Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the most successful titles from 2023, and it has only garnered more attention after being released for PlayStation 5. However, PC users can opt to play BG3 in a couple of different ways, with Steam Deck potentially being one of them.
The Steam Deck has been verified as a capable device for more and more games as 2023 has gone on. While it’s still not capable of outfitting games with top-tier graphics or high frame rates, you can play a wide variety of PC titles right in your hand. Today, I’ll go over whether Baldur’s Gate 3 can be played on Steam Deck or if you have to stick with your desktop to explore Faerûn.
Can you play BG3 on Steam Deck?
Fortunately for anyone with a Steam Deck in their possession, you can fully access and play BG3 right from the handheld device. BG3 has received the “Verified” qualification from Valve, the creators of the Steam Deck, meaning the game will run natively.
Of course, while you can get the game to run, this doesn’t mean you have free rein to max out the graphics in BG3. As the Steam Deck is still a mid-range PC in terms of its components, you need to adjust your settings accordingly if you want a smooth experience. I recommend aiming for a resolution of around 1280×800 and medium graphics presets. I also suggest turning off AMD FSR upscaling, as this makes the game run far worse.
With these settings, you should be able to hit a frame rate of roughly 30. This is what you should set the maximum fps to in the graphics settings, as you won’t be going above it too often. While this isn’t near what you could potentially get on a modern desktop, it is certainly playable enough for a turn-based CRPG such as BG3.
Your game will look somewhat pixelated in farther areas, but you will mostly see decent graphics, especially during any open-world exploration. During combat, you might see a little stuttering when certain skills or actions are displayed, but that should be the most noticeable issue you’ll encounter when running BG3 on Steam Deck.
On a final note, you will also want to stay near a charging source when playing BG3 on Steam Deck. The game tends to drain the battery life of the device rather quickly, so don’t expect to play it wirelessly for too long.
