In December 2023, Valve provided an exciting annual gaming update for Steam Deck. Interestingly, one game continued its rule as the unchallenged leader - Baldur's Gate 3. The gamers' love for playing Baldur's Gate on the go seems unstoppable.
When Baldur’s Gate 3 made its debut on Steam, there was little anticipation for the game to perform well on the Steam Deck. The game, developed by Larian Studios, takes you into the extraordinarily detailed world of Faerûn, filled with wonderful fantasy creatures. Moreover, the game's rich graphical elements make it one of the most demanding games of 2023.
However, against all odds and expectations, Baldur's Gate 3 went on to gain verified status on the Valve handheld. It continued consistently to dominate the list of Valve's top 20 most-played games, beating popular contenders like Cyberpunk 2077 and Grand Theft Auto V.
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As officially reported on the OnDeck Twitter account, Baldur's Gate 3 topped the list of most-played Steam Deck games in December 2023, holding its position due to the total hours played.
A Trendsetter in the Gaming World
This isn't the first time Baldur’s Gate 3 has topped the Steam Deck gaming charts. Notably, the RPG has held this position for the past five months. Before Baldur's Gate 3's release on Steam in August 2023, games like Dave the Diver and Street Fighter 6 had their brief period of reigning in the most-played list.
Despite several competitive releases, Baldur's Gate 3 continued its dominance, largely due to the captivating character of Astarion, and the introduction of a new and enticing OLED display to the hardware added to its appeal.
While it is commendable that Baldur’s Gate 3 has managed to maintain its position, it might face stiff competition from future releases. The trend witnessed in 2023 has shown that new games have regularly been added to the top 20 most-played list on Steam Deck.
The entry of Coral Island, an engaging farming simulator, along with Lethal Company, a horror co-op success on Steam, and Disney Dreamlight Valley, an Animal Crossing-inspired life-sim featuring favorite Disney characters, created a significant impact on the most-played list.
Baldur’s Gate 3's Unchallenged Rule Under Threat
Whether the gamers' love is for a cosy life-sim, a horrifying co-op, or a sci-fi fantasy epic, Baldur's Gate 3 has managed to keep gamers on Steam Deck engaged.
However, with highly anticipated releases just around the corner, such as Tekken 8 and Persona 3 Reload, it is suspected that the unwavering dominion of Baldur's Gate 3 on the Steam Deck throne could be challenged in 2024.
Only time will tell whether Baldur’s Gate 3 continues its reign in 2024 or a new game will surpass it to rule the Steam Deck gaming charts. Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that Baldur’s Gate 3 has set a high benchmark for upcoming games to achieve.