The Steam Deck has made a big impact on handheld gaming, turning the idea of playing full-scale PC games on the go into something real.
It’s pretty wild to see heavy-hitting AAA titles – stuff that used to be locked to powerful desktops or consoles – run smoothly on a portable device. We’re checking out some standout AAA games that run really well on the Steam Deck. No desktop or console required to have a good time.
AAA Games Optimized for Steam Deck
Getting a game to run well on the Steam Deck usually comes down to a few key things. One of the most important is Valve’s “Verified” label, which means the game meets specific standards for controls, performance, and interface on the Deck. This is made easier by Proton, the compatibility layer that lets Windows-based games run on the Linux-based SteamOS. Thanks to Proton, a lot of games work out of the box, with little or no extra work needed from developers.
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Elden Ring
| Release date: | 2022-02-22 |
| Genre: | Role-playing (RPG) & Adventure |
| Developer: | FromSoftware |
This one’s a beast. Elden Ring can pull over 25W, so don’t expect long battery life.
That said, it runs way better than it has any right to. By default, it runs on High settings at 720p, and if you lock it at 40 FPS and tweak shadows and reflections, you’ll get a stable ride through The Lands Between. In dense areas like Limgrave, expect drops to the mid-20s, but zones like Palace of Mog or Mikaela’s Haligtree can get a stable 40–50 FPS.
Nightreign, the standalone follow-up, runs decently too. You won’t hit 60 FPS, but medium settings with shadows on low keep it around 30 FPS even with multiplayer on. Cap it using the Quick Access Menu to minimize dips, but be aware it might cause a bit of input lag.
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Cyberpunk 2077
| Release date: | 2020-12-10 |
| Genre: | Shooter & Role-playing (RPG) & Adventure |
| Developer: | CD PROJEKT RED |
Cyberpunk’s had a wild ride, but it’s in a much better place now.
It’s Steam Deck Verified, meaning you can play with minimal fuss. Don’t expect 60 FPS – even on low – but with the Medium preset, shadows/volumetrics turned down, and FSR or XeSS set to Balanced, you can lock it at 40 FPS and cruise through Night City. Fast driving (especially in Dogtown) might bring on some shader pop-in, but walking and story scenes hold up.
Draws around 30W at full power, so expect a 2-hour battery life. And yes, the fans can get loud. Want to skip the launcher? Just add launcher-skip to the Steam launch options.
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
| Release date: | 2015-05-18 |
| Genre: | Role-playing (RPG) & Adventure |
| Developer: | CD PROJEKT RED |
With the next-gen update, Witcher 3 looks better than ever—and still runs well on the Deck.
Use the medium preset, enable TAAU anti-aliasing, turn off motion blur, and crank up terrain/water/texture/detail to high. You’ll get a steady 30 FPS and great visuals. Pushing to 40 FPS is possible, but stability dips, especially in combat.
CDPR even added a Steam Deck preset in update 4.03 that targets 45 FPS at 10W TDP, using FSR 2 and mostly low settings. Battery life is around 2–2.5 hours depending on your setup.
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Resident Evil 8: Village
| Release date: | 2021-05-07 |
| Genre: | Shooter & Adventure |
| Developer: | Capcom Development Division 1 |
This one’s a surprise. RE Village can actually run at max settings on Deck using the Vulkan driver.
You’ll get 60 FPS in most areas, even when things get wild with shadows and flashlight effects. Use high texture and filter quality, keep FSR off, and you’re golden. OLED models can push past 90 FPS, but locking to 60 saves battery pulling just 18–21W.
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God of War
| Release date: | 2022-01-14 |
| Genre: | Role-playing (RPG) & Hack and slash/Beat 'em up & Adventure |
| Developer: | Santa Monica Studio |
This one’s demanding, but you’ve got options.
For a battery-friendly 30 FPS, use a mix of Original and High settings, FSR 2.0 on “Quality,” and limit TDP to 9W. You’ll get 2.5–3 hours of playtime. If you’re chasing 40 FPS, go with FSR 2.0 on Balanced, and expect higher temps and shorter sessions.
Proton GE is usually the best version. Some bugs (like freezing controls after cutscenes) can happen, but toggling the Steam menu usually clears it.
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Silent Hill 2
| Release date: | 2024-10-08 |
| Genre: | Puzzle & Adventure |
| Developer: | Bloober Team |
Silent Hill 2 is playable on Deck but hits the GPU hard.
The intro forest tanks performance, but once you’re indoors or in town, expect 30–45 FPS depending on settings. Use 720p resolution, FSR 1.0 set to “Performance” (or “Balanced” for better visuals indoors). Patch 1.04 added FSR 3.1.1 and AMD Fluid Motion Frames – but the SteamDeck=0 %command% trick can push your RAM too hard and crash the game.
Battery life with Balanced FSR is around 2 hours.
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Being able to run these big, demanding games on something you can hold in your hands is seriously impressive. You won’t always get desktop-quality visuals or a locked 60 FPS, but the Steam Deck still pulls off a great experience.
With developers and Valve keeping up with performance updates and the Deck giving players room to tweak settings you’ve got a growing list of games that play well on the go. Tinker with your settings, find what works for you, and you’ll get the most out of your games.