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SteamOS is a brilliant gaming platform that can run a staggering number of titles, but some games just refuse to work on SteamOS and Linux in general. The good news is that you can install Windows on your Deck and open it up to a slew of new games and PC Game Pass.
1EA Sports WRC
I’ve spent over 50 hours inEA Sports WRCsince it dropped on EA Play and PC Game Pass a few months ago, and I can say it’s one of the best rally games I’ve ever played.
It’s got an enjoyable driving model that plays nice with a controller, a humongous single-player campaign with tons of stuff to do, heaps of different rally stages taking you all over the world, and a massive selection of iconic and modern rally cars. The only thing missing is the rewind feature found in Codemasters’sDirtgames. I know this is a more realistic take on rally racing, but a rewind would allow me to be more aggressive and not to replay a 15-mile stage after I’ve made a single teeny tiny mistake on the second-to-last corner…
The game runs fine with occasional stuttering on Steam Deck, if you’re okay with playing the game with the lowest graphical settings. But the kicker is that recently, EA decided to update the game with its in-houseanti-cheatsolution, rendering the game unplayable on Deck and Linux in general. At the moment, you can only playEA Sports WRCon your Deck if you install Windows on it. If you’re a fan of rally games, this title alone is reason enough to make Windows your Steam Deck’s auxiliary OS.
Steam Deck OLED
Elevate your gaming experience with the Steam Deck OLED. Immerse yourself in stunning visuals on the vibrant OLED display, while enjoying powerful performance and portability.
2Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
COD: Black Ops 6multiplayer is some of the best fun I’ve had in aCall of Dutygame, ever. Great gunplay, tons of customizable weapons, well-designed maps, and solid performance on the Deck if you may swallow the low settings and are ready to install Windows. This is a rareCall of Dutygame that’s got me hooked for longer than a couple of months. I still play it on weekends and I don’t think I’ll stop anytime soon.
Multiplayer isn’t the only reason to check this one out. The campaign is alsoone of the best we’ve had in a decade or so. I was so hooked that I finished it in a couple of days and was left wanting more, which hasn’t happened since the glory days of theModern Warfareseries.
Valve Steam Deck
The Steam Deck LCD is, hands down, the best budget handheld gaming PC you can get, thanks to its phenomenal price, top-notch build quality, excellent software support, and pretty solid gaming performance.
3The Crew Motorfest
The Crew Motorfestis mostly a single-player game, but due to Ubisoft’s insistence on always-onlineDRM(yet another game marred with anti-cheat), you cannot play it on SteamOS. But you’re able to play it on your Steam Deck if you install Windows on it.
I really liked driving around Oahu and Maui while playing the single-player portion of the game because there are plenty of cars to choose from, and because this is the firstThe Crewgame to have a decent driving model (still lagging behindForza Horizon, though). On top of that, the visuals are solid even on lower settings, and the digital recreations of the Hawaiian islands that the game takes place in look gorgeous.
If you ask me, the game’s worth your time, even if you only plan to check out the campaign, as long as you can accept a stable 30 FPS. I had a blast racing across Hawaii, and my only complaint is that too many events limit you to only a few cars to choose from.
4Grand Theft Auto Online
TheGTA Vsingle-player campaign still works great on SteamOS. On the other hand,GTA Onlinehas been unplayable on SteamOS and Linux for a while since Rockstar implemented a new anti-cheat solution some time ago.
If you’re addicted to perpetually growing your digital criminal empire in Los Santos, the only way to tend to it on your Steam Deck is to install Windows on it.
5Fortnite
The favoritelive servicepastime for millions of gamers around the globe doesn’t work on Linux. The game can work on Steam Deck with Windows on it, so if you’re itching for somebattle royalerumble, get ready to install a fresh OS on your Deck.
6F1 24
F1 24is yet another EA game that doesn’t work on Steam Deck because of EA’s anti-cheat software. A crying shame because the game’s campaign and driving model are top-notch.
It’s unfortunate that the single-player portion ofF1 24is unplayable because, similar toEA Sports WRC, you may enjoy the game for dozens of hours without even touching multiplayer. But it is what it is, so if you’re an F1 fan who owns a Steam Deck, the only way to play the game is by putting Windows on it.
7Rainbow Six Siege
Rainbow Six Siegehas been going strong for almost a decade now, and there are no signs that the game is slowing down. It’s still the best choice for fans of hardcoreonline shooters, where quick reflexes are tertiary, and teamwork, map knowledge, and operator expertise take center stage.
The game doesn’t work on Linux, including SteamOS. Conversely, it works great on Windows-powered Steam Decks.
8Lost Ark
Lost Arkis one of the bestaction RPGsout there, but the game being an MMO means it comes with anti-cheat, and that means no Linux support. The game runs well even on hardware that lags behind Steam Deck, and Valve’s handheld packs enough horsepower not to be limited to low details.
If you’re ready to install Windows on one of the best handheld PCs, you will be able to effortlessly kick off yourLost Arkjourney. The game’s available on Steam, so all you have to do is open Steam, downloadLost Ark, and embark on an odyssey across the seven continents the game world consists of.
9EA Sports FC 25
For better or worse,EA Sports FC 25is the only premium soccer game that includes online multiplayer. Unfortunately, like every other EA game with multiplayer, the game doesn’t work on Steam Deck running SteamOS.
On the other hand,EA Sports FC 25runs pretty solid on Steam Deck once you switch to Windows, as long as you limit the FPS because the frame rate is not that stable.EA Sports FC 25isn’t all about multiplayer, though. You can spend hundreds of hours trying to win trophies and leagues across the globe or develop your player from a clumsy greenhorn to a Ballon d’Or candidate.
10Erica
Ericais a single-player,full-motion video gamethat features an interesting story and a ton of different endings. It takes a couple of hours to complete, but you can spend dozens of hours trying to unlock every ending.
Unfortunately, this is a rare single-player game that, for some reason, doesn’t play nice with Linux. Thus, it does not work on Steam Deck unless you equip it with Windows. Being an FMV game, you can rest assured it will run perfectly on your Steam Deck once you turn it into a Windows PC gaming handheld.
