Bilawal Bashir 
Steam offers plenty of great MMORPGs, and while some are highly demanding, many run well on the portable Steam Deck.
Despite being the biggest MMORPG, World of Warcraft is not available on Steam. Many of its competitors haven’t followed suit by tripling down on their own proprietary launcher, though. Plenty of MMOs are available on Steam, and some of the top WoW alternatives are playable on Steam Deck. From well-established franchises like Final Fantasy to old classics like Runescape, there is an abundance of choices for players.
Steam is home to almost every major MMORPG released in modern times. Even games that started out independent have eventually found their way to Valve’s storefront. The Steam Deck is a capable machine that can run most MMORPGs at respectable frame rates and settings. So if you don’t have a Nintendo Switch and want to enjoy handheld gaming, the Deck is the best place for it. Here are the best MMORPGs to play on Steam Deck.
Final Fantasy 14 Online
Final Fantasy 14 Online brings the generally single-player RPG franchise into the MMORPG world in an extraordinary fashion. Despite early hiccups, the game’s relaunch has been met with praise from players and critics alike. It’s so beloved that advertising FF14 is a meme.
The game has beautiful graphics and a lot of content for players to enjoy. While the game is demanding, the Steam Deck can run it relatively well on low settings.
The one big drawback is that Final Fantasy 14 Online will chew through the battery. Because of that, playing plugged-in is recommended. The game also requires a $ 14.99-a-month subscription to play, making it an investment. However, there’s a generous trial to check out the game and at worst, players can have a fun month playing this MMORPG on their Steam Deck.
The Elder Scrolls Online
An MMORPG set in Elder Scrolls is a dream come true for series fans. While players wait for Elder Scrolls 6, ESO can fill the gap nicely with its vast world and similar style. The game gets regular expansions, and after years of growth, there is a ton of content for players to enjoy. Bethesda isn’t stopping the content stream anytime soon.
The standard edition costs $20, but players must purchase the expansions separately. There’s also a subscription model that gives access to all expansions and includes bonuses like extra currency and storage space.
The game runs well on the Steam Deck with a mix of low and medium settings, but busy areas can see framerates dip below 60fps. Still The Elder Scrolls Online is a rock-solid game option for the Steam Deck, and stands as one of the best MMORPGs to play on it.
Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 features a vast open world that begs to be explored. Whether playing in a team or solo, the game offers plenty of content.
The best thing about Guild Wars 2 is that it rewards players for everything they do. If players don’t want to join a team and instead want to gather herbs around the map, they’ll still gain experience points.
The game was released a long while ago, so the Steam Deck can maintain a stable 60 FPS in a mix of high and mid settings. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t come with official controller support, but the fandom has created ready-made controller bindings available. While the experience isn’t as optimized as other games, or as ideal as playing a native console MMORPG, it does the job. The free-to-play game does require the purchase of expansions, but the base game remains free.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Set millennia before A New Hope, Star Wars: The Old Republic, this classic MMORPG should be on every Star Wars fan’s Steam Deck. Players are free to play the light side or go over to the dark side in the game. With over a decade of content, there is plenty to keep busy in a universe far away.
The game is free to play until the first two expansions. After that, a $15 monthly subscription is required to play the rest of the content. Even if the subscription ends, players will keep access to the unlocked expansions, making it an affordable MMORPG. Like Guild Wars 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic also requires custom key binds as it lacks controller support.
