Ace Combat 8 on Steam Deck and Linux
Not reliably, yet. Valve has not rated it for Steam Deck, and online mode is blocked on every Linux system, Deck included, because Easy Anti-Cheat has not been switched on for Linux. The campaign runs on desktop Linux; on the Deck some players crash as a mission loads while others report around 30 fps on low settings.
| What | Steam Deck | Desktop Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Valve Deck rating | Not rated yet | — |
| Menus and settings | Loads | Loads |
| Campaign missions | Crash reports on mission load; others report about 30 fps on low | Playable |
| Online mode | Blocked (error ST-3200003) | Blocked (error ST-3200003) |
Why online mode is blocked
Easy Anti-Cheat supports Linux, but each game has to switch that on, and this one has not. On Linux you can reach the online lobby, then get removed as a match loads. Repeated removals can bring an early-leave warning, so do not keep retrying; the online mode page explains the penalty.
Why the Deck is marginal even for the campaign
The Deck's chip does have ray-tracing hardware, so it clears the gate that stops GTX cards, but it is far below the listed minimum. See where your hardware lands with the PC check, and the full parts list on the system requirements page.
Handheld alternatives
No Switch 2 version has been announced; the game is on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, as the platforms page sets out.