With the WWE 2K23 release date just a few short weeks away, Steam Deck owners may be wondering whether the game will be compatible with the handheld.
Speaking to RetroResolve, 2K and Visual Concepts confirmed the main focus of WWE 2K23 will be PC and console.
When asked about how Steam Deck compatibility factors in, Lynell Jinks, Creative Director at Visual Concepts, had the following to say.
“No, not right now,” says Jinks. “Our focus remains on [the] Microsoft and Sony consoles and PC.”
Is this a surprise? Not really. For how powerful the Steam Deck is, it’s worth remembering it’s more akin to a portable PS4 in terms of what it can and can’t do. As games get more ambitious, it makes sense that not everything will work to a satisfactory degree on the Deck.
Of course, there’s always the slight chance Visual Concepts could look into compatibility later down the line or, failing that, Valve could work some serious Proton magic. But as of right now, I’d recommend picking up WWE 2K23 on PC or console when it launches on March 17, 2023.
Going back to the subject of Proton magic for a moment: Earlier today I published my settings guide for Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. First thing in the morning when I booted up, Wo Long was running at 25 to 29 frames per second. It was a miserable experience and hitting counters wasn’t fun. Like, at all.
But, following a Proton hotfix, the game was able to hit a smooth 30 frames per second, and that’s with the devs offering no out-of-the-box support. Amazing, right?
Obviously, these are two very different games with vastly different specs, but it’s always good to see Valve is able to get the less demanding games running even if the developers haven’t optimized for the Deck.
As always, I’ll still be testing WWE 2K23 out on Steam Deck to see what’s what, so be sure to bookmark us or follow us on Twitter for all the latest Steam Deck gaming news, guides, and reviews.