In a surprising turn of events, Ubisoft has announced that its upcoming title Assassin's Creed Shadows will support Valve's Steam Deck handheld gaming PC at launch, contradicting earlier statements from the company. This development marks a significant shift in strategy for the publisher, potentially opening up their latest AAA title to the growing handheld gaming market.
The Unexpected Reversal
Just weeks after Ubisoft's technology director Pierre F stated that Assassin's Creed Shadows would not support Steam Deck at launch, the company has completely changed its position. The official Assassin's Creed social media account confirmed that the game has been submitted to Valve for classification, citing fan demand as the primary reason for this reversal. Many of you [the fans] have been asking about Steam Deck, the account stated, indicating that community feedback played a crucial role in this decision.
Steam Deck Classification Levels:
- Verified: Fully compatible with Steam Deck
- Playable: Works with minor adjustments
- Unsupported: Not compatible with Steam Deck
Assassin's Creed Shadows Status:
- Previous stance: Not supported at launch
- Current stance: Submitted for Steam Deck classification
- Reason for change: Fan demand
Technical Challenges Remain
Despite the positive announcement, there are legitimate concerns about how well the game will perform on Valve's portable device. The Steam Deck's hardware falls below the minimum system requirements originally specified for Assassin's Creed Shadows, suggesting that significant compromises may be necessary to achieve playable performance. Industry experts anticipate that the game would likely need to run at the lowest possible settings with AMD FSR enabled to function adequately on the Steam Deck's aging AMD APU.
Valve's Classification Process
Ubisoft has confirmed that they are currently awaiting Valve's official classification for the game. Steam Deck games typically receive one of three ratings: Verified (fully compatible), Playable (works with minor adjustments), or Unsupported. While submission for classification is an important step, it doesn't guarantee a positive outcome. Valve's rating system has faced criticism in the past, including recent controversy surrounding Marvel's Spider-Man 2's Verified status despite performance issues.
The Growing Handheld Gaming Market
This decision reflects the increasing importance of the handheld gaming market segment. The Steam Deck has proven surprisingly capable of running demanding modern titles, including Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, albeit with visual compromises. For players who primarily or exclusively game on the Steam Deck, Ubisoft's support means another major title will be accessible on their platform of choice.
Performance Expectations
While Assassin's Creed Shadows may technically run on Steam Deck, questions remain about the quality of experience players can expect. Modern AAA games often struggle to maintain consistent performance on the handheld, resulting in lower frame rates, reduced visual fidelity, and an overall compromised experience compared to playing on more powerful hardware. Some critics have described demanding games on Steam Deck as resembling moving Claude Monet paintings due to the visual sacrifices required.
Release Timeline
With Assassin's Creed Shadows' release just around the corner, players won't have to wait long to see how the game performs on Steam Deck. Ubisoft has promised more information soon regarding the level of classification from Valve, which should provide clearer expectations for the handheld gaming experience.