Need for Speed: Heat

Posted:  Oct 01, 2022
SDHQ BUILD SCORE: 
Disclaimer: This is an initial impression of the game. Our review and recommended settings will be updated when we've completed a full and thorough analysis of how it performs on Steam Deck. Check back soon for our full analysis!
SDHQ Settings
Review
Game Info

SDHQ Recommended Settings

SteamOS
30 FPS
Limit
60
Refresh Rate
HRS
No
TDP Limit
8
Scaling Filter
Linear
GPU Clock
1200
Proton Version

No Forced Compatibility

Game Settings

Resolution: 1152x720

Resolution Scale: 95%

Quality: Medium

Projected Battery Usage and Temp
14W - 16W
65c - 70c
2.5 - 3 hours

Should SDHQ re-evaluate this game review?

Review

You ready to make it into the street racing elite? Need for Speed: Heat is the newest game in the NFS series, coming out in 2019. Settling down in Palm City, you must work during the day to earn that sweet dosh so you can upgrade your cars for the intense street races of the night. Build up your reputation as the best racer out there to gain access to bigger scores and better parts, but be ready, the cops will be waiting around every corner to take you down.

Need for Speed: Heat is a really incredible looking game. The lights and city are gorgeous, especially at night. The game can definitely run, but due to some limitations, there are some pretty heavy caveats here. The first is this uses Origin. As an EA game, you need to have an internet connection to start it up and go through a third party launcher, which is always a bummer. It is also noted that the singleplayer gameplay actually requires an internet connection too. Luckily, you can disconnect from internet while the game is running and still play though.

The game also does have some CPU limitations, which means no matter what settings are changed, there will be a bottleneck. I found that having a medium preset with TDP at 8 gave a decent 30 FPS which felt pretty great. It did still have some dips, but I felt these weren't as bad. Due to the 30 lock, dips really didn't feel impactful. It is a little bit of a shame Heat doesn't play better, and I am not a fan of needing an internet connection for a portable game, but at least you can disconnect once a game is booted up.

Screenshots:

Comparisons:

Left ImageRight Image

Left ImageRight Image

Even though it is a small change, it does help with stability, which the game needs as much as possible.

Stills:

Our review is based on the PC version of this game.

If you enjoyed this review, be sure to check out the rest of the content on SteamDeckHQ! We have a wide variety game reviews and news that are sure to help your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for newstips and tutorialsgame settings and reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we've got your back!

SDHQ's Build Score Breakdown

Need for Speed: Heat is a beautiful game with a great gameplay loop, but due to the Internet limits of Origin and the game itself, there are some pretty big compromises to make.

Performance: 
VISUALS: 
Stability: 
Controls: 
Battery: 
Reviewed By:
Noah Kupetsky
Steam Profile
Steam Deck Compatibility
Current Price: 
$69.99
View in Steam Store
Proton DB Rating

Review

You ready to make it into the street racing elite? Need for Speed: Heat is the newest game in the NFS series, coming out in 2019. Settling down in Palm City, you must work during the day to earn that sweet dosh so you can upgrade your cars for the intense street races of the night. Build up your reputation as the best racer out there to gain access to bigger scores and better parts, but be ready, the cops will be waiting around every corner to take you down.

Need for Speed: Heat is a really incredible looking game. The lights and city are gorgeous, especially at night. The game can definitely run, but due to some limitations, there are some pretty heavy caveats here. The first is this uses Origin. As an EA game, you need to have an internet connection to start it up and go through a third party launcher, which is always a bummer. It is also noted that the singleplayer gameplay actually requires an internet connection too. Luckily, you can disconnect from internet while the game is running and still play though.

The game also does have some CPU limitations, which means no matter what settings are changed, there will be a bottleneck. I found that having a medium preset with TDP at 8 gave a decent 30 FPS which felt pretty great. It did still have some dips, but I felt these weren't as bad. Due to the 30 lock, dips really didn't feel impactful. It is a little bit of a shame Heat doesn't play better, and I am not a fan of needing an internet connection for a portable game, but at least you can disconnect once a game is booted up.

Screenshots:

Comparisons:

Left ImageRight Image

Left ImageRight Image

Even though it is a small change, it does help with stability, which the game needs as much as possible.

Stills:

Our review is based on the PC version of this game.

If you enjoyed this review, be sure to check out the rest of the content on SteamDeckHQ! We have a wide variety game reviews and news that are sure to help your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for newstips and tutorialsgame settings and reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we've got your back!

SDHQ's Build Score Breakdown

Need for Speed: Heat is a beautiful game with a great gameplay loop, but due to the Internet limits of Origin and the game itself, there are some pretty big compromises to make.

Performance: 
VISUALS: 
Stability: 
Controls: 
Battery: 
Reviewed By:
Noah Kupetsky
Steam Profile

SDHQ Recommended Settings

SteamOS
30 FPS
Limit
60
Refresh Rate
HRS
No
TDP Limit
8
Scaling Filter
Linear
GPU Clock
1200
Proton Version

No Forced Compatibility

Game Settings

Resolution: 1152x720

Resolution Scale: 95%

Quality: Medium

Projected Battery Usage and Temp
14W - 16W
65c - 70c
2.5 - 3 hours
Steam Deck Compatibility
Current Price: 
$69.99
View in Steam Store
Proton DB Rating

Should SDHQ re-evaluate this game review?

related Settings

7 comments on “Need for Speed: Heat”

  1. I had this game running offline when all I had to worry about was origin. Now I'm not sure if the same trick will work with the new ea launcher. Putting the deck in offline mode while connected to internet allowed you to sign in manually. This allowed you to sign in in while offline and continue playing.

    1. Yeah the new EA Play application feels a bit messy in my opinion. There is still a bit we are testing with it when it comes to limitations, but we will test it a bit more ourselves.

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