Does Returnal work on Steam Deck? Valve’s laptop feels particularly well suited to roguelike games, allowing you to continue your current run or start another (or maybe thirty) on the go. As such, Returnal seems like a perfect fit for the portable powerhouse on paper, but in reality, unfortunately, that’s not quite the case.
With Returnal’s install size reaching 60GB, some of you will need one of the best Steam Deck SD cards to fit the game on the base model. Apart from that, the micro machine largely meets the requirements of the Returnal system, but its GPU remains a weak point.
Is Returnal Steam Deck compatible?
Yes, you can play Returnal on Steam Deck. However, neither Valve nor the game’s developers have indicated if it will be considered playable or if it will receive full verified certification.
Based on our testing, the best feedback setting for the Steam Deck is essentially a combination of the game’s “Low” preset and FSR in “Performance” mode. Even with these noticeable compromises in visual quality, we strongly recommend limiting to 30fps for a more stable frame rate and increased battery life.
Future patches may help Returnal perform better on the Steam Deck. As it stands, it’s not a great experience and we really don’t recommend playing it on the system. That said, we shouldn’t stop hoping for things to change, as this would make a great addition to any portable library.