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Xbox’s track record when it comes to Steam Deck compatibility is all over the place

Image: Valve

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Excitement abounds for Valve’s quirky cuboid, Steam Machine. But the console-PC hybrid sounds awfully a lot like what Microsoft is hoping to accomplish with its next-generation hardware. Even in an era that’s dissolved the meaning of exclusives, one can’t help but wonder: Will Microsoft fully embrace Valve’s platform?

If Microsoft is proverbially wincing about the direction of Valve’s upcoming release, the company isn’t showing it publicly. Head of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer took this week’s announcement as an opportunity to congratulate Valve.

“Gaming moves forward when players and developers have more ways to play and create, especially across open platforms,” Spencer wrote on X. “Expanding access across PC, console, and handheld devices reflects a future built on choice, core values that have guided Xbox’s vision from the start. As one of the largest publishers on Steam, we welcome new options for players to access games everywhere.”

Microsoft has been diligent about making its games available on PC, which makes sense given the tech-oriented parent company that owns it. But while many major Xbox-published games do land on Steam at some point, Microsoft studios have a spotty track record when it comes to Steam Deck compatibility. As owners of the portable know, developers don’t have to release an optimized version of their games for it to run on Steam Deck. You can simply tell Steam Deck to run a game and try your luck. Sometimes, games work fine. Sometimes, they barely hold together — if they run at all.

Take The Outer Worlds 2, the most recent high-profile release published by Microsoft. It’s a writing-heavy action RPG, which makes it perfect for an on-the-go platform like Steam Deck. There’s a real audience there, too. The most-played games on Steam Deck in 2024 are RPG heavyweights like Elden Ring, Fallout 4, and Cyberpunk 2077. And yet, The Outer Worlds 2 is merely playable on the platform. This distinction means that *The Outer Worlds 2 *does run on Steam Deck — but finer details, like text or UI, might be difficult to parse. For a publisher that is currently trying to convince people to consider a portable gaming console of its own, the lack of a handheld-optimized version seems like a strange oversight.

Microsoft’s track record when it comes to Steam Deck is spotty thus far. Games like Gears of War: Reloaded, Ninja Gaiden 4, and Avowed are all Steam Deck verified. You won’t encounter hitches like poor graphics performance or strange UI artifacts in Steam Verified titles. Then there are games like Keeper, Grounded 2, and the Call of Duty franchise, most of which are merely functional on Steam Deck. It’s possible some of these titles, particularly the newer ones, might eventually get an update for Steam Deck compatibility. But if there’s some logic to what Microsoft games do or don’t get Steam Deck support, it’s difficult to suss out.

Will the same situation bear out for Steam Machine? Spencer sounds magnanimous on social media, but he kind of has to be. When thinkpieces are popping up left and right about how Steam Machine might endanger the future of Xbox, the best PR strategy is to sound unbothered and welcoming. But in many ways, Steam Machine will be more of a direct competitor to the next Xbox than Steam Deck ever could be. The petite cube and its impressive specs place it more in the realm of consoles *and *PCs. Ostensibly, that’s going to be Microsoft’s entire strategy for whatever hardware it releases next. Or if you believe Microsoft’s constant messaging, which has repeatedly argued that platforms might be a thing of the past, then whatever it puts out next starts to sound optional.

Steam Machine, meanwhile, is being positioned as an upgrade for people interested in playing PC games on the big screen. Valve says it does not consider Steam Machine to be in the realm of consoles, but the public seems reluctant to consider Steam Machine solely as a PC gaming apparatus. There’s a real chance that a mainstream audience could latch onto Steam Machine, if Valve prices the hardware well and is smart about its marketing.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a continuation of its current pathway, which treats Steam Deck like the niche accessory that it is. Remember, Valve’s portable has only sold a few million units. Steam Machine could suffer the same fate. But if I were to bet money right now, the one game I’m certain will be plumped and ready for Steam Machine is Skyrim. Otherwise, how Microsoft moves from here is an open question.