Is Starfield going to be playable on the Steam Deck when it launches? Bethesda hasn’t said anything official yet, although leaked patch notes for the early access launch have revealed that the Steam Deck will be supported.
The system requirements for Starfield are quite demanding for the Steam Deck. Given that it might consume a significant portion of your storage space as well, it’s doubtful that the performance will be optimal on the device.
Is Starfield going to support Steam Deck?
Though you can likely launch the open-world RPG on your handheld, the performance issues observed in comparable games suggest that your gameplay experience on that comfy sofa may not be as seamless or quick as you’d prefer.
The leaked patch notes for Starfield’s early access launch, code named “Patch 1.7.23” indicate the inclusion of a virtual keyboard specifically for Steam Deck users. It also mentions the ROG Ally device.
“Starfield will run on both the Steam Deck and the ROG Ally with the correct drivers, but hardware below the recommended minimum specs and performance may suffer.” suggests the leaked notes. We still haven’t heard anything official from Bethesda, so we won’t know for sure until it launches.
Todd Howard, director at Bethesda, has been cautious on the matter of the Steam Deck in the past, mentioning in previous interviews that he would address it “at a later date.” Nothing has since been said in the two months since that Interview.
Modders are already putting some customization options together for the Steam Deck, with AV VJIX releasing a Starfield Steam Deck Mod that adds Unofficial Ship Buttons. “I wanted icons for my Stream Deck the day Starfield launched, buttons that can be used for in your ship or exploring.”
Here’s the patch notes in full:
Starfield Early Access Patch Details
Performance and Stability Fixes
- Improved stability related to suspending and resuming the game. (Xbox Series X/S)
- Fixed rare crash that could occur when viewing the credits after completing the game.
- Fixed crash that could appear when repeatedly loading some saves inside of ships.
- Various stability and performance improvements.
Visual Fixes
- Fixed an issue where sometimes hair would not appear on characters.
- Improved distant object appearance when transitioning to the surface of a planet.
- Addressed an issue that sometimes caused face animations to move abruptly.
- Fixed an issue where rarely in certain views white flashing boxes could appear in the Handscanner.
- Fixed an issue that would cause an undesirable texture blend near the coastline.
- Fixed an issue that would cause textures to degrade unnecessarily. (Xbox Series S)
Gameplay Fixes
- Fixed a rare issue that could cause Companions to float in the air.
- Fixed an issue that could cause some ship modules to become misaligned.
- Fixed some issues that would prevent touch-down points from turning red in Ship Builder.
- Fixed an issue that could cause the player to appear incorrectly when equipping items.
- Addressed an issue that could prevent the Isolation skill from behaving as intended.
- Adjusted the distance the player is able to access and store cargo in their ship.
- Fixed an issue that could sometimes cause a long delay on the Press any button screen.
Quest Fixes
- Fixed rare issue that could cause ship patrols not to appear for “First to Fight, First to Die.”
- Addressed a rare issue where the Contraband scan would not occur potentially preventing landing at New Atlantis.
- Fixed an unlikely issue that could prevent landing at New Atlantis during “Deep Cover.”
- Fixed an issue that could prevent Heat Leeches from counting as killed after completing “A Legacy Forged.”
- Fixed how a location would appear near a hidden Earth landmark.
- Fixed a rare issue that could potentially trap the player in The Facility.
- Addressed an infrequent issue where a Spacer Ship didn’t correctly appear for a radiant quest.
- Fixed an unlikely issue that could appear during “Revelation” depending on how the player interacted with the Emissary.
- Addressed an issue with the Deimos Slim bottom ship module that is used on the Razorleaf.
- Fixed rare issue that could prevent companions from accompanying the player after “No Sudden Moves”.
- Addressed a rare issue that could impact “Power from Beyond.”
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