Halo The Master Chief Collection’s latest update makes the game “Playable” on Steam Deck

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is on its way to Steam Deck verification

Thanks to the game’s April 2023 update on Steam, Halo: The Master Chief Collection has officially become “Playable” on Steam Deck, moving the game away from its prior “Unsupported” status.   

With the game’s April 2023 update, Steam Deck players can now access game modes that previously required Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) to function, like multiplayer matchmaking and the Custom Game Browser. However, it is clear that Halo: The Master Chief Collection requires a few more updates to improve the game’s Steam Deck compatibility. 

     Today’s update for Halo: The Master Chief Collection (MCC) upgrades the Steam Deck Compatibility from “Unsupported” to “Playable”, enabling players on Steam Deck to access modes that require Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), such as multiplayer matchmaking and the Custom Game Browser. Future updates for MCC will continue to improve Steam Deck compatibility as well.

Currently, the Steam version of Halo: The Master Chief Collection reacts differently depending on whether or not the game is played on Windows and Linux. When launching Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Steam Deck, the game’s Anti-Cheat launch option will do the opposite of what gamers tell it to. For example, selecting “Anti-Cheat Disabled” will result in MCC launching with Anti-Cheat enabled. This unexpected behaviour will be fixed with a future Halo: The Master Chief Collection update. 

Additionally, players on Steam Deck are unable to play Campaign Co-op or Spartan Ops with players on PC or Xbox consoles, as all sessions will eventually experience a “Connection Interrupted” error or a similar disconnection when a player is using a Steam Deck. This bug is likely to happen before players even enter gameplay, however this bug is not present if all players are using Steam Decks.

Moving from “Unsupported” to “Playable” is a big Steam for Halo: The Master Chief Collection on both Steam Deck and Linux, and more updates are planned that aim to make the game more compatible with Valve’s handheld gaming system.

Steam Deck users have been asked to submit a “Flag Report Ticket” if they run into any issues running Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Steam Deck. This will allow the game’s development team to quickly address the remaining bugs that impact Halo: The Master Chief Collection on the Steam Deck platform.  

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