If you’ve got your hands on a Steam Deck, you probably know it will run all the best AAA games. Steam Deck retro gaming is also a thing, however, with the Steam library offering classic titles, among the 7061 playable and verified games for the console.
Given the sheer volume of that list, various classic titles have to be included by default. This includes anything from re-releases (such as the first game I played in the Steam Deck, Zool) to games released before 2010 (e.g. Half-Life or Half-Life 2 – incidentally the second game I played on Steam Deck).
As of December 2022, Steam Deck has:
- 2690 Verified Games (38%)
- 4371 Playable Games (62%)
Of particular interest to readers of this site are the following recently-validated classic games on Steam Deck:
- STAR WARS™ Battlefront (Classic, 2004)
- SEGA Mega Drive and Genesis Classics
- Red Faction II
- Panzer Corps Gold
- SHOGUN: Total War™ – Collection
Many other classic games are available for Steam Deck, not just in the Steam library but also on GOG and Epic Games, both of which can be accessed via the Heroic Games Launcher app for Steam Deck. Meanwhile, you can also install Batocera on a microSD card for a full retro gaming emulation experience.
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Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
