Baldur’s Gate 3 gets surprise Steam Deck optimisation update

In the years since its initial release, Larian Studios has continued to update and improve the excellent Baldur’s Gate 3 with new story content; endgame additions; extra subclasses alongside a slew of bug fixes and optimisation improvements. As part of the game’s latest patch, Baldur’s Gate 3 should now run much more smoothly on Valve’s Steam Deck handheld.

While it is already Steam Deck verified, the latest hotfix update to Baldur’s Gate 3 brings with it a bunch of optimisations focused on Valve’s handheld, with the team at Larian taking to their blog to say:

“Hotfix #34 brings a special update to those of you playing on Steam Deck: Baldur’s Gate 3 now features a native Steam Deck build! This means the game can now be run natively on the platform, resulting in a more stable framerate, lower loading times, and smoother gameplay.”

In essence, Baldur’s Gate 3 on Steam Deck no longer requires Proton’s compatibility layer ultimately reducing “CPU usage and memory consumption overall” while also including a default visual preset for those using the handheld (though you can of course tweak this to your liking).

According to Larian, the optimisations made for Steam Deck will also benefit other players, with the update introducing improved model streaming across all systems; “which should reduce framerate spikes in busy areas, such as the Lower City in Act 3.”

Full details on the native Steam Deck version, save data compatibility and more can be found HERE. All that said, it is exciting to see the Steam Deck continue to receive bespoke care and development time from 3rd-party studios.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of this update? How did Baldur’s Gate 3 run on Steam Deck before? Should more games offer default Steam Deck visual profiles? Let us know down below.

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