While the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol 1 didn’t have the best introduction on PC, improvements have been made, and in this case, it’s the Steam Deck versions of MGS 2 and MGS 3 that have been targeted. Despite initially launching as playable, both titles have been given a fresh look and upgraded to ‘verified’ by Valve.
The Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection was initially a complete dud on the Steam Deck, with a plethora of issues including, but not limited to, the inability to change aspect ratio, missing audio, random crashes, and general frame rate drops with little explanation.
Now, both Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3 have been upgraded to ‘verified’ by Valve. This suggests that performance on the Steam Deck should be near flawless, as this is the criteria for Valve’s highest Steam Deck verification.
However, not all is as it appears, as some users are still reporting issues even after the most recent update. While the reports are not as severe as the post-launch issues, there are still question marks over when Konami is going to have the MGS Master Collection in the shape that fans deserve.
Ultimately, a game that earns a verified rating from Valve should launch and play flawlessly, truly separating it from the playable category, which was created to suggest that user input might be needed to get the game running. While it may take some time for accurate user reviews to appear, you can keep an eye on ProtonDB for a true representation of how the MGS Collection runs on Steam Deck.
The original Metal Gear Solid retains a playable rating for the Steam Deck, but with MGS 2 and 3 receiving updates, a new update may also be planned for the first game to raise it to verified status.
We’re still awaiting news on the rumored Metal Gear Solid 4 launch on PC, but in the meantime, check out the best Steam Deck games that have earned their verified status with little controversy.