The Steam Deck verification is still involved, as the Desktop Client does use the defaults from Deck Verified, and Baldur's Gate 3 has a Deck Verified config to pick the Native Linux version.

went all happy to download the native version on my desktop and ran into my current game broken with an empty folder :c they really could’ve just released this native version for everyone

went all happy to download the native version on my desktop and ran into my current game broken with an empty folder :c they really could’ve just released this native version for everyone

agreed, not sure why devs act like the steamOS isn't linux

The Steam Deck verification is still involved, as the Desktop Client does use the defaults from Deck Verified

I don't think it's true in general that the desktop Linux client uses the Deck Verified defaults. If that were the case, then I would have to force Steam to use the Linux version of Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (which SteamDB reports as Verified with the recommended runtime set to Proton stable). Instead, on my desktop system, it defaults to the Linux version:

In my experience, the desktop client will simply default to a game's Linux version if there is one. It seems the issue here is that it does so even if that game's Linux depot is also tagged as "only for Steam Deck" (or whatever causes caused the empty download on Linux desktop systems).

Edit: Optimistically changing that last parenthetical note to past tense in light of some recent comments on #12019 implying that this particular issue with Baldur's Gate 3 is already fixed (though I haven't personally confirmed it).

Edit: Optimistically changing that last parenthetical note to past tense in light of some recent comments on [#12019](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/12019) implying that this particular issue with Baldur's Gate 3 is already fixed (though I haven't personally confirmed it).

To be clear, it's not completely fixed. They did update the depots to allow downloading the native build of the game on Non-Deck Linux, but the build executable configuration itself is still shot and defaults to Windows and not "the Deck one". At this point, and I'm aware this isn't the forum for such conversations, I'd pin the blame on management guidance, not the dev team; the build works just fine on Desktop.

The launch option issue has been fixed as of a few hours ago, so it should now launch correctly.

This definitely raises concerns over how the Deck exclusivity works for depots and launch options, however - on the Steamworks AppAdmin side there may need to be checks to ensure that a Linux+Deck depot requires a Linux non-Deck depot as well. This should apply to launch options too.

If it simplifies things, this applies to Windows depots as well; it wouldn't make sense to have an app with a Windows+Deck depot but no Windows Non-Deck depot. The docs may need to clarify this as well.

(Separately, and I know people are sick of me bringing this up, but Valve's messaging on the subject in general could still be better - developers can and should be reassured that a native Deck game using steamrt3 will behave similarly elsewhere, as that's the whole point of the runtime, so if you're confident on Deck, you shouldn't be that afraid of the others to the point where dev partners try to hack something like this into their app config.)

@michaelneverwins huh, I stand corrected then, I could have sworn it did always affect Desktop too from looking at my own Steam Library but clearly not. Good to know in any case 👍

@flibitijibibo sounds like a sane thing for Valve to do, just to ensure no one gets left with an empty download

The launch option issue has been fixed as of a few hours ago, so it should now launch correctly.

Didn't show up on steamdb until now, I was probably hitting some cache version. Still, yep, seeing it now.

edit: sorry, but uh... after rolling back my metadata mod, I'm still hitting this one.

The launch option issue has been fixed as of a few hours ago, so it should now launch correctly.

Didn't show up on steamdb until now, I was probably hitting some cache version. Still, yep, seeing it now.

edit: sorry, but uh... after rolling back my metadata mod, I'm still hitting this one.

Bought the game and did a fresh install:

I want to say this is a continuation of the problems in #7464 where it really tries to hang onto the current install config (rightfully so) but doesn't know when to let go - a reinstall is the best solution I can recall but it's not as reliable as I'd hope for it to be however many years later.

I want to say this is a continuation of the problems in [#7464](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/7464) where it really tries to hang onto the current install config (rightfully so) but doesn't know when to let go - a reinstall is the best solution I can recall but it's not as reliable as I'd hope for it to be however many years later.

Unfortunately, the workaround is dead simple: close Steam, remove/rename ~/.steam/root/appcache/appinfo.vdf, restart. That fixed the launch.

The fact that cache invalidation isn't a thing is weird.

I think it's worth pointing out that Linux support generally requires supporting multiple distributions with different hardware configuratios. This increases the amount of bug fixing and testing required by developers.

Where as the Steam Deck runs a single distribution on a single hardware configuration, it is far easier to test and guarantee it works.

I can completely understand why developers would choose to only support the Steam Deck officially.