Valve is quietly making life easier for developers working on Steam Deck. In a new beta update for Steam, the company has introduced performance insights that offer a much closer look at how games behave on the handheld in real-world conditions.
It’s the kind of update that doesn’t make headlines for players—but could have a big impact on how well games run over time.
A clearer view of real performance
The biggest addition here is access to average frame rate data. Developers can now see daily FPS averages over the past 30 days, based on players who’ve opted in to share their performance data.
This is important because it reflects actual gameplay, not controlled testing. Instead of guessing how a game performs on Steam Deck, developers can now track it across thousands of real sessions.
Valve also plans to expand this feature further. In future updates, developers will be able to see performance variation over time, making it easier to spot instability or sudden drops in performance. Support for “Playable” titles—not just “Verified” ones—is also on the roadmap.
Listening to players directly
Alongside performance data, Valve is also adding something equally valuable: user feedback.
After around 10 minutes of playtime, some users are prompted to confirm whether they agree with a game’s Steam Deck verification status. If they don’t, they can explain why—choosing from options like controls, readability, performance, or stability.