Baldur’s Gate 3 is among the best RPGs ever made. We tested the game last month and posted the optimization guides for midrange and low-end PCs. This post covers the performance of BG3 on the Steam Deck, including the best settings to attain a stable 30 FPS gameplay. Before we proceed, please note that Baldur’s Gate 3 is quite CPU intensive, and the 5-year-old Zen 2 chip on Valve’s handheld isn’t the best match for it. Drops into the mid-20s are common, especially during movement or combat.
Performance and Frame Rates
In Act 3, Baldur’s Gate 3 runs at 25-30 FPS on the Steam Deck (within castle walls). The game runs much smoother in the previous acts with fewer NPCs roaming the surroundings. An average of 35-40 FPS is what to expect in the first half of the game.
Graphics Settings
The performance strategy is relatively straightforward here. Set the resolution to 720p (1280×720), disable the V-Sync/frame limiter, and set the refresh rate to 90 Hz. Reduce all the remaining graphics settings, except texture quality to “Low.”
Texture quality can be set to medium, and FSR 2.2 needs to be enabled with the “Balanced” quality preset. For best performance, ambient occlusion should be turned off unless you’re like me and can’t stand the paper-white streets in which case keep it on.
Set texture filtering to 2x anisotropic or trilinear, depending on whether you prefer crisper textures or slightly higher framerates. Everything else, including Instance detail, animation detail, fog/cloud quality, and dynamic crowds should be put to low (or off).
Visuals and Battery Life
Baldur’s Gate 3 looks decent on the Steam Deck, nothing spectacular but passable for a handheld. The battery life lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes on a full charge.
Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Graphics Settings for the Steam Deck: Optimized for 30-40 FPS
| Optimized Graphics Settings | Steam Deck OLED |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 720p (1280×720) |
| Refresh Rate | 90 Hz |
| V-Sync | Disabled |
| Frame Rate Cap | Off |
| Texture Quality | Medium |
| Model Quality | Low |
| Anti-Aliasing | FSR 2.2 “Balanced” |
| Instance Distance | Low |
| Distance Detail | Low |
| Animation Detail | Low |
| Fog Quality | Low |
| Cloud Quality | Low |
| Ambient Occlusion | On |
| God Rays | Off |
| Shadow Quality | Low |
| Dynamic Crowds | Off |
| Texture Filtering | 2x AF |
Subscription Bell
If you found this post helpful, please consider subscribing to our content notifications. To receive notifications about the most recent guides, click the bell button in the bottom left corner. You can opt out at any time by repeating the step.
