I'm going to say it, folks: Battlefield might be back. I know, we've been here before, but after getting hands-on with Battlefield 6 in Los Angeles last week for our friends at PCGamesN, I believe a banger is inbound. Before it launches on October 10 and the beta begins, I reckon it's time to revisit one of the greatest games in the series, Battlefield 4. Luckily for you, there's a fresh Steam sale right now, and it's playable on your trusty Steam Deck.
But why should you prioritize Battlefield 4? If the $3.99/£3.49 price tag isn't enough to entice you, then the game's glowing reputation should be. Despite being released over a decade ago, it's the gold standard of the series, setting the modern-day blueprint for what Battlefield titles should aspire to be. Multiplayer skirmishes on maps like Siege of Shanghai and Operation Locker are the stuff of legend, with DICE's famed Levolution destruction providing blockbuster-level thrills on the former.
Seeing Shanghai's towering skyscraper reduced to rubble during battle still raises the hairs on my neck to this day. Within any of Battlefield 4's locales, the original class system shines bright here. Unlike FPS game rival Call of Duty, Battlefield is at its best when it encourages taking on specific roles, be that becoming a medic (Support) or laying down suppressive fire (Assault).
Running around defibrillating players to administer revives is only rivaled by genre newcomer The Finals, which former Battlefield developers are responsible for over at Embark Studios.
Like The Finals, Battlefield games can be pretty demanding on your hardware, but the good news is that Battlefield 4 is marked as 'playable' on the Steam Marketplace. If you don't mind taking a slight decrease in fidelity, you can easily achieve 60fps or higher by tinkering with your Steam Deck settings. I've also put it to the test on the Asus ROG Ally Z1e, and it runs just as great, if not better, on the Steam Deck alternative.
You can get Battlefield 4 on Steam here, and it should keep you entertained until Battlefield 6 debuts later this year. Don't forget to download the Battlefield 6 beta soon, though.
During my trip to Los Angeles to see the game in person, I had a lengthy chat with Vince Zampella and Byron Beede, where we touched on topics like Battlefield 6 Steam Deck support. We also got stuck into talking about destruction and campaign details, but if you want to know whether the game is any good, check out my preview here.
Check PCGameBenchmark for the Battlefield 6 requirements to test if your PC can run the minimum and recommended specs.