.
- Unknown: the game hasn't been reviewed yet.
- VerifiedWorks with no configuration
- PlayableWorks, may need a manual step
- UnsupportedDoesn't work on the device
- UnknownNot reviewed yet
Valve now rates Steam Deck and its Steam Machine separately, with the same badges.
02Valve's requirements for Verified
Input
- Full controller support with the default configuration, without changing in-game settings.
- On-screen glyphs that match the controller in use (Valve strongly recommends the Steam Input API).
- Any text entry must work with a controller.
Display and performance
- A resolution the Deck supports, and text at least 9 px tall at 1280 × 800 (12 px recommended).
- A playable frame rate with the default settings: 30 fps at 800p on Steam Deck.
Seamlessness
- No warnings about unsupported hardware or software.
- Any launcher fully usable with a controller; Valve strongly recommends not needing one at all.
- Windows games run through Proton: blocking Proton bugs mean Unsupported until fixed.
03How to get reviewed
- Your build must first pass Valve's standard build review. Unreleased games can be submitted.
- Request the review from the Steam Hardware Compatibility Review link under Technical Tools on your app's page, and pick the branch to test.
- Valve tests on its devices and sends detailed results in Steamworks.
- Publish the results, fix and resubmit, or dispute an error. Without action, results publish automatically after about a week.
Valve also queues games on its own, for example back-catalog titles or games it sees as important to Deck owners.
04Does it affect sales and visibility?
Valve says the result doesn't change whether your game is available on Steam Deck, but it does change how it's presented: the badge shows on your page, and Deck owners can sort and filter their library by compatibility. Players can still buy a game rated lower.
For a game that suits a handheld (short sessions, controller-friendly), Verified removes a doubt at the moment of purchase. Mention it in your page and your Steam events once you have it (Steam events and announcements).
05Plan it before Next Fest
Many players try Next Fest demos on a Deck. Testing your demo's controls and text size on a Deck before the fest avoids a bad first impression. NextWishlist puts this kind of step in your plan before each deadline, with Valve's calendar.
Steam Deck Verified: quick answers
What does Steam Deck Verified mean?
That the game passed all of Valve's compatibility checks: players can use all of it on Steam Deck with no configuration.
How do I get my game Steam Deck Verified?
Support controllers fully with matching glyphs, keep text at least 9 px tall at 1280 × 800, reach 30 fps at 800p by default, avoid mouse-only launchers, then request a review in Steamworks.
Does Steam Deck Verified increase sales?
Valve says the rating changes how a game is presented, not whether it's sold: the badge shows on the page and Deck owners can filter by it.
Can an unreleased game get Steam Deck Verified?
Yes. Unreleased games can be submitted once their build passes Valve's standard review.
Sources
Valve's rules can change: the official Steamworks page always wins. Practitioner benchmarks are surveys of developers, given as ranges.
- Valve, Steam Hardware compatibility review (Steamworks) (read Oct 28, 2026)
- Valve, Steam Next Fest rules (Steamworks) (read Oct 1, 2026)
- Valve, Events and announcements (Steamworks) (read Oct 28, 2026)
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Your capsule, trailer, tags and description compared with Valve's rules and with the pages of games like yours, with what to fix first. NextWishlist is a Steam marketing tool for indie developers, in private beta.