If you have a Steam Deck and want to play games but you’re confused which one game play, There are so many options when it comes to games on the Steam deck, I’m talking about emulators, AAA games, indie games. You have options all the kinds of games that you can play on a PC.
In this article, I’m sharing 15 games that I’ve put together over the time that I’ve owned the Steam deck. And all these games you can download directly from the Steam store, so there are no emulators. Nothing crazy, nothing different, no unsupported games, no games off the Epic Store, nothing like that. I’m going to be giving you all my best settings for graphics and performance and finding that perfect balance to get the best gameplay experience on the Steam deck.
Note: This article contains Amazon affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Corsair MP600 Mini 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe x4 Gen4 2 SSD Compatible for Steam Deck and Microsoft Surface
Something that you should note before I go ahead and start talking about these games is that I’ve got a two-terabyte SSD replacement inside my computer. I took out the 512 gigabyte SSD and replaced it with that, and all the games that I’ll be talking about will be played off of that SSD.
Valve Steam Deck Handheld Console 256 GB
Read Also: Steam Deck Review A Portable Gaming PC
1. Spider-Man Remastered
Our first game on this list is Spider-Man remastered. This is one of the very first games that I picked up on Steam Deck. I decided to pick it up to experience it on my PC and on the go with the Steam Deck. I’ve definitely been playing it a lot more on the deck than on the PC, just based on that portability factor. PlayStation has also brought a lot of its exclusives to PC, and honestly, I’ve been loving it. You’ll actually notice a few of them throughout this list, and I’ll only be adding more with time.
The Spider-Man remastered game is fully compatible and verified to function well on the Steam Deck, and I can definitely confirm that for the best gameplay performance, you want to set the game’s display setting to the max at 1280×800, turn on vsync, and then enable AMD FSR 2.1. Next, set the game’s graphics to medium and then cap the screen’s refresh rate at 40 Hz. This allows the game to function fairly consistently at close to 40 frames per second for most games. I’ve played at 40 frames per second, which remains a sweet spot for finding a nice balance between Graphics quality and the smoothness of your gameplay.
In the Spider-Man remastered, you play as an experienced Peter Parker, who is also Spider-Man, fighting big crime bosses and villains in Marvel’s New York City. I’ve always enjoyed the web swinging and Combat gameplay, which for me can be very addictive due to how much fun it is. You’ve also got different suits to pick from and so many gadgets and superpowers to play with.
2. Spiderman: Miles Morales
The next game in this list is Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and this one was just recently ported over to the PC from PlayStation; it’s also verified and fully functional on the Steam deck. For the best gameplay performance on this, I usually set the display settings to the maximum resolution, turn on vsync, and also enable FSR 2.1, which is pretty similar to what I did with the first game. As for the graphics preset, I usually set that to very low and then cap the screen’s refresh rate at 40 Hz.
For me, it provided the best experience on the deck so far, I usually don’t expect to use high graphics settings on the Steam deck since it’s got a small screen and things look good enough on it for on-the-go gameplay even with low Graphics presets, and With these settings in place, I’m able to play the game smoothly between 30 and 40 frames per second, but it usually stays closer to 40 frames per second, which is what I usually want in this sequel. You play as Miles Morales, who is a newly turned Spider-Man learning the ropes from Peter Parker. He’s then left to fan out from New York City by himself while Peter leaves for a bit in the sequel. You also have access to a new source of power that’s honestly so overpowered but also so much fun to use in the game. With this one, I’ve put in a lot less play time, but I’m already halfway through the main story, so the game is not long, but it’s definitely fun the entire playthrough
.
3. Mad Max
Mad Max has to be one of the best games I’ve played on the Steam deck so far, it is verified to function well on the Steam deck, and it doesn’t disappoint. I had to Play It on Steam, and it’s been great so far. For the best gameplay performance, I usually set the display settings to the maximum level of vsync and then use the normal Graphics preset, And with this preset, I’m able to maintain a 60 frames per second during gameplay.
In the game, you play Maxwell, who’s lost his family and then becomes a reluctant hero and Survivor in a world that has now become a wasteland run by warlords, with the main villain being the warlord Scrotus. Resources like guns, ammunition, and gas are scarce, and you have to manage your supply well or you’re left with nothing but hand combat. Most of the time, melee combat with hands or weapons is super fluid and very immersive. There’s also vehicle combat, which is a major part of gameplay, and it’s also fun with weapons like harpoons and car upgrades that turn your car into a weapon in battle.There are a lot of side missions and other things to do in Mad Max besides the main story.
4. Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy was released a few months ago, and it was already confirmed to be very fun and fully functional on the Steam deck, so I had to pick it up. So it’s like buying the same game and playing it on multiple platforms. And the the Steam deck handle it very well with the right settings, I get close to a steady 40 frames per second, which is perfect for me.
Like the other games, I have the resolution for this set to the max, turn on vsync, enable AMD FSR2 with a balanced profile, and then set the graphics quality to low settings allow the game to run smoothly at close to 40 frames per second, which is awesome. Sometimes it’s actually able to hold 40 frames per second consistently before dipping.
Hogwarts Legacy game is based on the Harry Potter novels and movies. so you get to explore the Wizard World in role-playing action game. You control a student at Hogwarts, which is his school of magic, and learn magic tricks and skills to help fight the different villains which you’ll encounter throughout the game. There’s no physical or melee combat, and every battle has to be fought using magic.
5. Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 one of the best games I’ve ever played, It’s a game that turned out to be masterpieces, most of you might have already played on a different platform, but being able to play it on the handheld has been a whole new experience. It’s got a playable status for the Steam deck as opposed to the verified status of the other games from earlier, but that does not at all affect gameplay in any way. It just means you’ll need to use the on-screen keyboard to go through the Rockstar signing page, and once you’re through there, it’ll be just like any other verified game on the Steam deck.
With the best gaming performance setting, I usually set my resolution to Max, turn on vsync, and finally lock the screen’s refresh rate to 40 Hz. With all of those in place, I’m able to actually maintain a steady 40 frames per second, and the best part for me is that I’m still able to do that with some pretty nice Graphics presets. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a single-story mode and a multiplayer mode called Red Dead Online, which can be played with an active internet connection. This is also needed for saving gameplay progress in the cloud, but RDR2 does not save to the Steam cloud like the others but onto Rockstar’s servers instead.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the story of Arthur Morgan and the vandalizing Gang on the run across the United States at the beginning of the Modern age. You play as Arthur, who happens to be a skilled Gunslinger and also the hero of the game.
6. Days Gone
Days Gone is a super underrated game that I played but never got to finish on the PS5. Picking it up on a deck is giving me the opportunity to have another go at it and probably finish it this time. Days Gone has a verified status on Steam, which means it’s a perfect match for the Steam deck.
For the best gameplay performance I usually lock the screen at a 40 Hz refresh rate, set the max resolution, turn on vsync, and then make sure the game is using the medium Graphics preset. This allows the game to run smoothly with a consistent 40 frames per second and some pretty decent Graphics quality. Honestly, I love how well it runs on the deck, and now I might actually finish the game.
Days Gone is a single-player open-world action adventure game If you enjoy post-apocalyptic survival games, then you’ll definitely love Days Gone as well. In the game, you play as Deacon St. John, who is a bounty hunter and the hero of the game. In a post-pandemic world filled with lunatics and zombie-type creatures called freakers like Mad Max, you’re going to have to be smart with how you span your very limited resources like ammo and gas.
7. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
At number 5, we have The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and it is verified to function perfectly on the Steam deck, and it does so pretty well. Within the settings menu, I use the maximum resolution, Turn on vsync, enable fsr2, and use the auto settings for the graphics preset. I use the low settings and then lock the screen’s refresh rates to 40 Hz, and these setting allow the game to run between 30 and 40 frames per second, which, for the most part, works well enough.
In the game, You play as Geralt of Rivia, who happens to be a mercenary monster slayer’s open world is filled with a variety of monsters, which you’ll need magic and melee combat skills to fight. In the game there’s also a war going on between different factions, which you’re pretty much stuck between as the game goes on. The main story requires completing a contract where you track down Siri, who’s supposed to be a living weapon with the power to alter the shape of the world.
8. Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a really unique action role-playing game that I’ve really been enjoying on Steam so far. It’s also been verified and confirmed to be perfectly compatible with the Steam deck, so it uses Steam Cloud Saves as well for performance and graphics. I use the maximum resolution, turn on vsync, lock the screen to 40 Hz, and then set the graphics preset to high allows the game to run consistently at 40 frames per second, which is great.
In the game you play as Ichiban Kazuka in Tokyo, Japan, where you fight to make your way from being a lower-ranked Underdog to becoming the top dog. Your character has just gone through betrayal, and now he’s on a mission to discover the truth behind it, the game uses a turn-based combat system, which was new to me before playing it. Both your character and enemies can use pretty much anything within reach as a weapon during combat, and some of the dialogues are voiceless, which to me is kind of weird; it’s kind of different.
9. Kena: Bridge Of Spirits
Kena: Bridge of Spirits runs at 40 frames per second consistently using some modified settings; usually I set the resolution to max, turn on vsync, and enable DirectX 12. Like most of the other games, I also lock the screen’s refresh rate to 40 Hz and then use the lowest Graphics preset in the game. You play as Kenna, who is a spirit guy that goes through the game World collecting these magical creatures called The Rock.
The Combat gameplay is nice, but definitely not my favorite of a lot of the games that I’ve played. Again, you’ve got a stat for melee combat, and you’ve got weapons that can also be thrown at enemies for some ranged combat. I think the biggest thing for me with the game is the music and just how cool the game world looks, and definitely the run.
10. Assassins Creed: Origins
On Assassin’s Creed Origins, I’m able to play with high graphic settings and still maintain 40 frames per second for smooth gameplay. To get to that point, I usually set the resolution to Max, these sync to lock the screen’s refresh rate to 40 Hertz, and then use the high graphics presets. Whatever you do, avoid setting vsync to Adaptive or you won’t get steady 40 frames per second. From what I’ve noticed, Origins is the 10th major installment in the series, coming right before Odyssey. You play as a magi named Bayak of Siwa in ancient Egypt, completing quests to progress through the main story. You can choose to roam the open world of the game on foot or horseback. Camelback horse-drawn vehicles or boats You can also dive underwater and explore lakes and rivers throughout ancient Egypt, and the side missions typically involve rescuing prisoners, defeating enemies, collecting items, or investigating items of interest.
11. Assassins Creed: Odyssey
I use the same settings for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey as I use for Origins, and this is also able to hold that 40 frames per second sweet spot with some pretty nice gameplay graphics. I’ve also found that both of these quick games are very similar in gameplay mechanics, how characters are equipped, and a whole lot more. So far, I’ve enjoyed playing both and continue to bounce between them all the time. I’ve definitely put in a bit more time into Origins, but I’m sure I’ll finish both games eventually. Origins is based in Egypt.
The Odyssey takes you on a quest across ancient Greece. Both stories have been quite interesting to me so far, and I’ve been enjoying the whole gameplay a lot. At the beginning of Odyssey, you select to play as either Alexios or Cassandra, Greek mercenaries and descendants of a Spartan King. You can either explode a massive open world on foot or on horseback, where you’ll discover locations of interest. Clear out fortresses and camps. Explore tombs and shipwrecks and collect Hidden treasures. You can also collect various crafting resources through exploration, hunting, and wildlife.
12. Assassins Creed Rogue
Assassin’s Creed Rogue is up next, and this runs great on the Steam deck. This one is a lot less demanding and graphically demanding than the first two, so it’s able to run in a maximum Graphics preset and even hold on to a consistent 60 frames per second. It’s also a bit older than the other two games, so it’s understandable why it’s able to run this well on the Steam deck for this one. I like to set the resolution to Max and then turn on V saying like I do with the other games, and then leave the screens refresh rate at its maximum of 60 hertz. In Assassin’s Creed Rogue, you play as Shea Cormac, who captains the ship sold at sea. Exploration and combat are a major component of the gameplay. If you’ve played and enjoyed Black Flag, chances are you’ll enjoy this one too. Your ship can be equipped with a bunch of new weapons, and enemies can board it for combat as well.
13. Assassins Creed III
Assassin’s Creed 3 remastered is the last Assassin’s Creed game that I’ve picked up, and this also came with the Liberation DLC for even more gameplay content. It’s a remaster of one of the first Assassin’s Creed games, so it comes with improved graphics and better gameplay content than the original. I’ve always loved the earlier Assassin’s Creed games, and playing this on a deck has been great for bringing that Nostalgia back, so I use the maximum resolution as usual, turn on v-sing, and then set the graphics to high. Finally, I go ahead and unlock the screen’s refresh rate to 40 Hertz, and it’s smooth gaming from there on out. The game is set in an open world and follows Connor, an Assassin from colonial America, and his involvement in various events during the American Revolution. You have access to a lot of weapons like guns, swords, and the signature ass hidden blades. The game also comes with a lot of the old fighting and movement mechanics of the earlier games, so if you’re one of those who fell in love with the series for that reason, there’s a good chance that you’ll love playing this on a deck as well.
14. Civilization VI
civilization 6 is the final game of this list and this is one game that I’ve got on a deck just to satisfy my urge to play a strategy game every once in a while it’s been labeled with the playable status but like the others that does not affect overall gameplay experience it’s easily the least demanding game I’ve got on the handheld and runs smoothly with graphic settings all maxed out at up to 60 frames per second so no tweaking necessary here the game runs easily on a steam deck it’s a turn-based strategy game about building Empires advancing through the different ages of history and going ahead to head against some of the greatest leaders of the world I think civilization six is a niche game and not everyone will find this game interesting or fun to play.
