Amidst the ongoing conflict and questions regarding the ethical consumption of digital products, Ukrainian developer Vitaliy Tarnavsky has released a tool designed to assist users of the portable Steam Deck console. The new plugin, named VARTA, allows for the instant identification of a game's origin directly within the Steam store interface, without leaving the console.
Information about the tool became known thanks to a post by the developer himself on the social network Threads, which was subsequently reported by RBC-Ukraine.
How VARTA Works
The idea for creating the utility arose during discussions about the technical capabilities of Valve's console. Tarnavsky aimed to spare players the tedious necessity of opening a browser every time to manually search for information about game studio owners before making a purchase.
Technically, VARTA functions as an extension for Decky Loader — the most popular unofficial platform for installing mods and plugins on Steam Deck. After a quick installation, the utility integrates directly into the console's operating system, adding special informational tags to the native game pages in the Steam store.
Automatic Wishlist Cleanup
One of the plugin's key features is the automatic analysis of the user's wishlist. According to the developer, players no longer need to check each item manually.
It is sufficient to press a single button, wait a few seconds, and the system will generate a ready-made list of projects that may be questionable or clearly fall into the category of hostile. Removing the found games from the wishlist also happens with a single click.
Moderation and Updates
The plugin provides a feedback mechanism: if a user encounters a game that is not yet in the database, they can submit it for review directly from the Steam Deck interface. All lists and databases are updated automatically in the background, eliminating the need for manual file downloads.
Parallel to the plugin release, the developers launched the VARTA.GAMES website. On this resource, users can view general database statistics and submit new games for moderation from a computer or smartphone.