Is Content Warning playable on Steam Deck?

Handheld horror.

The UwU face in Content Warning.
Image via Landfall Publishing

Content Warning was an immediate hit when it launched on Steam as a free download on April 1. So, naturally, Steam Deck owners want to know if it’s possible to enjoy the indie horror title on Valve’s handheld.

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If you’ve somehow not heard of it before, we have a thorough explanation about Content Warning on our site. It’s essentially a co-op horror game in a similar vein to Lethal Company. Since Lethal Company is playable on Steam Deck, you’d assume that would be the case for Content Warning too.

Can you play Content Warning on Steam Deck?

A team of players traveling and filming in Content Warning
A lack of controller support may turn you off. Image via Landfall Publishing

Technically, yes, it is possible to play Content Warning on Steam Deck. However, at the time of writing, Content Warning isn’t Steam Deck-verified, which means it hasn’t been properly tested on the handheld device and thus isn’t optimized for it.

It does run fine for the most part, even managing a steady 60 fps, and while Content Warning lacks official controller support, it does default to the Steam Deck’s control sticks and face buttons once you join a game. Before that, though, you need to navigate Content Warning‘s main menu using the right trackpad, which can be a bit finicky.

What’s more, since Content Warning wasn’t designed with controllers in mind, in-game prompts only tell you which keyboard buttons you need to press. So, you need to figure out and memorize what each of the Steam Deck’s buttons do. Plus, with it being an online co-op game, you need a steady internet connection to play Content Warning, so you can’t really play it on the go.

If none of this is a deal-breaker for you, the Steam Deck is a fine alternative for playing Content Warning, though for the best experience, you should really play it on PC with a keyboard and mouse. Controller support for Content Warning would be fantastic for those who prefer playing with a gamepad, but so far, Landfall Games has made no mention of adding it.

Author
Image of Michael Beckwith
Michael Beckwith
Staff writer at Dot Esports covering all kinds of gaming news. A graduate in Computer Games Design and Creative Writing from Brunel University who's been writing about games since 2014. Nintendo fan and Sonic the Hedgehog apologist. Knows a worrying amount of Kingdom Hearts lore. Has previously written for Metro, TechRadar, and Game Rant.