As reported by Gaming on Linux, The Elder Scrolls Online has achieved Steam Deck Verified status, meaning the long-running MMO should now run well out of the box on Valve's PC handheld, no tweaking required.
The Elder Scrolls Online has had that nebulous yellow "Playable" badge since 2024, with Zenimax Online having promised full verification eventually. The big hurdle for users until now was mandatory mouse input to use ESO's external launcher. It also defaulted to mouse and keyboard controls in-game until you set a preference for gamepad. Not the worst thing in the world, but also not quite a buttoned-up, console-equivalent experience.
The Elder Scrolls Online on Steam Deck strikes me as a real chocolate and peanut butter combo: Bethesda's single-player games already routinely number among the Steam Deck's most-played, after all. I find the daily grind of MMOs sat upright at my desktop to be a huge barrier to entry these days, so being able to enjoy that sort of low-intensity, second screen gameplay while lying on the couch is far more enticing.
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