In a surprising twist for fans of web-slinging action, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is no longer Steam Deck Verified. Just a couple of months ago, in mid-February 2025, the game earned that shiny green checkmark, signaling it ran smoothly on Valve’s handheld without any fuss. But by the end of March, that status was yanked, and the game’s now labeled as Playable instead. So, what’s the deal?
Back in February, a patch from Insomniac Games beefed up the game’s stability, making it a dream for Steam Deck players. You could swing through New York City as Peter Parker or Miles Morales with solid performance right out of the box. The Verified rating meant no tinkering was needed—just plug and play. But something shifted in March, and Valve decided the game didn’t quite meet the Verified bar anymore.
The downgrade to Playable suggests you’ll need to fiddle with settings to get a decent experience. Think tweaking graphics options or dealing with smaller text that might strain your eyes on the Deck’s screen. While it’s still technically runnable, it’s not the seamless ride it used to be. Players have noticed, too, with some grumbling about inconsistent frame rates or control hiccups since recent updates.
What caused the drop? Nobody’s spilling the full tea yet. It could be a new patch that threw things off, or maybe Valve’s testing caught issues Insomniac didn’t spot. Neither the developers nor Valve have dropped a clear explanation, leaving fans to wonder if it’s a temporary glitch or a bigger problem. For now, Steam Deck owners might need to roll up their sleeves and experiment to keep Spidey swinging smoothly.
This isn’t the end of the road, though. Insomniac’s got a solid track record, and they might push another update to win back that Verified badge. Until then, if you’re playing on Steam Deck, expect a bit of DIY to make things work. Stay tuned—New York’s heroes aren’t down for the count just yet.
Source: PC Gamer
