Sons of the Forest Steam Deck compatible? If you’re a regular user of Valve’s portable powerhouse, you’ll probably be eager to find out if the survival horror sequel runs on your handheld. To save you any frame rate scares, we’ve put cannibalistic mischief to the test with the mini monster, but you might want to hold off on playing on the go.
In a way, the Sons of the Forest system requirements serve as a warning, as it will help you run the miserable open-world game. Luckily, you won’t need the best gaming PC to visit Endnight Games’ Haunted Island, as the list is relatively tame. That said, the Steam Deck is no ordinary entry-level gear, and the recommended specs don’t paint a full picture of portable performance.
Sons of the Forest Steam Deck compatible?
Yes, Sons of the Forest is compatible with Steam Deck, but it will make the laptop sweat. To avoid performance slides and increased fps, you’ll need to keep settings to a minimum, and optimization issues are currently hampering the handheld experience. It also seems that using the best base Steam Deck is out of the question, as you probably won’t be able to play the game at resolutions higher than 720p.
Just because you can play Sons of the Forest on the Steam Deck doesn’t mean you should, and there are a few portable hiccups that serve as a barrier. For starters, you’re likely to experience single-digit framerates when there’s a lot going on and the game can cause a complete system crash.
While the open-world simulation might be one of the best survival games to release this year, it feels like a mid-2000s game on the Steam Deck. Even if you can avoid Sons of the Forest’s aforementioned crashing issues, you’ll likely have to put up with sub-30fps gameplay and less-than-stellar visuals. Tradeoffs are a given when playing PC games on the go, but this time we suggest waiting for an optimization fix.
It should be noted that Sons of the Forest is still in Early Access and may get better Steam Deck support later. We’re also waiting for Valve to assess whether they believe the game is unsupported, playable, or verified, as the store page currently lists compatibility as “Unknown.”
Are you already wandering Kelvin by your side? We’ve put together a collection of Sons of the Forest tips and tricks to help you survive. Naturally, you’ll also want to check out the best weapons in Sons of the Forest to fend off the island’s hungry inhabitants.