Valve Releases Frame Rate Data to Cut Through Steam Deck Verification Confusion

The Steam Deck Verified program, introduced by Valve in 2021, has long struggled with a fundamental problem: the badge does not reliably predict how smoothly a game will perform on the handheld device. To address this gap, Valve has begun releasing frame rate telemetry gathered from consenting players, displayed as averages and histograms on Steam Store pages for both the standard Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED models. The company started collecting this anonymized performance data in February.

Valve recognizes certain limitations in its dataset. Players who activate VSync or impose frame rate caps can skew results, and the measurements do not reflect the custom graphics tweaks that many Steam Deck owners apply to optimize performance. Nevertheless, Valve reports that "the framerate data consolidates around relatively narrow ranges," suggesting the collected information remains meaningful despite these caveats.

Beyond the badge

The new frame rate information proves particularly valuable for differentiating performance across the broad spectrum of games that carry the Verified label. Cyberpunk 2077 and Skyrim: Special Edition both receive the same Verified badge, yet they deliver markedly different experiences: Cyberpunk 2077 averages 30–40 FPS on the Steam Deck, while Skyrim: Special Edition typically maintains 50–60 FPS.

The data becomes even more illuminating when examining titles Valve marks as Unsupported. Games bearing this label—whether because "graphics setting cannot be configured to run well" on the hardware or because Valve is "still working on adding support for this game"—often perform far better than the designation suggests. Starfield, Silent Hill 2, and Assassin's Creed Syndicate all show surprisingly playable frame rates according to actual user reports. Assassin's Creed Syndicate particularly stands out, approaching a 60 FPS average on Steam Deck OLED despite its Unsupported status.

Frame rate telemetry also sheds light on games whose multiplayer functionality remains broken under SteamOS but whose single-player campaigns run acceptably. Watch Dogs 2 carries an Unsupported designation due to anti-cheat compatibility problems, yet Steam Deck players consistently report 40+ FPS averages in the game's single-player experience.

The Steam Deck's uniform hardware architecture makes collecting and averaging performance metrics straightforward. For the fragmented landscape of PC gaming, where configurations vary widely, Valve takes a different approach. The company states it remains "always looking for new ways to help developers understand the experiences customers are having with their games."

Hints of broader ambitions emerged in April, when JSON files embedded in the Steam client referenced a potential Steam "Framerate Estimator" tool. According to strings found in the code, this tool would allow users to "Select an App and a PC config to get a chart of estimated framerates, based on the framerates of other Steam users." Such a feature could prove invaluable for PC gamers seeking guidance beyond Minimum and Recommended specifications, eliminating reliance on unreliable third-party frame rate prediction services. For now, Valve continues to expand performance transparency on its fixed-hardware Steam Deck platform.