The first batch of Steam Deck Verified games are here, and it's filled with some absolute bangers.
Just earlier today on January 20, you can see a tweet from SteamDB, revealing there to be a confirmed total of 38 games submitted to the Steam Deck Verified program. That list includes some excellent titles like Celeste, Cuphead, Hollow Knight, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Psychonauts 2, Death Stranding, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, Dark Souls 2 and 3, Into the Breach, and more.
First batch of Steam Deck games compatibility was pushed.Verified: 38Playable: 24Unsupported: 5This info is available in our instant search under Platforms:https://t.co/ca4J06JJwHJanuary 20, 2022
All things considered, this is a pretty stacked line up for the Steam Deck Verified program right now, especially considering that this is merely the first wave of confirmed games. Last week, you might recall that Valve's own Portal 2 became the first Steam Deck Verified game, officially making it the first game to be fully compatible with the new handheld device.
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is Steam Deck verified ahead of the JRPG's PC launch next week so that you can play "in the bathroom… wherever you want"
- Just weeks later, Ubisoft walks back some disappointing Assassin's Creed Shadows news: it will be fully Steam Deck Verified "despite the fact the team thought it would not be the case"
That is, simply put, what the Steam Deck Verified program amounts to: a game working perfectly with the new device from Valve. Being certified within the program means there aren't any limitations, technical or otherwise, to the specific game running on the Steam Deck, and you can run the stated game whenever and wherever you want.
However, the first wave of Steam Deck Verified entries actually reveals some games that aren't supported on the new hardware. While four of the five entries are VR games, including Job Simulator and Arizona Sunshine, the fifth one is curiously Persona 4 Golden, the PC port of Atlus's classic JRPG that only arrived on PC after over a decade in mid-2020.
There's no given reason for the PC port of Persona 4 Golden not functioning on the Steam Deck, but it's particularly curious since the game was first ported to PlayStation's PS Vita handheld. The Steam Deck is still on track to launch at some point next month in February, so it's certainly possible we'll see more games added to the program between now and then.
Check out our full Persona 4 Golden PC review to see why we thought it's a joy to return to, even after the highs of Persona 5 Royal.
