CodeWeavers’ president James Ramey has explained that following a misunderstanding, the Steam Deck may not actually be able to run every Steam game at launch.
Ramey is the president of CodeWeavers, which works with Valve to develop Proton. This software handles compatibility between Linux and Windows and will ensure that the new Linux-based platform can run Windows games.
Speaking to the Boiling Steam podcast and spotted by RPS, Ramey has warned that there may have been a misunderstanding when Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais said that the Steam Deck could run every game.
Explaining that “I don’t necessarily think that is true”, Ramey believes Griffais was referencing the Steam Deck’s hardware being able to physically run these games, and may not have been touching on Proton’s ability to ensure compatibility.
Ramey feels that “there are two messages that have kind of been mashed together” regarding the message fans have taken from Griffais’ statement. Elaborating, Ramey adds:
“I think what he was referencing is – and this is my opinion, this is my perception, this is not something I have talked to him about – I think he was trying to state that the device itself, the hardware specs on this device, can support any game.”
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Grounding excited fans, Ramey stated, “I would expect that when the Steam Deck is released and made available in December it is likely more robust than people are anticipating or expecting as of today.”
While not every game may be available on the Steam Deck at launch, Ramey stresses that Proton is “a living, breathing project” and work is constantly being done to make more games compatible via the software.
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