Half-Life 2

Does Half-Life 2 run on Windows 11, Mac, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11	Expected to work. It is sold for Windows today and no problem is on record. Source
Windows 10	Expected to work. It is sold for Windows today and no problem is on record. Source
Windows 7	Yes. The store lists it in the system requirements. Source
Linux	Yes, there is a native Linux version. Source
Steam Deck	Verified by Valve: it works great on Steam Deck. Source

Minimum operating system on the store page: Windows 7, Vista, XP. What these mean.

Synopsis

A first-person shooter in which you play Gordon Freeman, a physicist who arrives in City 17, a city under oppressive alien-backed rule. You join a human resistance, fight through streets, canals and vehicle sections, and solve physics-based challenges using a gravity-manipulating tool.

What people say

Half-Life 2 drew near-universal acclaim for its physics-driven gameplay, the gravity gun, paced variety, believable characters and detailed visuals. Reviewers also admired how the story is told without cutscenes taking control away. Criticisms were minor: music and sound were seen as weaker than the graphics, some physics puzzles interrupt the flow, and it refined the genre more than it reinvented it. Steam players rate it Overwhelmingly Positive.

Playability today

Playability runs from 1 to 5. It is the average of two parts. Each part starts at 1 and climbs to 5 as more of its checks pass. Read the method.

Runs today: 5 / 5

• ✓ Sold today from an official store
• ✓ Runs on current Windows without fan patches
• ? Single-player works without an internet connection (not checked yet)
• ? All of its content still works (servers, DLC, unlocks) (not checked yet)
• ? Supports modern resolutions and widescreen (not checked yet)
• ✓ Full controller support or remappable controls
• ✓ Steam Deck Verified or Playable, or a native handheld version
• ✓ No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
• ✓ No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
• ? No known game-breaking bugs in the current version (not checked yet)

Filled in from the Steam store and Valve’s Steam Deck rating. Checks marked with a question mark count once someone has checked them.

Design today

Not judged yet. Someone has to play it first: we check whether the controls, menus, saving, onboarding, pacing and camera still feel good next to games made today.

Sources

1. Metacritic: Half-Life 2
2. Steam: Half-Life 2
3. WorthPlaying: Half-Life 2 PC review
4. Guru3D: Half-Life 2 – The review (page 3)