Half-Life remake Black Mesa gets improved Steam Deck support in latest update

Black Mesa is a great fan remake of Half-Life, but it’s very much a PC shooter, which made it fairly awkward to play for Steam Deck users. Thankfully, the devs at Crowbar Collective have fixed this issue, with the Necro Patch now adding proper controller support that makes it more playable on Deck.

As revealed on the game’s Steam page, this Necro Patch now adds proper controller support, adding compatibility with Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch Pro controllers. In addition to proper Steam Deck support via Steam Input, the handheld will also have Gyro support, adding more fun options for Valve users.

Fans won’t have to configure Black Mesa too much to get controller support, as they simply have to pick the Steam Controller layout and apply it. Once this is done, handheld gamers will be able to enjoy the shooter in a more natural way, something that wasn’t entirely possible before.

Despite having the “playable” verification on Steam Deck, this fan remake of Half-Life was pretty difficult to control on Valve’s handheld. Since the game was made with a keyboard and mouse in mind, mapping each part to a controller was quite difficult at the time. Thankfully, that is no longer the case and this update should make the game control like a console shooter.

It’s still surreal seeing a project like Black Mesa getting an official release on Steam, a store owned by Half-Life developer Valve. The fact that this is also a really good remake helps, even if it’s not a visual treat to the eyes. Whether you’re a fan of the original Half-Life or want to see what the hype is about, this is a great way to play that iconic shooter.

Now is the best time to try out Black Mesa, as this update makes the shooter better than it’s already been. Aside from the controller support, the game is also on sale, so fans can pick the game up for a fairly generous price.