Games like Gradius on Steam Deck
3 of the 4 modern alternatives to Gradius (1985) are rated Verified or Playable on the Steam Deck. The cheapest is Drainus at € 16,99. 2 are made by independent developers.
The Steam Deck runs most of the PC catalogue, but not all of it equally well. Only alternatives that Valve rates Verified (works out of the box) or Playable (works, with a tweak or two) are listed here. The ratings come from Valve, not from our own testing, and change as games are patched.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
Drainus Indie
€ 16,99An indie horizontal shooter with a Gradius-style upgrade system and reflect mechanic.
Drainus runs on PC, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox. It is Steam Deck Verified.
Cygni: All Guns Blazing Indie
€ 29,99A modern arcade shooter with shield-versus-weapon energy management, in the Gradius power-up tradition.
Cygni: All Guns Blazing runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, Switch. It is Steam Deck Playable.
R-Type Final 2
€ 39,99A modern horizontal shoot 'em up continuing the tradition of deliberate, weapon-focused arcade shooters.
R-Type Final 2 is also an alternative to 1 other classic
R-Type Final 2 runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet. It is Steam Deck Playable.
Not on Steam Deck
These alternatives to Gradius are listed on the main page, but are not rated Verified or Playable on the Steam Deck:
All 4 games like Gradius