Valve Tests Game FPS Graphs On Steam Deck Ahead Of PC Rollout

by Alan Velasco — Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 12:06 PM EDT

Person using the steam deck pc gaming handheld. — Steam Deck. Image: Valve.

The Steam Deck has managed to become the go-to PC gaming handheld in part because Valve has put in serious work towards making it DIY repair-friendly and overall an easy-to-use device, which includes finding compatible games on Steam. The company isn’t resting on its laurels, though. It’s rolling out a new feature that will provide more detailed information about the kind of performance buyers can expect when playing games on the handheld.

Gamers can now see the average framerates other Steam Deck owners are getting in certain titles. This builds on Valve's earlier rollout of Steam Deck FPS data for developers, which gave studios insight into real-world performance and potential optimization issues.

As for seeing average framerates, the FPS stats are obtained by “using data from customers who have opted in to providing framerate data.” Valve says the data will be provided for games that have been tested for compatibility with the handheld, including those that are marked as verified, playable, or unsupported.

steam deck compatibility information. — Steam Deck Compability Section. Image: Valve.

This framerate data is listed on a game’s Steam store page under the Steam Deck Compatibility section, which players can expand to get a nifty histogram with the data the company has collected. This gives players a better idea of how well a game will perform, including any hitches or stuttering that other players are encountering. The big upshot is it can help someone decide if picking up a game is worth it if they’re only gaming on the handheld.

steam deck framerate histogram. — Framerate Histogram. Image: Valve.

This neat new feature won’t be limited to the Steam Deck for long, though. Valve confirmed it is using it as a “stepping stone” to provide the same kind of information to desktop users, beginning by asking players who utilize the Steam client beta to opt-in and anonymously share their framerate data. The company says that this data sharing option will become available to all users at some point down the line.

Having this information available is a big win for both players as well as game developers, because it should cut down on the number of disappointing purchases.