Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Secures Steam Deck Verification
As the highly anticipated release of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced approaches on July 9th, it has already made waves in the gaming community by securing the prestigious Steam Deck Verified badge. This accolade, awarded by Valve, signifies that the game operates seamlessly on the SteamOS handheld PC, ensuring an optimal gaming experience without hiccups or technical failures.
This achievement is particularly noteworthy as it surpasses the original Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, which only received the Playable badge due to issues such as incorrect controller glyphs and the absence of automatic onscreen keyboard activation. Such shortcomings rendered the original a bit of a rogue in comparison. With this new iteration, Black Flag Resynced not only garners the coveted green checkmark but also becomes the first major title since the launch of the Steam Machine to achieve full compatibility across all SteamOS devices, including the more robust PC setups.
The Assassin’s Creed series has had a varied history on the Steam Deck, with previous titles receiving mixed reviews regarding their performance. However, the return of the franchise to Steam in 2022 has improved accessibility, reducing the need for extensive Ubisoft Connect configurations. While many titles have earned the Playable status, the most recent release, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, surprisingly achieved the Verified distinction, despite initial plans by Ubisoft to forgo Deck compatibility altogether.
Despite this promising news, questions linger about how Black Flag Resynced will perform in handheld mode. The criteria for earning the Verified status require a game to maintain a frame rate of at least 30fps on the Deck’s 800p screen. Concerns about the game’s technical performance have arisen, particularly after preview reports highlighted various bugs that needed addressing. Nonetheless, Valve appears confident in the game’s capabilities, although further testing on the launch build may be warranted.
For those fortunate enough to have acquired a Steam Machine from the initial release batch, the excitement surrounding Black Flag Resynced is palpable. As the gaming community eagerly awaits the launch, many are preparing to dive into the adventure that awaits, whether on handheld devices or more powerful setups.
