All articles tagged with #steam deck
Eurogamer's review finds Kena: Bridge of Spirits' Switch 2 port is technically fine but unchanged from other versions: runs at 30fps with aggressive dynamic resolution, lacks DLSS or new features, and offers no extra graphical modes, making the port a decent but not upgrade-worthy option compared with PC handhelds or last-gen versions.
Forza Horizon 6 reveals relatively modest PC requirements: minimum specs include an i5-8400/Ryzen 5 1600, 16 GB RAM, SSD, and a GTX 1650 (or RX 6500 XT/Arc A380) to run at 1080p60 on low. 1440p60/high needs an i5-12400F/Ryzen 5 5600X and a RTX 3060 Ti/RX 6700 XT/Arc A580, while “Extreme” 4K60 demands an i7-12700K/Ryzen 7 7700X with a RTX 4070 Ti or RX 7900 XT and 24 GB RAM. An “Extreme RT” path bumps to RTX 5070 Ti or RX 9070 XT, 32 GB RAM and NVMe storage. The game supports DLSS 4, FSR 3/4, and XeSS 2.1, aims for high uncapped framerates, and will be available on Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally at launch (handheld presets aren’t confirmed yet).
Valve is reviving the Steam Machine for 2026 as a compact living-room Linux PC alongside the Steam Frame and Steam Controller; it uses a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU, RDNA3 GPU, 16GB RAM, and 512GB–2TB storage, runs SteamOS with Proton to translate Windows games for Linux, and relies on FidelityFX Super Resolution upscaling for 4K/60FPS where feasible. Pricing and a firm release date aren’t announced yet, but Valve says it will sit at a premium PC-like price and has acknowledged RAM/storage shortages affecting plans; the company is also expanding its game-verification program to cover Steam Machine titles.
CachyOS March 2026 refresh brings Wayland to CachyOS Handheld Edition (replacing X11), updates the installer with animated previews and JPEG-XL support, switches Gamescope session to a cachyos fork with firmware updates for Steam Deck and Legion Go, replaces SDDM with Plasma Login Manager, and removes Bcachefs from the installer due to kernel module dependencies; the update also adds a Winboat option in the Welcome screen and is available as a new ISO from CachyOS.org.
Valve’s Year in Review post suggests its SteamOS hardware — including Steam Machine, Steam Controller, and Steam Frame — may not ship in 2026 due to memory and storage shortages, signalling a delay and leaving concrete launch dates to future updates.
Valve is bringing back the Steam Machine as a living-room PC option, debuting a compact SteamOS 3-based box designed to run the full Steam library at 4K60 using a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU and RDNA3 GPU with FidelityFX Super Resolution. It offers 512GB or 2TB SSD storage, microSD expandability, and multiple ports, while maintaining SteamOS compatibility and Proton for Windows titles, embracing an open, customizable ecosystem rather than a locked console model. Alongside the new hardware, Valve unveiled a redesigned Steam Controller and the standalone Steam Frame VR headset, signaling a cross-device gaming platform that can span handhelds, TVs, desktops, and VR. Pricing and a firm release date aren’t announced yet, but the company has signaled an early-2026 launch window.
A curated list of 15 PC games that run well on the Steam Deck without requiring tweaks, mixing enduring favorites like Vampire Survivors, Stardew Valley, and Hades with newer hits such as Balatro, Dave the Diver, Blue Prince, Dredge, Deep Rock Galactic Survivor, Elden Ring, Resident Evil 2, Big Hops, Warframe, TMNT Shredder’s Revenge, and Megabonk—emphasizing portable, bite-size sessions and optional co-op where available.
Valve says AI-driven data-center expansion is straining RAM and storage, leading to Steam Deck stockouts (OLED may be intermittently unavailable in some regions; the LCD 256GB model has been discontinued) and signaling broader memory-supply pressures affecting the gaming hardware ecosystem, with reports that other major platforms (PS6, Switch 2) are weighing timing or pricing as memory costs rise.
Valve says the Steam Deck OLED may be intermittently out of stock in some regions due to memory and storage shortages, tying its supply issue to a broader RAM/storage crunch that has delayed other hardware; Valve has discontinued the 256GB LCD Steam Deck and aims to launch new hardware in the first half of 2026.
Stardew Valley returns to No. 1 on Steam Deck’s January 2026 top-20 list, as Elden Ring makes a comeback and Cult of the Lamb’s DLC renews interest; the piece notes new entries like Fallout New Vegas and titles that left the chart, with Steam Deck HQ promising more coverage.
Cairn is a thoughtful climbing-survival game from The Game Bakers that blends precise limb control, stamina/food/water management, and a lore-driven ascent of Kami. The PC version shines, but the Steam Deck port is verified yet prone to noticeable frame drops when the mountain is shown broadly, often dipping below 30 FPS. Lowering the resolution and using SteamOS’ FSR helps stabilize performance, though battery drain increases. Despite Deck hiccups, the core climb remains engaging, aided by accessible options (auto-save, fall rewind, etc.) and a save system that rewards careful planning.
Steam Deck’s Verified/Playable badge rollout has surpassed 25,000 titles (25,010 per SteamDB), highlighting rapid growth in games deemed a good or playable fit on Valve’s handheld. The official Steam store count may differ because SteamDB includes delisted titles, and a badge doesn’t guarantee a perfect experience, but the milestone underscores expanding compatibility with recent additions like CAIRN and Once Upon a Shell.
Fans have recompiled the Nintendo 64 classic Banjo-Kazooie to run natively on modern PCs (Windows and Linux) and Steam Deck, delivering widescreen visuals, higher framerates, faster load times, and reduced input latency—plus potential for mods—though it remains an unofficial effort outside of official Microsoft revival.
Junk Store released a 1.1.13 update to its free Decky Plugin that adds Lossless Scaling Frame Generation (lsfg-vk), enabling Steam Deck users to boost game framerates in Game Mode without extra plugins; the free version supports Epic Games Store, while broader storefront support via Junk Store 2.0 is paid (~$40/year). It requires the Decky Plugin Framework and there are alternative free launchers like Unifideck, Heroic Launcher, and Lutris for other storefronts.
A new free indie title on Steam, Lavalamp by Space Lemmings, released January 10 and playable on Steam Deck, has earned over 200 user reviews with 95% positive ratings. The first‑person exploration game offers a short, ~1‑hour experience with a psychedelic, flexible narrative and no monetization, drawing praise for its relaxing atmosphere and quirky vibe from players.