With handheld PCs gaining more and more popularity, plenty of fans want to know if Starfield runs on Steam Deck or ROG Ally. These are the two most popular devices of their type and have brought an entirely new audience to PC gaming. However, their portable form factor means they have to compromise when it comes to performance, which always leaves us wondering if the latest AAA runs well on them or not.
Does Starfield run on Steam Deck?
Starfield runs on Steam Deck, but not very well. There’s a big chance that it’ll crash on launch, and if you do manage to get it to play, you’ll experience performance issues even on the lowest settings. It’s possible that the prognosis for Starfield on Steam Deck will get better when AMD releases a new driver, and Proton gets tweaked for the game. However, given its steep system requirements, we wouldn’t keep hopes too high about it ever performing well.
However, there is another way to play Starfield on Steam Deck. Just like on Xbox One, even if the system doesn’t technically run the game, you can access Xbox Cloud Gaming through a browser and experience Starfield that way.
Does Starfield run on ROG Ally?
I tested Starfield on the ROG Ally and managed to get it running by setting all the graphics options to low and turning off FSR. For some reason, if FSR is on, you can get to the main menu, but it will crash as soon as you try to load the game. I could fly my ship and access the map with no issues with the Ally locked to 720p and 60Hz. The built-in performance HUD even showed it was rendering at well above 60 fps. However, when I boarded a ship, the FPS started to dip until the game finally crashed.
A beta AMD driver came with the review copy of the game, but unfortunately, it wasn’t compatible with the Ally. I will go out on a limb and bet that Starfield will run just fine on the ROG Ally once AMD releases an updated driver for it.
Starfield Steam Deck and ROG Ally Performance FAQ
A: Starfield struggles on the Steam Deck, often crashing and facing performance issues on even the lowest settings. While future AMD driver updates and Proton tweaks might improve performance, it’s uncertain if it will ever run smoothly. Alternatively, you can play Starfield on Steam Deck via Xbox Cloud Gaming accessed through a browser.
A: On the ROG Ally, Starfield can run with all graphics set to low, and FSR turned off. It manages to perform well at 720p and 60Hz, with FPS often above 60. However, in specific scenarios, like boarding a ship, FPS drops can lead to crashes. The performance may improve with future AMD driver updates.
A: While the game’s native run on Steam Deck is subpar, you can access and play Starfield via Xbox Cloud Gaming on a browser. For ROG Ally, ensuring graphics are set low and turning off FSR can provide a playable experience. Future driver updates might offer more stable gameplay.
