Can You Play Once Human on Handhelds Like Steam Deck?

The highly anticipated Once Human is finally here, but can you play it on your handheld device of choice, like the Steam Deck? The answer is yes and no.

Native Controller Support is a Must

The PC spec requirements for Once Human are relatively low, so hardware shouldn’t be an issue. Plus, the game runs on Linux, which is the operating system of choice for the Steam Deck. However, the game’s lack of native controller support at launch means that handheld players will have to wait.

While you can hook up a keyboard and mouse to your handheld, this defeats the purpose of handheld gaming. Once Human’s developers have promised to add controller support in the future, but for now, it’s a PC-only launch with no sign of a console release.

The Steam Deck is Ready for Once Human

The Steam Deck community is known for creating custom controller layouts for games, and the device does have touchpads. However, this doesn’t change the fact that controller support is missing at launch.

Given the mobile version of Once Human is already announced for September, it’s disappointing that this basic feature is lacking for PC players. My advice would be to hold off for now if you intend to play on a handheld like the Steam Deck or ROG Ally.

The Wait Continues for Handheld Gamers

It’s a shame that Once Human’s developers didn’t prioritize native controller support at launch. As it stands, the game is less than ideal for handheld play. Let’s hope the developers will add this feature soon.