Assassin’s Creed Shadows Will Officially Support Steam Deck—Despite Initial Doubts

Ubisoft has confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be supported on Steam Deck at launch, reversing its earlier stance that Valve’s handheld wasn’t powerful enough to run the game. This announcement comes as a surprise to many, especially since, just a month ago, Ubisoft stated that the game wouldn’t be compatible with the device due to performance limitations.

In a post on the official Assassin’s Creed X (formerly Twitter) account, Ubisoft stated:

“Many of you have been asking about Steam Deck. We are happy to say that we are supporting Steam Deck at launch and are currently awaiting the level of classification from Valve. More info to come soon.”

By “level of classification,” Ubisoft is referring to Valve’s Steam Deck Verified program, which categorizes games as Verified, Playable, or Unsupported based on their performance, control optimization, and interface compatibility. To earn the Verified badge, a game must run smoothly on default settings, with controls tailored to the device’s unique interface. Although Ubisoft’s classification is still pending, the company’s confidence in Steam Deck support signals their optimism that the game will perform well.

This decision is surprising considering that Pierre F, the technology director for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, previously stated in a tech Q&A that the game “will not be compatible with Steam Deck, due to the fact it is below our minimum specs for PC.” This statement highlighted concerns over the hardware limitations of the Steam Deck, a device not known for its raw power compared to high-end gaming PCs.

As a cutting-edge AAA title, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is pushing the boundaries of modern gaming. The game is not being released on last-generation consoles, and its PC system requirements do not even allow ray tracing to be disabled, which indicates the game’s heavy reliance on high-end hardware. Running it efficiently on the Steam Deck will undoubtedly be a challenge for Ubisoft’s engineers.

Despite its impressive capabilities, the Steam Deck has faced growing difficulties with recent releases. Titles like Monster Hunter Wilds have already tested the handheld’s limits, and with fewer developers supporting last-generation hardware, the device’s age may start to show. The Steam Deck, which is now three years old, will need to deliver impressive performance if Assassin’s Creed Shadows is to run smoothly. For more details on the Steam Deck’s specifications and performance tests, visit Steam Deck’s official page.

Ubisoft’s decision to bring Assassin’s Creed Shadows to the Steam Deck shows both courage and optimism. If the game runs well on this device, it will be a significant achievement in making AAA games more accessible on portable hardware. It will be interesting to see how well the game performs, given the technical challenges involved.