It’s borderline impossible to make every single game run well on the Steam Deck, given its relatively low-end specs compared to desktops in 2025. Even still, there are plenty of reasons why game developers should focus on supporting Valve’s popular handheld. One of the key developers behind FPS RPG Witchfire (currently in early access) has highlighted the benefits of Steam Deck support in a recent interview. It isn’t all about showing off your shiny ‘Verified’ badge – it actually benefits the game itself.

Polish video game designer Adrian Chmielarz, known for his involvement in the original Painkiller game, Gears of War, and Bulletstorm, is the Creative Director at The Astronauts, the team behind Witchfire. He notes, in an interview with FRVR, that while the team originally focused on Steam Deck support “just to support an additional extra machine,” they discovered that optimization and other measures to fit the handheld form factor helped improve the experience for all players.

Supporting Steam Deck not only benefits players; it also benefits the game

Chmielarz explains, “Steam is not really a shop. Steam is a community,” adding “And so we wanted to make sure that that community is basically served… but what we’ve learned, which was kind of surprising, is that making your game compatible, like Steam Deck Verified, actually makes your game better.” One particular example he gives is the development of a scalable UI feature that benefits small handheld screens and large monitors/TVs alike.

Witchfire was Steam Deck Verified in its Reckoning Update on December 13 and boasts a performance profile for the handheld, which is automatically applied when you launch it for the first time.

There’s no question that the Steam Deck is massively popular, even years after its launch. It’s regularly the number one top seller on the Steam store, based on total revenue. “So far, everything that Valve touches turns to gold,” says Chmielarz, so it only makes sense to support the hardware. Much like consoles, it’s valuable to know that a game just works on a Steam Deck. With the Steam Machine also on the way early next year, we may see a similar verification system for players to reference. Valve says the Steam Machine has “over six times the horsepower” of the handheld.

“If you’re making some, I don’t know, some super duper complex game using some engine that’s not the fastest in the world, then maybe you will have [problems], maybe don’t support Steam Deck because, you know, 15 frames per second is not fun. But other than this, everybody should attempt to support that machine because it would make their game better.”

Adrian Chmielarz, Creative Director at The Astronauts, speaking to FRVR

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.