Action RPG Granblue Fantasy: Relink is out and with it available on PC via Steam, you may be wondering if the game is compatible with the Steam Deck.
Since Granblue Fantasy: Relink has only launched for PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5, those who prefer to play their games on a portable handheld must do so via Steam Deck—or the PlayStation Portal if they own a PlayStation copy. Unlike the Portal, though, not every Steam game is compatible with the Steam Deck.
Some games will outright say whether they are Steam Deck verified or not on their store listing, but others don’t mention it at all, meaning they haven’t been properly tested or optimized on the handheld. This includes Granblue Fantasy: Relink, and without any official comment by Valve or developer Cygames, we’ve tested the game ourselves to see first-hand how well Granblue Fantasy: Relink runs on Steam Deck—if it does at all.
Is Granblue Fantasy: Relink Steam Deck compatible?
Good news, Granblue Fantasy: Relink works just fine on Steam Deck. Performance-wise, it’s admittedly not as smooth as it would be on PlayStation 5 or a particularly powerful PC, but we tested the game with a targeted 60 frames per second on the standard graphics and it runs perfectly well while looking as flashy as it did in the Granblue Fantasy: Relink demo.
Granted, the game does struggle to hit a solid 60 fps most of the time, especially when running around town and during battles. It sometimes manages to reach 60 fps in cutscenes, though even that is dependent on how much stuff is on-screen. The game does seem to do just fine at 120 fps and even with more intense graphics settings, but if the thought of not having a constant smooth framerate irks you, you best stick to playing Granblue Fantasy: Relink on a dedicated PC or console.
If you don’t mind playing at below 60 fps and have a dock to hook your Steam Deck to your TV, you can play Granblue Fantasy: Relink with a PS5 DualSense controller or even an Xbox controller, which is ironic considering the game isn’t available on Xbox. The game does use the Xbox controller layout even with a PS5 controller, so be careful not to get your buttons mixed up.
