Handheld gaming has evolved through many phases over the years, and Valve, despite having its own hardware, is embracing more and more of it.
In a recent news post, Valve announced it is expanding the Steam Deck Verified categorization system with a new SteamOS Compatibility system. This new SteamOS Compatibility system is explicitly for “any device running SteamOS that’s not a Steam Deck.” With the SteamOS-powered version of the Lenovo Legion Go S set to release in May — the first officially supported non-Steam Deck product to ship with SteamOS — Valve is preparing for SteamOS to evolve outside the Steam Deck.
The SteamOS Compatibility rating intends to function on non-Steam Deck devices as a quick guide to whether or not a game is supported on SteamOS. According to the post, “This includes features like game functionality, launcher functionality, and anti-cheat support.” Games that pass these benchmarks will receive a SteamOS Compatible mark, and conversely, games that do not will receive a SteamOS Unsupported designation. Importantly, the SteamOS Compatibility rating does not test for performance, which will vary between different devices using SteamOS.
Upon the launch of SteamOS Compatibility ratings, Valve expects to stamp approval for over 18,000-plus games on Steam. In addition to the green check of approval from the Steam Deck Verified system, a passing SteamOS Compatibility rating will show a blue checkmark. Users who already have a Lenovo Legion Go S or an Asus ROG Ally with the SteamOS beta should begin seeing the new compatibility ratings in the next few weeks.
Going forward, when games are tested for Steam Deck ratings, they will simultaneously be tested for SteamOS Compatibility. For developers, the process is automated, with existing Steam Deck ratings utilized to assign SteamOS Compatibility ratings.
In the final question of its FAQ, Valve said that “SteamOS Compatibility results will all be the same or higher than Steam Deck Verified results,” effectively meaning that if a game (supposedly) works on a Steam Deck, then it will work on other devices.
