Can You Run Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 on Steam Deck?

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, the long-awaited sequel in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, has finally arrived. However, players on handheld devices like the Steam Deck may wonder how well the game runs on Valve’s popular portable console. Let’s find out!

Does Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 run on Steam Deck?

Yes, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 can run on Steam Deck, but it’s important to set expectations. The game does launch and can be played. However, the Steam Deck faces challenges running the game smoothly due to the high demand for processing power.

While the game technically runs, performance is a significant issue on the Steam Deck. Users are reporting that to even maintain a 30fps experience, you need to lower the game’s graphics to the “Low” preset and use AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) to upscale the visuals.

To stabilize the frame rate further, players have to set FSR to Performance or even Ultra Performance, which drastically lowers the resolution. As a result, the game can become blurry and less visually appealing.

Players also experience frame rate drops to as low as 20fps during more intense battle scenes, especially in missions where particle effects, explosions, and enemy swarms are abundant.

Why the Poor Performance?

The Steam Deck’s Aerith APU struggles to handle the game’s demanding graphical requirements. With its heavy focus on battles, particle effects, and Saber Interactive’s Swarm Tech, the hardware is pushed beyond its limits. Even at the lowest settings, achieving a smooth and consistent frame rate is difficult, and the game often experiences erratic frame pacing.

For now, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 is not optimized for handheld play, which explains the performance limitations. However, the developers are working on Steam Deck support and have stated that a patch may come by the end of the year, potentially bringing more stability to the experience.

Future Updates

There is hope for improvements in the future. Saber Interactive has mentioned that AMD’s FSR 3 could be introduced in a post-launch update. If this update includes Frame Generation technology, it could make the game more playable on the Steam Deck by smoothing out frame rates and enhancing performance.

Conclusion

At present, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 is not recommended for Steam Deck players looking for a smooth experience. The game runs, but the performance issues and the low-quality visuals may not meet expectations.

For those set on playing the game on the Steam Deck, it’s best to wait for future updates and optimizations from Saber Interactive. However, for players eager to enjoy killing Tyranids on the go, opting for a more powerful system like the ROG Ally may be the better choice.