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Double-barrel shotgun with wrapped barrels and rusted metal shown from two angles – in-game 3D weapon art by Nasty Rodent

Game Art for Steam Deck & Handheld PCs

Made for the
handheld screen

Weapons, vehicles, props and environments for PC games – production art from seven PC titles, all available on Steam.

7 PC games with our art All 7 available on Steam

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Mission: Handheld PC Game Art Request a Quote

Corruption 2029 key art with a glowing-eyed dark helmet, red pillars and ranks of soldiers – art by Nasty Rodent

01 · The Platform

Handheld PC Games

Handheld PCs are portable computers built for playing PC games, such as Valve's Steam Deck, which runs SteamOS and plays Windows games through the Proton compatibility layer. Games come from the same stores as on a desktop, but are played on a smaller built-in display with integrated gamepad controls and a limited power budget.

For art, a handheld screen changes what players can see. Text, icons, signage and small props that look fine on a monitor may need a second look at roughly seven inches, and assets are judged against the performance targets your team sets for the device. Other Windows handhelds differ in screen size, resolution and hardware, so each project defines its own target list.

Art for handheld PC: weapons · vehicles · props · environments

CONTEXT 01

Small Screen, Fixed Resolution

Both Steam Deck models use a 1280 × 800 display, so the same scene is shown at far lower resolution than on a typical desktop monitor. Valve's compatibility guidance sets a minimum height of 9 pixels for on-screen interface text at that resolution and recommends 12. It is not a rule for lettering painted into textures, which depends on the camera distance and the game.

Art priority: legible in-world text and signage, clear icons, props that read at a glance

Agreed at the brief: target devices, minimum on-screen sizes for text and icons

CONTEXT 02

Controller-First Play

Handheld PCs typically rely on integrated gamepad controls, although supported input methods vary by device and game. Prompts, icons and interaction cues have to match the input the player is using.

Art priority: consistent icon sets, readable interaction cues, props that signal what can be used

Agreed at the brief: supported input, who designs prompt and icon art

CONTEXT 03

Performance and Power Limits

Handheld hardware runs on a limited power budget, and Valve's compatibility review expects a playable frame rate in the default configuration. Texture sizes, material counts and mesh complexity all affect how heavy a scene is.

Art priority: disciplined texture sizes, shared materials, modular kits, controlled mesh complexity

Agreed at the brief: budgets for the target devices, which assets are shared with the desktop version

CONTEXT 04

One PC Library, Two Audiences

Most handheld PC games are the same PC games players run on a desktop. A single art library serves both, so organized source files and a stable style reference matter when a handheld version is added later.

Art priority: reusable assets, consistent style, clear naming

Games with our art on Steam: the seven PC games shown in Cases (Steam Deck ratings are assigned per game by Valve's review)

Looking at the platform from the genre side?

See our shooter game art.

Shooter game art

02 · Platforms

Steam Deck and Other Handheld PCs

Public specifications show what the target looks like. Exact requirements for a project come from your team and the platform.

Steam Deck

Two models: an LCD version with a 7-inch display at up to 60 Hz and an OLED version with a 7.4-inch display at up to 90 Hz. Both show 1280 × 800, carry 16 GB of memory and run SteamOS 3.

Steam Deck Verified

Valve rates games on the Steam Deck as Verified, Playable, Unsupported or Unknown. A Verified game passes checks for controller input, text legibility, a playable default configuration and seamless launch. The rating is set through Valve's compatibility review and can change over time.

Other Handheld PCs

Windows-based handhelds differ in screen size, resolution and hardware. A project lists the devices it supports, and the art specifications follow that list.

Starship Troopers: Extermination CRT computer terminals on pedestals shown from two angles – 3D prop art by Nasty Rodent for Offworld Industries

03 · Engine

Specs and Delivery Scope

7PC games with our art,
all available on Steam

2Steam Deck models,
both at 1280 × 800

16 GBmemory on both
Steam Deck models

The engine and middleware are chosen by your team; we deliver to the pipeline you use. For a handheld project we agree a specification sheet with your team: target devices, minimum on-screen sizes for text and icons, geometry and texture budgets, material conventions, naming and file structure. We produce assets to that sheet and organize the source files for handoff.

Task	Who does it
Asset production: weapons, vehicles, props, environments	Nasty Rodent
Specification sheet: devices, budgets, naming, formats	Agreed with your team at the brief
Organized source files and handoff	Nasty Rodent
Engine integration, controller support, performance profiling	Your team, unless included in the scope
Steam Deck compatibility review and ratings	Your team and the platform holder
Interface and icon design for controller play	Offered as a separate UX/UI service; not shown on our PC cases
Optimizing a game for handheld hardware, or porting it	Not demonstrated by our cases; any such support would need to be confirmed and scoped separately

04 · Studios

Who We Build Handheld Art For

The right setup depends on how early the handheld audience is part of the plan.

Studio	What you need	Typical scope	How we plug in
Teams building a PC game with handheld in mind	Art planned for small screens and device budgets from the start	Weapon sets, vehicles, prop libraries, environment kits to your specifications	A dedicated team under our art director
Teams preparing a finished PC game for handhelds	Additional assets in the existing style	Possible scope: props and environment pieces built to your style reference and art bible	Confirmed at the brief
Teams with a live PC game	Steady content that works on desktop and handheld	New content batches against an agreed specification sheet	A long-term partner or Team Extension

Scoping the art for your first playable slice

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05 · How We Work

Direct or Part of Your Team

Handheld production runs from target devices to art specifications, production and handoff. Choose the model for where you are – it can change as the project does.

Direct Engagement

You provide an agreed asset list – weapons, vehicles, props or environments – and our art director and project manager coordinate the production and delivery of those assets through the approved review stages.

Team Extension

Our artists work within your pipeline and under your art direction – you run the process, we add the capacity and the skill.

Target Devices First

Before production we agree the technical frame with your team: target devices, minimum on-screen sizes, budgets and naming. Production follows those specifications, and handoff is organized to match them. Integration, profiling and the compatibility review stay with your engineers unless the scope says otherwise.

06 · Cases

Related Experience With Our Art

We have not published a project delivered specifically for Steam Deck or another handheld PC. The closest evidence is our PC work: seven games, all available on Steam, with assets produced to agreed specifications.

PC games on Steam

Squad, Starship Troopers: Extermination, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, Miasma Chronicles, Corruption 2029, La Quimera and Ready Or Not. Our work covers weapons, vehicles, props and environments, depending on the game. Steam Deck ratings are assigned per game by Valve's review, and our involvement in any handheld version is not documented.

3D weapons · 3D vehicles · 3D props · 3D environment

CASE 01

Squad

Offworld Industries' tactical military shooter, sold on Steam. Our team made realistic military content: finished weapons and vehicles, with concept art for unique weapon skins.

3D weapons · 3D vehicles · weapon skin concepts View the Squad case

CASE 02

Starship Troopers: Extermination

Offworld Industries' co-op shooter for up to 16 players, on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series. We contributed props and environment assets, supported the development of game locations and produced aircraft.

3D props · 3D environment · 3D aircraft View the Starship Troopers: Extermination case

CASE 03

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden

Tactical adventure by The Bearded Ladies in a post-human world, released on Steam. We delivered weapons, props and environment assets.

3D weapons · 3D props · 3D environment View the Mutant Year Zero case

CASE 04

Miasma Chronicles

Turn-based tactics by The Bearded Ladies, published by 505 Games and available on Steam. We delivered weapons, props and environment assets.

3D weapons · 3D props · 3D environment View the Miasma Chronicles case

07 · The Evidence

What is confirmed and what we agree with you

Topic	Confirmed on our cases	Agreed with you at the brief
Weapons	Squad, Mutant Year Zero, Miasma Chronicles, Corruption 2029, La Quimera	Real or invented, attachments, variants
Vehicles and aircraft	Squad, Corruption 2029, Starship Troopers: Extermination	Detail by camera distance
Props and environments	Starship Troopers: Extermination, Mutant Year Zero, Miasma Chronicles, Corruption 2029, La Quimera, Ready Or Not (environments only)	Kit size, locations, scale
Games available on Steam	All seven (public store data)	Not applicable
Readability and budgets for handheld screens	Not shown as a separate result on these cases	Target devices, minimum sizes, limits from your team
Optimization for handhelds, compatibility review, porting	Not demonstrated by these projects	Scope agreed separately

FAQ's: Handheld PC Game Art

What makes art for handheld PCs different?

Handheld PCs typically have smaller built-in displays than desktop monitors, with resolutions and hardware that vary by device. Text, icons and small props have to stay readable, and texture, material and mesh budgets follow the target devices your team defines.

What is Steam Deck Verified, and does art affect it?

Verified is Valve's top compatibility rating. It checks controller input, text legibility, a playable default configuration and seamless launch. Art affects legibility and budgets, but Valve assigns the rating through its review process, and developers are responsible for addressing compatibility issues in their games.

Do your games run on Steam Deck?

All seven PC games with our art are available on Steam, but Steam Deck ratings are assigned per game by Valve's review and can change. We have not published a project delivered specifically for Steam Deck or another handheld.

Do you optimize games for handheld hardware?

Our published cases do not demonstrate handheld optimization or porting as a separate service. They document asset production for PC games. Profiling, controller support and the compatibility review are handled by your team; extra technical support would be confirmed and scoped separately.

Can desktop PC assets be reused on a handheld?

They can be a starting point, but small screens and performance limits may call for adjusted assets or lower budgets. We agree which assets are shared and the limits for the target devices at the brief, so any adaptation is planned from the start.

How do I get an estimate for a handheld PC project?

Email sales@nastyrodent.com or use the form on this page. Include your asset list, target devices and engine. A spreadsheet of asset names is enough to begin; we reply with questions or a first estimate in 1–2 business days.

Building a PC Game
for Handhelds?

Tell us about your game, your target devices and your content plan. We come back with questions and a draft scope in 1–2 business days.

Transparent pricing
Honest feedback
No hidden costs - ever

Military UAV drone 3D model with wing-mounted missiles