“I can’t believe I’m playing this on a portable console.” That’s a sentence you’ll often find yourself while playing the Steam Deck.
Once you’re done tinkering with it (perhaps you want to transform it into the best emulator), there are hundreds of Steam titles that are either verified or playable on the Deck, but what are the best games to fire up on your shiny new system?
We’ve tested loads of them and curated a list based on three things: performance, entertainment value, and whether it’s compatible for on-the-go gaming.
Optimum settings:
- Resolution: 1152 x 720
- Frame rate limit: 40 FPS
- Dynamic resolution scaling: 45
- Graphics preset: Medium
Insomniac’s web-slinging adventure is verified and in our testing, Spider-Man Remastered absolutely slaps on Steam Deck. The story is classic Hollywood movie material, which pairs with gorgeous visuals, a fantastic soundtrack and addictive gameplay for a brilliant experience on the go.
It’s mind-blowing to see both how smooth this game runs and how good it looks with FSR 2.0 switched on. Plus the perfectly-timed launch capitalizes on this being a must-play summer blockbuster on your Steam Deck. Jump into Peter Parker’s suit and enjoy some of the most fluid action in any superhero title.
Optimum settings:
- FSR 2.0 setting: Balanced
- Frame rate limit: 40 FPS
- Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
- Graphics preset: Original
Kratos’ epic adventure plays fantastically on the Steam Deck, and let’s not mince words, it’s one of the best single-player titles of all time — from the gripping story and incredible performances, to the visual tour de force, fluid gameplay and beautifully orchestrated soundtrack.
Train journeys go by in a flash when you fire this up and blaze through the story, to then take on the Council of the Valkyries. Recently, the game was updated with the second-generation AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution tech, which reduces the physical demand on the internals by reducing the resolution, but upscales the in-game textures to simulate a clearer picture.
I went for the balanced option, which knocks the resolution down to 754 x 472 pixels and ensures the game hovers around 40-50 FPS. For better consistency, I turned the frame rate limit on at 40 FPS, which keeps it smooth without any real fluctuations.
If you want to get the full 60 FPS, you can dip into the FSR performance and ultra-performance options, but the visuals really start to take a hit. In my opinion, this is the best of both worlds: decent smoothness while preserving the detail and limiting any potential dropped frames.
Optimum settings:
- Resolution: 1280 x 720
- Frame Rate limit: 30 FPS
- Graphics preset: Low
Forza Horizon 5 is one of the best, greatest and most addictive racing games you can play right now, and it makes for an incredible Steam Deck game. This 41-square mile slice of Mexico brings a variety of terrains and a wide variety of cars for you to navigate across in a one-of-a-kind, free roam celebration of automotive culture.
But the beauty of Forza Horizon 5 on this system is not the visual explosion of colors, the tactile handling of each car, nor the vast amount of challenges you can sink your teeth into. Its grandeur lies in how seamlessly this integrates into any sort of portable play style.
Horizon is a versatile game, which; you can either spend hours playing or just jump in and do a quick race. That is the magic behind having this on your Steam Deck. For the best experience, you’re going to have to buy it right now, but we do hope that a native Xbox Game Pass app comes to Steam Deck sooner rather than later.
Optimum settings:
- Resolution: 1280 x 800
- Graphics preset: High
Portal-based puzzling was a breakthrough concept when the original launched in 2007. It was paired with equal parts critical-thinking contemplation and laugh-inducing dialogue — all with a backdrop of a machine-driven testing center and a mad AI overlord.
Every sterile level holds secrets to this world’s deep lore that help you peel away the layers of what’s really going on. And everything is cranked up to a whole different level with the incredible Portal 2 — complete with some of the best in-game comedy (courtesy of Stephen Merchant).
Though the promise of cake is inevitably just an empty promise, Portal games are a great addition to any Steam Deck library.
Optimum settings:
- FSR 1.0 setting: Ultra quality
- Graphics preset: Medium
- Mirror reflection quality: Low
- Texture Filter Anisotropic: 2x
The grand finale of the World of Assassination trilogy brings an impressive variety of levels, regularly updated challenges and a one-of-a-kind gameplay style that gels really well with the Steam Deck.
With these settings in place, Hitman 3 runs at steady 50-60 FPS, and on a screen this small, it still looks absolutely incredible. The Steam Deck has taught me that just because you’re not using the highest settings, doesn’t mean you’re getting a subpar experience.
I/O Interactive’s talent in squeezing every last drop of potential performance out of this mini system is impressive, and you’ll see Hitman 3 regularly discounted on the Steam store, too!
Optimum settings:
- Resolution: 1280 x 800
- Framerate limit: 30 FPS
- Graphics preset: Original
Zelda with robot dinosaurs. This was a rather humorous way one of my mates described Horizon Zero Dawn, which actually sums up this fascinating adventure quite nicely.
Explore this incredible world as Aloy through a story that slowly unfolds just what on earth is going on around you. The answer (without spoiling anything) is not what you expect. But beyond the gripping plot, the game feels great to play and looks amazing, too — running at an unbreakable 30 FPS in the settings we used.
Optimum settings:
- Resolution: 1280 x 800
- Graphics preset: Medium
I am Laptop Mag’s racing-sim enthusiast, so of course I’ve got to sneak one on this list, and none perform better than DiRT Rally 2. The rock solid 60 FPS performance ensures split-second alterations, steering and throttling can make all the difference, and the handling model is equal parts challenging and satisfying to learn.
Plus, with a wide breadth of courses, championships, cars, and online leaderboards, there’s plenty to do. Also, the stage-based gameplay means this fits well into a quick play session on your commute.
Optimum settings:
- Resolution: 1152 x 720
- Texture Quality: Ultra
- TAA: High
- Everything else: Medium
Rockstar’s rootin’ tootin’ cowboy romp is a fantastic game that performs really well on Steam Deck. Arthur Morgan’s adventure is a gripping story that takes you through the downfall of the wild frontier, with an unbelievable amount of realism and an amazing world full of life to explore.
These visual settings are a little weird compared to what others are recommending, but these will guarantee an average of 47 FPS while keeping the world around you rich with detail. A little bit of tinkering can guarantee 60 FPS, but that causes too much of a drop in visual fidelity for my tastes.
Optimum settings:
- Resolution: 1280 x 800
- Graphics preset: High
When I think of games that stand the test of time, Half-Life 2 is at the top of that list. A gripping story, tense action and a groundbreaking physics system that has defined gaming over the past two decades.
Jump back into Gordon Freeman’s adventure, running at a silky smooth 60FPS, taking you through all kinds of combat situations and puzzles, from the massive battlefields in City 17 to the claustrophobic roads of the terrifying Ravenholm.
And at a super low price on Steam, it’s a tasty addition to your library that is sure to kill many hours.
Optimum settings:
- Resolution: 1152 x 720
- Graphics preset: Ultra low
Uh oh! Another racing sim! But F1 22 is the most exciting Formula 1 game in years with updated driving physics, more grounded cars and updated regulations that allow for far more exciting wheel-to-wheel racing.
Even at ultra low, this game looks great on the Steam Deck, and with a variety of season length settings, you can blaze through a few short races on the bus in no time.
Plus, with the supercar challenges, a lot of customization options and the option of connecting your steering wheel and pedals to this via a USB-C dock (we recommend the Thrustmaster T248 for beginners), this is an ideal racer for portable and home gameplay.
Optimum settings:
- Resolution: 1280 x 800
- Graphics preset: High
This is a bit of an outside choice. Pretty much all of these have been blockbuster AAA titles that you can sort of split up into short play moments, but are really designed for hours-long sessions.
BIT.TRIP Runner 2 is the antithesis of that — short sharp shocks of rhythm-based platformer enjoyment that can get really, really addictive. Gameplay is super simple, just time your jumps and slides to avoid all obstacles. And the soundtrack creates a nice, relaxed vibe as you run through many levels that explode with color.
For those moments when you have your Steam Deck, but don’t have a lot of time to play, this is a great choice.
