Valve adds average FPS and performance distribution for Steam Deck games to Steam

Valve has updated Steam: pages for games compatible with Steam Deck now show the average frame rate other owners of the handheld console get. The company calculates the figure using data from users who have agreed to share statistics, and displays an FPS distribution histogram alongside it.

How FPS statistics work

The new information is based neither on Valve tests nor on a single playthrough of a game under laboratory conditions. Steam collects data from users' devices when they have allowed anonymous transmission of frame-rate information. The store then displays an aggregate result for a specific game on Steam Deck.

The average gives a general idea of the performance the game delivers for participants in the data collection. However, it does not guarantee the same result on every console: the actual FPS may differ for an individual owner. The additional chart points this out as well: it shows what share of players get different frame rates.

This distribution helps show how well the average represents a typical experience. If users' results vary significantly, a single number won't tell the whole story. The histogram makes it possible to assess the spread and see how often lower figures associated with stuttering or slowdowns occur. It is not a substitute for testing the game yourself, but it provides an additional reference before launching it.

Where to find the information in Steam

On a game's store page, the relevant section is «Steam Deck Compatibility». To view additional information, select «See details». Valve has also added statistics to the Steam library, but at this stage they are available there in the beta client.

At launch, the new feature covers thousands of games. Whether figures are available depends on whether the company has collected enough data for a particular title. Valve plans to expand the list gradually as data comes in, so the absence of average FPS on a page does not mean that a game necessarily runs poorly or won't launch.

There is also a separate limitation: the statistics are for games that have passed Steam Deck compatibility testing. This ties the new metric to the store's existing compatibility section. Users can view not only compatibility information but also performance data from other device owners, if it is available.

Why show a distribution instead of just an average

A single averaged figure is useful for quick comparisons, but it can hide differences between users' results. For example, the average alone does not show whether most players get a similar frame rate or whether the result comes from substantially different figures. The histogram supplements the metric and helps make sense of the sample's composition.

For Steam Deck owners, this is a practically useful clarification: stability matters just as much as a high figure in a single measurement. Valve says the distribution makes it possible to assess how often users encounter stuttering and freezes. At the same time, the published information remains statistics from other players, not a promise of a specific result on the reader's device.

The new section also changes the role of the compatibility page. Previously, it provided information about whether a game was suitable for the handheld system; now it can be supplemented with observations about how the game actually performs. This information does not replace or override the compatibility rating: average FPS answers a different question and depends on the data Valve has managed to collect.

Collecting data on other devices

Valve plans to publish average FPS figures for other devices over time as well. To do this, the company is asking Steam users to allow anonymous frame-rate data collection in the desktop client. The corresponding setting is currently available in the beta version and is expected to become available to everyone later.

An offer to enable data collection will appear in the Steam library. Users can also change their decision manually: the setting is in the account preferences, under «Data & Viewing», in the «Anonymous Game Frame Rate Data» option. Participation therefore depends on the user's consent, and Valve describes the transmitted information as anonymous.

Expanding the statistics beyond Steam Deck could give the store comparable performance benchmarks for games on other computers, but the company has not yet provided details about when this part of the feature will launch or exactly how results will be grouped for different configurations. For now, Valve has only confirmed plans to collect data in the Steam client and make the setting available to everyone later.

What this means for players

For Steam Deck owners, the new feature makes it possible to assess user-reported performance before buying or launching a game, if enough data has already been collected for it. The average provides a quick reference, while the chart helps users avoid treating it as a universal result. It is especially useful to look at both elements together, since a single figure does not reflect the spread among participants in the data collection.

For now, coverage will depend on user participation and the gradual accumulation of statistics. Information is available for games compatible with Steam Deck, and in the library it can be accessed through the beta client. Collecting data from other devices will require enabling anonymous FPS transmission; Valve plans to make this option available to all Steam users later.