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We got confirmation from the team that PAYDAY: Aces High is currently being optimized for the Steam Frame!

After a few days of somehow being rated Steam Deck Verified, Crimson Desert has gone back to its Unsupported rating after the backlash. The game should never have gotten the green checkmark, but kudos to Valve for changing the rating back to Unsupported.

According to an Epic Staffer's response during an AMA on Discord, the Epic Games Store will be getting Linux support "soon", which could make it easier to play those weekly freebies on the Steam Deck. It could also pave the way for Linux support for games like Fortnite, but that's not a guarantee and could just be wishful thinking.

Hello everyone! So, Crimson Desert got Steam Deck Verified, but it just goes to show how awful Valve's system can be. The game is in no condition to actually be rated Verified, as the lowest possible settings with FSR 3.1 on Ultra Performance still drop below 30 FPS when just running around or fighting enemies.

Using our framerate analysis tool, we can see how all over the place the framerate is, with tons of stutters that make it difficult to actually enjoy the game. I will include photos of our analysis tool in the comments below with both the framerate/system stats and framerate distribution.

Either way, don't buy this game to play on Steam Deck.

While our article is directed at the Steam Deck, this new project is going to benefit all Linux devices! It should allow us to access and download Xbox PC games, including Game Pass titles, and play them on Linux, and it's very ambitious.

https://github.com/xodus-gaming

JSAUX, the company behind a lot of the most popular third-party Steam Deck accessories, has announced a new sub-brand called Voidjoy, and it will specifically be focused on controllers. They will also be making dedicated handheld controllers designed for handhelds, like the Steam Deck, and other portable devices. It's just a teaser right now, but it sounds like we may see some great controllers to take with us on the go.

July has ended, so here are the top 20 most-played games on the Steam Deck throughout the previous month!

And if you want to see gameplay, we made a video as well:

https://youtu.be/nfEqhaQGRo8

1. Palworld
2. Slay the Spire 2
3. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
4. Stardew Valley
5. Baldur's Gate 3
6. DAVE THE DIVER
7. Cyberpunk 2077
8. Balatro
9. Brotato
10. Red Dead Redemption 2
11. Hades 2
12. Hades
13. Elden Ring
14. DELTARUNE
15. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
16. Megabonk
17. Forza Horizon 6
18. Vampire Survivors
19. Diablo 4
20. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition

This was definitely a bit surprising, but I am not complaining. A new mod by GingasVR called Stardew 3DVR allows us to not only play Stardew Valley in VR, but it can also allow us to play the game in 3D without a VR device. It isn't the best right now, but it's a nice proof of concept and a cool way to see the game in a completely new viewpoint.

And for those who want it, here is our written guide for how to set it up on Steam Deck:

https://steamdeckhq.com/tips-and-guides/how-to-play-stardew-valley-in-3d-on-steam-deck/

We are in the process of reviewing the upcoming soulslike The Relic: The First Guardian, and wanted to share my thoughts on how it's running on Steam Deck so far.

For a summary, I would avoid it in its current state. There are no graphical options to change, only XeSS for upscaling (and no way to turn it off), insane RAM usage, and it seems to permanently have frame generation turned on, which means lots of stutters and input lag.

The publisher did say they aren't targeting the Deck for release, which is why some of these issues are here, but the lack of graphical settings exists on desktop PC as well. So, this is something I would avoid for the time being on the Steam Deck until an optimization patch.

We are hosting a giveaway for a brand new, unopened Steam Controller! If you want to enter, click the link above. The giveaway will last for 7 days, ending on August 3rd at 12pm PT, and a winner will be chosen and announced 1 hour later. We will reach out via the email provided, and if we don't hear back within 72 hours, we will choose another winner.

Read more about it here: https://steamdeckhq.com/steamdeckhq-giving-away-steam-controller/

In a new update today, EmuDeck, the script that will install and configure emulators for you, is now fully compatible with the Steam Machine. There were some pretty necessary fixes for controls in emulators and SD card issues, but it should now all work just fine!

MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls' open beta went live today, but it appears to be blocked from running on the Steam Deck. As soon as we launch, we get an error from anti-cheat stopping us from playing the game, and we are forced to close it.

It does worry me for the full release, but I am hoping this is just an open beta issue. I have reached out to PlayStation for clarification.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is now out on Steam in early access, and we tested it out using the completed game save we had from our review period.

It's rough. It can run decently well in closed spaces, but it starts to really slow down in open levels like The Silent Cartographer and later parts of the Halo level. There will be drops below 30 FPS no matter what, and that's after we have adjusted the resolution scale below the default settings.

It definitely shouldn't be Verified.

Hey guys! So, we are reviewing DragonSword: Awakening, but since we got our key late, we aren't ready to do a full review. However, I have been playing for 20+ hours on the Deck, and I wanted to share my thoughts since the game is releasing in an hour or so.

For an open-world RPG built on Unreal Engine 5, I am excitedly happy to say that this is an awesome game to play on the Deck. With a few changes, it can easily hit 30 FPS with good quality settings, and lots of areas can even go up to 60. I still recommend a 30 FPS lock right now due to the larger fights and bosses that can bring framerate down, but other than one or two story missions I have played so far, it will always stick above 30.

If you're a fan of gacha games and want to get away from the predatory microtransactions, this should be a great option for portable play.

Valve released a new Steam Deck Client with some great new fixes, features, and improvements. We made a video about it above, but you can also check out our article if you want to read the changelog:

https://steamdeckhq.com/news/steam-deck-client-update-game-resolution-options/

Hot off the Companion Cube fiasco, dBrand has announced specific Steam Machine skins that are now available to purchase. Some of these look great, like the Terminal and Package skins, and we have the option to buy just the faceplate skin, the entire Steam Machine skin, or one that also includes a corresponding Steam Controller skin.

New 3D printable files have been uploaded by Jaron that allow us to print and create our own Portal Companion Cube case! Haven't tried it myself yet, but could be a nice alternative since dBrand fumbled their version.

Disgaea Mayhem is a new game coming out in the Disgaea franchise, which I personally love, but its Steam Deck Playable rating is extremely inaccurate. It cites "minor" graphical issues, which are actually major, and weird performance bottlenecks that stop it from performing well.

This won't be a game to play on the Steam Deck in its current state.

With Onimusha: Way of the Sword's benchmarking tool now available, we tested it out on the Steam Deck to see what kind of visuals and performance it estimated for us.

It defaults to the lowest settings and does have some visual compromises, but it does stick above 30 FPS throughout cutscenes and combat, with one notable drop towards the end when Musashi uses a large-scale move against some enemies before a boss fight.

We also tested with SteamOS 3.8.22 and the new Mesa driver to see if it helps with performance at all.

Recently, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter got a new update that added FSR 2.2 upscaling, so we took a look to see how much this new update helps with performance and how much it impacts visuals, and it's pretty interesting.

Ultimately, for the biggest performance leap with the least visual degredation, FSR 2.2 at 60% internal resolution is the best way to go.