Hey Valve, here is how you can fix the Steam Deck game rating system

We’re long overdue for an overhaul of the Steam Deck game rating system. What was initially a great idea has now become somewhat controversial, and the Unsupported, Playable, Verified ratings are no longer carrying the same weight they once did. Instead, Valve needs to bring in the community to offer greater context and a more accurate depiction of how games run on the popular handheld.

Many of the best Steam Deck games don’t have Verified ratings, and some aren’t rated at all. This is because the system that assigns games with a rating is, at best, inconsistent. A big reason why the Steam Deck still reigns as the best handheld gaming PC is its operating system and game ratings, but the former has steadily become unreliable, meaning it’s time for a change.

Thankfully, I believe the fix for Valve’s game rating system is fairly simple: let the community have their say. I’m not proposing getting rid of the existing system, but if an additional layer were added that would let owners of a game vote on what they believe the game should be rated, we would end up with a far more accurate system. It would also help avoid situations like the one that just happened with Spider-Man 2 on Steam Deck, where the retraction of a Verified rating was required.

Currently, if a game is rated Unsuppoted but works great, there are a few ways this can be overcome. First, the developer can leave a comment offering context as to why the rating is the way it is, as has been done by the Ghost of Tsushima devs due to the issue with Legends. Next, you can head to a community like Reddit to see what other players think. Finally, there are resources like ProtonDB, which is a crowdsourced Linux and Steam Deck compatibility tool.

The issue is that all of these exist outside of the Steam ecosystem, meaning it takes additional effort to seek out, and when Deck owners see that a game is Unsupported, many will take this at face value.

In an ideal world, ProtonDB integration would be the preferred approach. This would display the given rating for a game (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Native, etc.), but also encourage gamers to share their own experiences on the platform to improve the accuracy of the data. The issue is legitimacy, as it’s possible to rate games even if you don’t own them.

This is why a community input layer, set up by Valve, would be the more practical approach. A simple survey, with just a few questions asked once a game has been played on a Steam Deck, could improve the quality of Valve’s rating system exponentially.

The reason for doing it this way is that it would first and foremost verify that you own or have played the game on a Steam Deck. From there, the survey questions can be as simple as “Do you agree with the assigned rating?” before asking a follow-up such as “What rating would you assign to GAME?”

If Valve were to then notice a trend where a game is being overwhelmingly pushed towards a rating that is different from that which is currently occupied, it can retest based on the community feedback. This feedback from players can also be passed on to developers, who then have the option to act upon it to change the game’s rating or allow the community’s input to guide players toward having the best experience possible with a game.

This would help avoid issues like with Horizon Forbidden West, where the game is Unsupported according to the Steam Deck rating system, but is actually rated as Gold by ProtonDB.

In defence of the current system, there are hard lines which must be maintained even if a community feedback loop were to open. The idea that a game cannot require graphical settings tweaks to be Verified is a must. Verification is a concept that needs to be protected, and the idea that a Verified game boots up and requires nothing more from the player than to enjoy the game to get the optimal experience is ideal.

It’s not perfect, but turning to the passionate Steam Deck community for help with a system that is quite often criticized is a great way to show commitment to improvement. As we look towards the potential release of the Steam Deck 2, this is one of the bigger issues that I believe Valve should address.

In the meantime, you can check out our best Steam Deck accessories guide if you want to know how to improve your Deck experience.

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