After its Xbox debut, Helldivers 2 has kept players talking. CEO Shams Jorjani has fielded plenty of questions on the official Discord, from split-screen support to the game’s rocky servers, and to report on bugs (and not the Terminid kind). We’ve even seen Xbox and PlayStation trade profile banners on X, highlighting just how much attention the game is getting.
Now, Jorjani has commented on the chances of Helldivers 2 running properly on the Steam Deck. His words raise an important question: Is full handheld support actually within reach, or is it still a long shot for Arrowhead?
Helldivers 2’s CEO addresses Steam Deck Support
We’ve already covered Jorjani’s and other developers’ comments in the official Helldivers 2 Discord before. This time, when asked about the game getting official Steam Deck support, he explained:
“We want to primarily get the game working well on the sys requirements we target. If we make that happen, Steam deck will improve as well. Then we might consider formally supporting it more.”
Helldivers 2 does include a “Steam Deck” preset, but that’s all it is for now — a preset, not full official support. His comments suggest Steam Deck compatibility isn’t a short-term priority, though it remains on Arrowhead’s radar as the game evolves.
We want to primarily get the game working well on the sys requirements we target. If we make that happen, Steam deck will improve as well. Then we might consider formally supporting it more.
Arrowhead CEO – Shams Jorjani
It’s also worth remembering that the Steam Deck launched more than three years ago. Hardware limitations could play a role in whether full support is realistic. For now, though, Arrowhead appears focused on bug fixes and stability. The most recent update, Into the Unjust, introduced crashing issues (which should now be fixed) that had frustrated players.
What would Steam Deck performance mean for Helldivers 2?
While Helldivers 2 is technically playable on the Steam Deck, its performance falls short compared to other titles on the device. Fans often have to rely on community guides and tweaks just to squeeze out extra frames and stability.
Official support could change that. Better optimization wouldn’t just make the game run more smoothly on the Steam Deck; it could also improve performance across other platforms. We’ve seen this before — when Larian optimized Baldur’s Gate 3 to run on Xbox Series S, those improvements carried over to the wider game.
There’s also the appeal of accessibility. The idea of spreading democracy on the go is something many players, myself included, find exciting. And now that Helldivers 2 has arrived on Xbox, the possibility of broader handheld support feels a little more realistic, even if hardware limitations remain.
Which leads to the bigger question: if the Steam Deck sees improvements, what could that mean for the ROG Xbox Ally (Xbox Ally)?
Steam Deck may improve, but Xbox Ally faces bigger challenges
Jorjani’s comment specifically mentioned the Steam Deck, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t set a precedent for how Arrowhead approaches other handheld gaming PCs. Unlike the Steam Deck, the Xbox Ally runs Windows and has slightly stronger hardware. The upcoming Ally X even ships with AMD’s Z2 Extreme chipset, which gives it a small but notable advantage over Valve’s device.
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We’re also in the middle of a handheld boom. With Lenovo, AYANEO, and MSI already having devices on the market, it’s clear players want to take their game libraries with them. Helldivers 2 could benefit from that trend, but there are bigger issues standing in the way.
Cross-progression is a major one. Right now, there’s no way to link a Steam account with an Xbox account, and the game doesn’t support Xbox Play Anywhere. In fact, Helldivers 2 isn’t even listed in the Xbox Store on Windows. Without those features, handheld players are forced to choose one ecosystem, and any potential support for the Ally would feel incomplete.
Arrowhead’s community manager has also reiterated that there are no plans for cross-progression or cross-save. That means even if Xbox Ally owners bought the Steam version, their progress wouldn’t carry over — a big limitation that undercuts the handheld experience.
Helldivers 2’s handheld future remains uncertain — but I’m hopeful
While Steam Deck support may be on Arrowhead’s radar, it doesn’t mean much for Xbox fans without features like Xbox Play Anywhere or cross-progression between Steam and Xbox. It’s disappointing, especially when so many other games are adopting these systems.
To be fair, it may come down to technical challenges. Arrowhead might see its time better spent on stability fixes and the features the community is actively asking for, though it’s fair to say cross-progression is asked for a lot.
For now, we’re left spreading democracy the old-fashioned way — mowing down swarms of Terminids in the latest update and waiting to see what’s next from a game that just keeps on giving.
