Xbox Cloud Gaming support could be another big win for the Steam Deck

Cautiously optimistic

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Here at TechRadar, we’re very excited about theSteam Deck– and not just forthe games we’ll be able to play on it.

Valve’s upcoming handheld is all about versatility, meaning it’ll be compatible with a range of external hardware and software. That includesVR headsets like the Oculus Quest, non-Steammarketplaces like theEpic GamesStore and evencompletely different operating systemslike Windows 11.

Now, we’re hearing that the Steam Deck will also work withMicrosoft’s cloud streaming service,Xbox Cloud Gaming, suggesting owners will be able to play supported Xbox titles on their Valve-branded handheld.

The news comes after Xbox Boss Phil Spencer tweeted his admiration for the Steam Deck following a prolonged hands-on period with the new console. “I can say it’s a really nice device,” he said, “Games with me on the go, screen size, controls all great […] xCloud works well.”

Was @valvesoftware this week talking w/ Scott, Erik, Gabe about Steam Deck. After having mine most of the week I can say it’s a really nice device. Games with me on the go, screen size, controls all great. Playing Halo and Age feels good, xCloud works well. Congrats SD team. pic.twitter.com/q4hWBvkk85August 13, 2021

Though not clarifying to what extent Xbox Cloud Gaming will work with the Steam Deck, Spencer did say in the tweet that “playing Halo and Age feels good [on the console],” which we presume to be in reference to specific Halo and Age of Empire titles.

Temper expectations

There is, of course, still the question of just how well the Steam Deck will perform when running AAA titles. Compatibility with these graphics-hungry games is all well and good, but if they don’t play well, Valve’s console won’t be the game-changer the company clearly hopes it will be.

Thankfully, its developers are optimistic. In a recentinterviewwith GamesRadar, Valve designer Scott Dalton said: “We only within the last six months passed over a threshold where we felt like we could actually deliver AAA current titles at good frame rates. All the things you would want out of playing your library.”

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We know that Valve is targeting aminimum benchmark of 30fpsfor any games played on the Steam Deck, so the “good frame rate” Dalton is alluding to here may indeed be in reference to the same figure – which should provide competent performance for high-spec titles, even if 60fps has become the threshold to aim for on non-portable consoles like thePS5andXbox Series X.

That being said, neither Spencer nor Xbox itself has yet confirmed whether Xbox Cloud Gaming will run through a browser or native app on the Steam Deck, which could dramatically impact the quality of the experience for the player should the former turn out to be the reality.

Still, Spencer’s clarification that the service will at least be made available on the device in some capacity is a welcome one, and we can’t wait to put it to the test when it launches in December.

ViaGamesRadar

Axel is TechRadar’s UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site’s Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion. 

Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.

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