The Steam Deck won’t have any exclusive games, says Valve

When it launches next year, Valve’s Steam Deck will be able to run a suite of PC games, none of which will be exclusive to it. The mobile console, which is really more of a handheld Steam machine, won’t have any exclusive games according to Valve. In a beefy FAQ section for developers, Valve says it won’t support exclusive games on its upcoming console. “No, that doesn’t make much sense to us,” reads an FAQ answer. “It’s a PC and it should just play games like a PC.” In short, don’t expect a “killer app” that’s only available on the device. In terms of the Steam Deck’s messaging so far, that tracks. Valve has marketed the handheld machine as a way for people to play their Steam games on the go, and since Steam is just a PC marketplace and not its own platform, keeping games separate between PC Steam and Steam Deck users would be a bit outlandish. It’s worth noting though that not every game on Steam is going to be playable on the Steam Deck. Valve is currently going through the assumedly intensive and repetitive process of reviewing every game on Steam for the Steam Deck. Some games will be able to be played with no issue while others, like all the VR games on Steam, won’t be playable at all. Steam Deck users also won’t have to limit themselves to only playing games that are on Steam. Third-party applications can be downloaded onto and run using the handheld PC, meaning users should be able to play non-steam games. A modder named SnooOranges3876 has released a plugin for Steam Deck titles that lets players adjust graphics on the fly, improving appearance and performance, and the best part is that it’s both free and easy to use. Called LetMeReShade, this plugin allows players to adjust illumination, contrast, colors, and much more on the fly. It can be particularly beneficial to older titles, too. The plugin is available through GitHub. It circumvents the often-complicated install processes for ReShade mods and instead lets players quickly apply those mods to games. In the example video, SnooOranges3876 is seen changing shaders in Cyberpunk 2077 and Heavy Rain, with several other titles like Alan Wake and Monster Sanctuary as potential options. I have a massive Steam library, and like most PC gamers I know, I’m always looking to add to it. Will I actually play the games? Maybe. Will I complete all of them? Certainly not. But I’m caught in a negative feedback loop of picking up new games constantly for pennies on the dollar, and Steam is feeding my addiction more than ever before. How? With Steam bundles. Steam bundles aren’t anything new, but I’ve seen a stark uptick in them over the last several months. They mostly revolve around similarly styled indie titles, offering a small discount of around 10% if you buy two or three games in bulk. That’s not why I’ve taken advantage of Steam bundles so often over the past several months, though.
The hack After years of putting it off, I recently accepted that my PC is in dire need of an upgrade. A graphics card swap last year slowed its march towards obsolescence, but it was clear that my outdated processor needed a boost to match. The more I researched, the more I realized that wasn’t my only problem. I was looking at a full motherboard swap, potentially setting me back $1000. That was all to maintain what’s become my least favorite way to play games. I’d much rather sit on my couch and use my Steam Deck than play on the same monitor I stare at all day for work. While I know I’ll have to upgrade eventually, I just found another good excuse to put that off a little longer. Razer just released its own Nintendo Switch-like dock, dubbed the Handheld Dock Chroma, built for devices like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. It’s a deceptively feature-loaded piece of plastic that has already transformed my gaming habits, putting another nail in my PC’s coffin. That comes at a cost though, both figuratively and literally, which stops this from being the one dock to rule them all.
Design and compatibility
If you’ve used a Nintendo Switch before, you should know exactly what to expect with the Handheld Dock Chroma. You place your device of choice into it, connect it to the dock via USB-C, and voila. Your portable device now outputs up to 60 frames per second at 4K on whatever screen you want, whether it’s a monitor or TV. It’s the kind of accessory that any Steam Deck owner should have.