Atomfall Is Fantastic on the Steam Deck - First Look

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A copy of Atomfall was provided by Rebellion for review. Thank you!

I have been excited about Atomfall ever since I played it at Gamescom last year, and now the game is finally here! It has been so much fun to play, and I love the leads system to discover multiple different ways to complete different objectives and quests I find scattered throughout the world. It also gives that Fallout feeling at times, and as a Fallout fan, I was hooked.

My review for Atomfall is coming later today, I tried to get it done in time, but I ended up not wanting to rush through the game, but I still wanted to talk about the Steam Deck performance so that buyers who are playing on a Deck can make an informed purchase. So, my goal is to answer the question of whether or not Atomfall is actually playable on the Steam Deck, and in my hours playing, I can confidently say that yes, it is fantastic on the Deck.

My biggest worry with first-person games on Deck is framerate. Competitive shooters need a higher framerate to work well, and going to 30 FPS feels even worse from this camera angle. Luckily, Atomfall doesn't need too many compromises to hit above 30 FPS. Inside areas can actually get up to 60 FPS with the right settings and feel extremely smooth while doing it. It makes sense with this being a more closed-off area, but on low to medium settings with 100% render scale, it is more impressive when you look at how gorgeous the game looks.

However, the outside areas started to put pressure on the Deck. At Medium settings with 100% render scale, we can actually stick to around 40 FPS most of the time, which genuinely surprised me. I went through most of the areas hoping to stick around 45 FPS, but there are too many minor spots I found here and there that dropped it to around 36 FPS with those settings. Luckily, with some slight modifications, I have been enjoying a solid 40 FPS with good-looking visuals, and all I had to do was turn shadows to Low and render scale to 90%.

With these settings, I saw an average battery drain of 14W - 15W, with some areas going up to 17W and others going down to 11W. Inside areas would go even further down, and I would say you can get around 3 to 3.5 hours on a full battery charge with the changes above.

This has been my preferred way to play. Solid battery life, still great looking visuals, and a smoother feel compared to 30 FPS. I do believe that I will be able to solidify an ok looking 45 FPS and fantastic looking 30 FPS build in my full review, but for now, I recommend playing this way to not drain your battery too much.

If all you have to game on is a Steam Deck, then I can confidently recommend Atomfall on it. I have been playing exclusively this way, and it just fits so well and feels perfect for portable play. Rebellion has done a fantastic job optimizing this game and creating something compelling and unique. My full review will be out next week with my final recommended settings after having tested every single area of the game, but if you are on the fence about playing this on Deck, I would say this is a perfect portable game.

Atomfall can be pre-purchased on Steam for $49.99 ahead of its March 27th release date. It is rated Verified.

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