Baldur’s Gate 3 Ended up Steam Deck’s Biggest Game of 2023

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Abiyan

At Tech4gamers, I cover all sorts of gaming news. Whether it’s a leak of any upcoming game or an update, an announcement, or a rumour, I like to write about it all. Over the weekend, I sit and write features where I talk about games that I miss or want to see return.

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Baldur’s Gate 3 was last year’s biggest game on more than one platform. After making a massive splash on PC, the game proceeded to conquer PlayStation and Xbox consoles, eventually winning Game of the Year.

However, it also had a massive presence on handheld consoles like the Steam Deck. According to Valve, Baldur’s Gate 3 was the most-played game on the console in the last 12 months.

Why it matters: Last year was stacked with incredible single-player and multiplayer releases, yet Baldur’s Gate 3 managed to outpace every other AAA release.

The list of top 10 games includes titles like Elden Ring, GTA 5, Hogwarts Legacy, Palworld, Red Dead Redemption 2, and more. Therefore, topping the list was no easy feat to accomplish for Baldur’s Gate 3.

Compared to most AAA games on the list, Baldur’s Gate 3 is more suited to handheld gameplay. With turn-based combat and a loop that encourages fans to invest hundreds of hours, the ability to take the experience on the go may have been crucial to this success.

Since Baldur’s Gate 3 made $650 million on Steam, many PC gamers likely switched between Steam Deck and PC gameplay, propelling this CPRG up the most-played charts.

It should be noted that this list has been made based on the games that have seen the most active player counts daily. A complete list of the top 100 games on Steam Deck can be found on Steam’s official website.

The Steam Deck has grown incredibly fast since its release in early 2022. This handheld currently boasts over 9,000 verified/playable games, fitting well into Valve’s overall PC ecosystem.

Heading into 2024, Valve’s Steam Deck is expected to continue expanding. With upcoming PC ports like Horizon Forbidden West and Ghost of Tsushima, PC gamers will have an even bigger library of games on their hands.

Meanwhile, Baldur’s Gate 3 is continuing its impressive run. With an average of over 600K players on Steam alone, it would not be surprising to see the game retaining its position on the list in the months to come.

Abiyan

[News Reporter]

Abiyan is on track to complete his Computer Science bachelor’s degree. His enthusiasm for writing and gaming motivates him to keep readers and gamers updated with the latest information from the industry. In his free time, Abiyan enjoys playing Dota 2 and Rocket League. Abiyan has also been cited in reputed websites such as Kitguru, Comicbook, GamingBible, Eurogamer and Gamingbolt.