Valve shows developers how their games really run on Steam Deck

Steam Deck Verified games now get a framerate distribution chart in Steamworks, built from players who opted in. Valve also explains why a good game can still report low numbers.

AI-drafted from 2 sources. This story was written with AI from the outside reporting listed under Sources, and checked by automated tools before it went up. The originals have the full detail.

Valve has given developers a closer look at how their games run on Steam Deck. A new chart in the Steamworks partner dashboard shows the spread of framerates that real players are getting, where before a studio saw an average and a set of customer feedback charts. Valve announced it in a Steamworks Development post on 1 October.

For now the data is only there for games that are already Steam Deck Verified. Developers find it from the partner landing page under Technical Tools, then Steam Hardware Compatibility Review.

Where the numbers come from

The chart is built from Steam Deck owners who have opted in to sharing anonymised framerate data. Valve says that is most of them: “A majority of Steam Deck players have opted in, representing a wide range of games and play styles.”

The point of a distribution is that an average hides things. A game that sits at 60 for most of a session and falls apart in one busy area can post a respectable average. Valve's own example of when to worry is plain: “if a significant amount of framerate data is landing in segments below 30 and players are reporting performance and stability issues, that could be a good signal to look into optimization or changing the default graphics configuration on Deck.”

Why a good game can still look slow

Valve lists four things to keep in mind before reading too much into the chart:

• The LCD Steam Deck tops out at 60 frames per second and the OLED model at 90.
• Players can set their own frame limit, often to save battery, so a game that could hold 90 on an OLED will still report sessions at lower rates.
• Some players are docked to an external display with a higher refresh rate than the Deck's own screen.
• The data covers all sampled time, loading screens included, where the framerate can drop a long way.

So a cluster at 40 or 45 is not proof of a problem. It may just be people choosing a cap.

Why only Steam Deck

Valve's answer to why this is not offered for every PC is that the Deck is the one place where the hardware is the same for everyone: “We're starting with Steam Deck because every device has the same hardware configuration, making the data easier to understand.” It calls this a starting point and asks developers for feedback on what data and presentation would be useful.

GamingOnLinux, which reported the change on 5 October, makes the obvious objection. The games that most need this are the ones rated Playable or Unsupported, and they are not included yet. Its editor Liam Squires-Hand also argues that a fair number of Verified games run badly, and hopes Valve will use the same data to make its own Verified badge more accurate.

For a small studio the practical upshot is simple. If your game carries the green tick, there is now a free chart showing whether Deck players are actually getting the performance the tick promises, and where the default graphics settings might need another look.

Sources

• Steam Deck Framerate data (Steamworks Development)
• Valve give game developers more Steam Deck Framerate data (GamingOnLinux)

Image: Valve