Steam Deck launched with hundreds of titles ready to roll on day one. Some of these include ARK: Survival Evolved, Stardew Valley, and more. But many of the titles listed on the Great on Deck page are single-player or co-op experiences that don’t feature third-party anti-cheat, which is concerning for Rainbow Six Siege fans.
Despite Proton being compatible with third-party anti-cheat software like BattlEye and the Epic-owned Easy Anti-Cheat, there’s no evidence to support that Rainbow Six Siege is playable on the Steam Deck. The game’s compatibility was tested on Feb. 15 and marked as Unsupported due to third-party software, according to the Steam Deck Verified game list.
While this seems like a nail in the coffin for 99 percent of competitive games, there could be a bounce-back in the Steam Deck’s future. It’s early in the Steam Deck’s life cycle, and while there seems to be room for improvement regarding anti-cheat—according to Epic CEO Tim Sweeney—the platform could still raise more support for competitive games with third-party software down the line.
The Steam Deck is shipping out to first-round reservation holders now but rolling reservations are currently open. Those who reserve their Steam Deck today are looking at a Q2 2022 ship window. But if you’re looking for a competitive experience on Steam Deck, be sure to double check your favorite title’s compatibility before going all in.
