Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has earned a full Steam Deck Verified badge ahead of its July 9th release, signifying that it meets Valve's highest standards for performance and compatibility on the handheld PC. This verification is a step up from the original Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, which received a 'Playable' rating due to issues such as incorrect controller glyphs and failure to automatically open the onscreen keyboard.
This certification also indicates that Black Flag Resynced is expected to function well on Steam Machines, Valve's more powerful SteamOS-based PC hardware. Games that achieve Steam Deck Verified status inherently possess the compatibility required to run on other, more potent SteamOS devices.
Previous entries in the Assassin's Creed series have had varied success on the Steam Deck. While many have become easier to run since their re-release on Steam in 2022, requiring less manual configuration through Ubisoft Connect, Verified status has been less common than 'Playable' certifications. Notably, the recent Assassin's Creed Shadows did achieve Verified status, despite initial doubts about its Steam Deck compatibility.
Details regarding Black Flag Resynced's performance on the Steam Deck remain somewhat unclear, as Verification primarily requires a game to maintain at least 30fps at the Deck's 800p resolution. Given that the game's preview build reportedly contained numerous bugs, players may wish to await the launch version's performance before diving in. This cautious approach also applies to Steam Machine owners, should they still possess the hardware.