One Huge Problem With The Steam Deck Has Nothing To Do With The Console

Summary Handheld gaming has evolved to include portable PC libraries with titles like God of War and Elden Ring on devices like the Steam Deck.

The Steam Deck's "Verified" system helps players easily identify games tested to work without issue, expanding the available library.

Concerns rose over theft due to the overly obvious packaging of the Steam Deck, prompting changes to make it more discreet to avoid further thefts.

Handheld gaming has come a long way over the years, from the original 1978 Merlin, to the popularity of Nintendo's Game Boy, and now, to the stage where players can take their PC libraries - including major AAA titles like God of War or Elden Ring - on the go with the likes of the ROG Ally or the Steam Deck. Compared to the Windows-based handhelds on the market, Valve's offering - which runs on the Linux-based SteamOS - proved to be popular due to its lower price point, and an OLED offering was released in November last year that resolved several issues players had about the original LCD models, with an improved screen, battery, and the option for a larger amount of internal storage.

The Steam Deck was also praised for how Valve enabled players to very easily set up and play games in their Steam libraries, with a "Verified" system that showed which titles had been tested and would be expected to play without issue, which ones were "Playable" but had minor issues such as needing to use the on-screen keyboard to input information for a third party launcher like Ubisoft or Rockstar, or didn't have button glyphs appearing on-screen, or those that were deemed Unsupported, usually due to potential issues with Linux compatibility or anti-cheat systems - something that players have found workarounds for through installing Windows and dual-booting the console.

The system had an impressive number of Verified games at launch, and that number grew in the years that followed. Players also experimented and found several untested titles that would play at a decent quality on the device to further expand the available catalog, with several forums dedicated to what titles could play on the Steam Deck.

All titles that have been tested maintain those Verified ratings for both LCD and OLED models.

Related 10 Best Steam Deck Games, Ranked Valve’s ultra-powerful handheld gaming PC, the Steam Deck, has a massive - even daunting - library of games. Here are some of its highlights.

The Steam Deck's Biggest Issue Is Its Packaging

The Outer Packaging Makes It Easy To Identify And Steal

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Since Valve first launched the Steam Deck, there has been an issue with players not receiving their packages, and as soon as unboxing videos started hitting the internet, it became clear why. While the original Steam Deck's packaging was clearly designed to generate excitement about receiving Valve's new console, it made it extremely obvious what the device was to anyone who came across it, which a lot of customers took to Steam's community forums to complain about, explaining that it had resulted in a string of thefts before the delivery was even completed, or if any devices were left on porches.

There have since been reports on the r/SteamDeck Subreddit that Valve listened and changed the design of the outer packaging to make it plain, while the interior still showed the Valve branding. However, as shown by ChildOfTheBasilisk59, the shipping labels still said clearly that the item was a Steam Deck and what model it was. While many had assumed this was a requirement for international shipping to get it through customs, this was reportedly also the case on domestic packages and resulted in further thefts.

Despite this clearly being a step in the right direction, new posts suggest that the outer packaging has changed again, reverting back to the classic design. This packaging featured images mixed in with the traditional "Fragile" image warnings that, while potentially cryptic to those who aren't in the gaming community, are extremely obvious to those who are. As shared by Redditor Capable-Track2631, the outer packaging has gone back to featuring images depicting elements of Valve's acclaimed first-person puzzler game, Portal, such as the companion cube, which fans of the game will immediately connect to the Steam Deck due to the package's size and connection to Valve. If that's not obvious enough, there's another image showing the Steam Deck logo nearby. Several comments on the thread stated that this appears to be "even clearer with the OLED model" as well.

Ultimately, theft can happen regardless of how a package is labeled, but openly advertising what is inside does make it even more of a target. While many packages such as phones, tablets, laptops, or consoles tend to come in an additional, blank outer box to avoid making it obvious what's inside, it seems like Valve has eschewed that with just the one piece of packaging for the Steam Deck, likely in a bid to be more eco-friendly. Considering the number of complaints since the original LCD models launched in February 2022, however, Valve should definitely attempt to make its packaging as discreet as possible to make it less obvious what's inside, even if this does come at the cost of some fun marketing.

Sources: Steam, r/SteamDeck/Reddit, ChildOfTheBasilisk59/Reddit, Capable-Track2631/Reddit