Steam Deck Verified Badge Questioned Over Crimson Desert

Crimson Desert has received the Steam Deck Verified badge despite performance issues that keep it below 30 FPS. Concerns have been raised about whether Valve's verification system properly shows what players can expect from the handheld.

Valve's latest Steam beta client update is here, and it includes several fixes for Steam Deck and Steam Controller users. The left trackpad on Steam Deck is now supported, while the Steam Controller can work as a scroll wheel in the web browser.

Steam Beta Client Update Adds Several Fixes

The update also fixes a random single-pixel line appearing above the home screen header. Some keyboard keys that were not typing correctly in the Steam overlay in desktop mode have also been fixed. Remote Play received a fix for an issue where the stream sometimes appeared as a black window. The August 11 update makes no mention of Steam Frame.

The most recent direct Steam Frame reference remains the August 7 preliminary support for the Steam Frame wireless adapter. So, this update adds no new Steam Frame hints, but the beta still includes useful fixes. Crimson Desert has received the Steam Deck Verified badge, and the rating has raised questions because the game does not appear to deliver the performance expected from a Verified title.

Crimson Desert pushes hardware, and its performance on the Steam Deck has been an issue. At launch, the game could drop below 30 fps, even at the lowest quality settings. Several patches have been released, but they do not appear to have made much difference to Steam Deck performance. Steam Deck Verified badge is part of Valve's system for showing which games should provide a playable experience on the device.

Crimson Desert Struggles to Maintain 30 FPS

At the lowest settings, with FSR 3.1 upscaling set to Ultra Performance, the game couldn't maintain a stable 30 fps in most situations. It stayed around 30 fps only while falling through the air or standing still. As soon as we started running around or getting into fights, the frame rate dropped.

This was also at the lowest possible settings, which made the game look poor. The image became blocky and blurry, and performance still dropped to around 21 fps. We also tested the game using an analysis tool. The test used the lowest possible settings with FSR 3.1 Ultra Performance, while running into a fight with eight enemies at once.

The average frame rate was around 29.8 fps, while the 97th percentile was 43.9 fps. However, the 1% and 0.1% lows were only 14 fps and 11 fps, respectively. These results show why the Steam Deck Verified badge is being questioned. An average close to 30 fps does not tell the whole story, as the 1% and 0.1% lows drop to 14 fps and 11 fps during gameplay.

The Steam Deck Verified System is Being Questioned

The Steam Deck Verified badge is supposed to signal that a game is playable and enjoyable on Steam Deck. If games can receive a green check mark while running below 30 fps, with 1% lows around 14 fps and 0.1% lows around 11 fps, the system becomes less useful as a guide. We expect a Steam Deck Verified game to provide a playable experience on the device's 800p display.

It doesn't need the best graphics or visuals, but the experience should at least be playable. Some games have managed to balance performance and visual quality on Steam Deck. A game such as Cyberpunk 2077 showed how an optimized graphics mode can help a demanding game reach a playable level on the hardware.

The bigger issue is what the green check mark tells players.

If someone buys a Steam Deck and sees that a game is Verified, it is reasonable to expect the game to be playable after downloading and launching it. When that expectation is not met, the rating system can create a different impression of the hardware and the Steam platform. We completely agree with Steam Deck HQ's criticism of the rating in this case. 

Some players have reported putting around 30 hours into Crimson Desert on Steam Deck and finding it playable. That shows experiences can vary depending on settings and expectations, but the reported performance results still raise questions about whether the game should carry the Verified badge.

Crimson Desert receiving the Steam Deck Verified badge has therefore sparked further discussion about Valve's verification system. If a game cannot consistently maintain 30 fps and drops into the low teens during gameplay, the green check mark does not clearly communicate what players should expect.