Steam Deck Can't Run Some Of Steam's Biggest Games

If you're super excited to play your favorite multiplayer Steam games on the upcoming portable Steam Deck console, you might want to sit down. According to ProtonDB, a site that gathers reports from gamers using Valve's Proton interface, four of Steam's top 10 titles may not work as intended on the exciting new handheld PC.

Fans of "Apex Legends," "Destiny 2," "PUBG," and "Rainbow Six Siege" will be disappointed to hear that these mega-popular titles aren't currently compatible with the Steam Deck. Why can't the on-the-go PC handle these games? As explained by PC Gamer, it all comes down to the anti-cheat software present in those particular games. The device will be able to boot up those particular titles, but connecting to multiplayer servers is another story entirely. Since the anti-cheat software isn't yet compatible with Steam Deck's operating system, the Linux-based (and appropriately named) SteamOS, these games will not allow players to join — yet.

The good news is Valve launched a compatibility tool called Proton within just the last few years, which ProtonDB notes is meant to "make playing Windows games on Linux as simple as hitting the Play button within Steam." Though the tool has yet to clear some key games, user input is helping grow the tool and, in the process, the Steam Deck's game library. ProtonDB notes, "Proton is still in its infancy so support is inconsistent, but regularly improving."

The question is whether or not those improvements will be enough to fix the problem before the Steam Deck launches.

Valve also made it clear that this is a work in progress. As the company said on the official Steam Deck website, there are plans for Steam Deck to launch with a new and improved version of Proton, one that is hopefully free of the constraints of the current interface.

Despite its limitations and some odd design choices that have divided gamers, there's still a lot to look forward to when it comes to the Steam Deck. This is especially true since rumors about its existence have been circulating since Spring 2021, and fans have long predicted that gaming would be changed forever if Steam began launching games on consoles. 

While you may not be able to count on playing some of your favorite games on the Steam Deck just yet, there are reasons to believe that Proton's limitations will be worked out. On the Steam Deck website, Valve claims to be "working directly with the vendors" to get things up and running.

The Steam Deck is slated for a Holiday 2021 release, with initial shipments scheduled for December 2021. Though the price point is a bit high, ranging from $399 to $649, the specs rival standard gaming PCs. Hopefully fans of multiplayer won't have to sit on the sidelines when the Steam Deck launches later this year.