Valve has added average Steam Deck frame rates for thousands of games today, giving players performance figures to consult before buying or playing. The averages come from customers who agreed to share anonymous frame rate data and cover games already tested for Deck compatibility. Players can find the figures within the expanded compatibility details on a game’s Steam store page, with library access also available in the Steam beta client.
The data covers tested games across all three compatibility ratings, including those rated Unsupported. Valve says a game given that rating because of inconsistent performance could still meet some players’ expectations, while a Verified game might fall short of someone’s preferred frame rate.
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An expandable histogram shows the percentage of samples recorded at each frame rate, adding a distribution alongside the average. Valve says small bars at lower frame rates can help players see how often stutters or freezes occur. Before displaying either an average or a distribution, Valve requires a minimum amount of anonymous data to preserve the quality of the results.
The figures are filtered to include only Decks using their default frame limit, which is 90 FPS for Steam Deck OLED and 60 FPS for Steam Deck LCD. Valve does not account for custom settings inside individual games, although it says the recorded frame rates still tend to cluster within relatively narrow ranges. Valve attributes some gaps between frame rates, such as 90 and 45 FPS, to VSync behavior when performance or a game setting prevents a match with the display’s refresh rate.
Valve says it started with Steam Deck because the shared hardware configuration makes the results easier to interpret. A large majority of Steam Deck players have agreed to contribute data, according to the company, providing samples across different games and playing styles. Valve expects coverage to expand beyond the thousands of games already represented as it gathers more samples.
Valve also wants to extend frame-rate reporting to additional devices and is asking desktop customers to consent to anonymous collection. That desktop consent option is currently limited to the Steam beta client, with broader access planned. Players can change their participation through the anonymous game frame-rate data controls in Steam account settings.
