Imagine any console having a launch line-up as good as Steam Deck’s most played games in September

I’ve no idea how many Steam Decks Valve have sold, but cor: it sure seems to be a success in terms of the diversity of games people are enjoying on it.

Yesterday, the official Steam Deck Twitter account shared a list of the most played games on the handheld PC gaming machine in September. The list includes Vampire Survivors, Elden Ring, Stardew Valley, Cyberpunk 2077, Hades and No Man’s Sky.

Here’s the full, ordered list in Valve’s tweet:

Seeya September! Here’s a quick look at the top games on Steam Deck for the past month, sorted by total hours played. pic.twitter.com/1YTCuzPwIs

— Steam Deck (@OnDeck) September 30, 2022

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It is only just that Vampire Survivors is at the top of the list. It’s a glorious, compulsive arcade game when played on desktop, but it’s also lightweight and snackable in a way that makes it perfect for a handheld machine.

I’m more surprised by the blockbusters people are playing on Deck, including Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077 and Spider-Man Remastered. The Steam Deck has the juice to play these games, albeit at reduced framerates and with a short battery life, but a handheld isn’t their natural home. Of course, maybe that’s the appeal; it is definitely cool that you now can play these games on a handheld.

Unlike many of my colleagues, I don’t have a Steam Deck. I decided I was unlikely to need a portable PC gaming device since I never go anywhere other than my couch. And yet, on an almost weekly basis I see or play a game and think: this would be better if I could play it on my couch instead of at my horrible work desk. I caved and reserved one last week.