Steam now shows average Steam Deck framerates when browsing games, but Valve says it’s considering expanding the feature to other hardware
By providing average data for each game, customers now have a more complete picture”.
Valve has released a new Steam update that adds Steam Deck framerate data to a game’s store page, giving potential buyers an indication of how well a game runs on the handheld.
As per Valve’s announcement post, average framerates are now listed in the Steam Deck Compatibility section of a game’s store page, but you’ll need to click Learn More to see it. Additionally, the feature is only available for games that have been tested for Deck compatibility – those with Verified, Playable, or Unsupported badges – so while it’s not a complete list, it still covers thousands of titles.
According to Valve, average framerates are derived from players running the game on their Steam Decks, assuming they’ve opted in to provide framerate data. And the store widget also includes another helpful addition: a histogram displaying the percentage of data samples. This shows how often a particular framerate has been reported, and is useful in determining if the game’s framerate is sporadic, such as due to stutters.
“The current Steam Deck Verified compatibility rating is based on standardised test criteria, but it may not match every customer’s bar for acceptable gameplay,” Valve explained of the new feature.
“This is especially true around performance – a game with an Unsupported rating due to unstable performance may be considered playable by some customers, and a Verified game may not reach a framerate that some customers prefer to play at. By providing average framerate data for each game, customers now have a more complete picture of how the game performs on Steam Deck and can make more informed purchase and play decisions.”
Currently, Steam’s framerate data feature only covers performance on Steam Deck, and for a very good reason: Valve’s handheld has standardised hardware, so the results will be the same for all players. However, Valve says it intends to provide framerate data for more devices in the future, but it’s not clear if that’s ever going to include desktop PCs, considering the complex nature of their hardware configurations.

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