Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is now officially Steam Deck Verified following the release of patch 1.3. In addition to bringing the “Verified” status, the update addresses stability, performance, and user interface issues, specifically targeting text legibility and UI scaling problems previously reported by the community.

Before this update, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach had a Gold rating on ProtonDB, though users reported issues such as crashes and artifacts. The version 1.3 update aims to fix many of these issues with several changes previously mentioned in earlier patches to ensure a more consistent experience across compatible hardware.

The patch notes confirm that version 1.3 implements various input and user interface improvements alongside general stability and performance optimisations. Specific technical fixes include resolving hitching and frame drops when using the sniper rifle, as well as several minor graphics-related bugs. According to Kojima Productions, these changes are directly responsible for the title achieving its “Verified” status for the Deck.

The detailed patch notes can be found below:

• DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH is now Steam Deck verified.
• Fixed hitches and stutter that could occur when zooming in with sniper rifles.
• Implemented performance optimizations.
• Fixed multiple rare crashes and improved overall stability.
• Addressed various minor graphics-related bugs.
• Various input and user interface-related improvements and bug fixes.
• Implemented various text and localization-related fixes.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Have you tried Death Stranding 2 on Steam Deck already? How does it perform? 

One feature introduced with the Steam Deck was the notion of games being Steam Deck verified – giving users an easy indicator as to which titles should and should not run on the gaming handheld. With the upcoming Steam Machine, it appears Valve is taking a similar approach; this time offering more concrete compatibility requirements.

As part of the company’s GDC talk, Valve spoke on their upcoming hardware releases including the much-anticipated Steam Machine. According to Valve (as collated by PCGamer), the upcoming box will require a similar level of testing to that of the Steam Deck, meaning if it is Steam Deck verified then the game should also be Steam Machine verified.

That said, for all of its good, Steam Deck verification varies widely from title to title, with some offering bespoke graphics modes for the platform whereas others can run like a potato while still receiving the green checkmark.

For the Steam Machine, it seems requirements are slightly more stringent, with Valve revealing that there’s a performance target requirement of 1080p and 30fps. Given that this device is designed for TV play, here’s to hoping that most titles are able to run at perceptively higher resolutions and with increased framerates than than above however.

Regardless, it appears to be a step up compared to Steam Deck Verification. Of course, we will have to wait and see how strict Valve will be in this regard.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the Steam Deck verification system? Is it too lenient? Would you accept modern games running at 1080p 30fps? Let us know down below.