The latest development from Blizzard's beloved RPG franchise, Diablo 4, is about to expand its reach. In an unexpected move from the gaming giant, Diablo 4 is going to be available on an additional PC platform, a notable stride for Blizzard. Furthermore, there is promising news for handheld gamers as the game is well-suited for the Steam Deck.
Games in the action RPG genre like Diablo 4 and Path of Exile have shown fantastic compatibility with the Steam Deck. An increase in controller use for this type of game has liberated players from traditional gaming setups. Blizzard is well aware of this transformation. Indeed, with Diablo 4, more gamers appear to be utilizing buttons over a mouse interface.
From previous reports, it became known that Diablo 4 executes smoothly on the Steam Deck. Now, Blizzard has affirmed that the game will earn an esteemed verified status. This recognition likely carries one significant condition: to achieve optimal performance, players might prefer to use low-resolution textures.
Diablo 4's installation process offers the option of adding a 40GB texture pack. For Steam Deck users, it's advisable to forego this feature. Bypassing the texture pack not only guarantees smooth gameplay, but it also saves valuable SSD or microSD storage space from getting filled with unnecessary data.
Considering all the factors, it is highly suggested that Steam Deck users try out Diablo 4. Despite being an always-online game, Diablo 4 is not impacted by the Steam Deck's sleep mode. It only logs the player out of the game, turning Diabo 4 into a convenient pick-up-and-play title.
The Big Move: Diablo 4's Verification for Steam Deck
Diablo 4 is not alone in making its debut on the Steam platform. Activision – Blizzard's parent company – is also rolling out Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 3 (2023) on Steam as well as Battle.net.
As of 2017, Activision began to exclusively launch its most significant titles on Battle.net. However, they reversed this decision in 2021 with Modern Warfare 2.
Breaking Down Community Barriers
According to Blizzard, the company is aiming to “break down” barriers between different gamer communities through this strategy. The new approach was initiated with the release of Overwatch 2.
Unfortunately, the game was met with a considerable amount of negative feedback from the Steam community. Likewise, Modern Warfare 2 now boasts a disappointing “overwhelmingly negative” review score on Steam.
Regardless of the reviews, the integration of these titles into the Steam library signifies an interesting change in strategy for Blizzard. Expansion onto another popular PC store point towards an increased focus on accessibility and reach.
In conclusion, the incorporation of Diablo 4 onto the Steam Deck store serves to underline the unit's capabilities and versatility. Simultaneously, it offers promise of many exciting opportunities for Steam Deck players in the time ahead.