PowerWash Simulator 2's Demo Shows Fantastic Steam Deck Performance

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I play a lot of games to pass the time, but none have ever surprised me like PowerWash Simulator. I don’t think this is a game I would’ve ever tried on my own, but after getting it recommended to me, I fell in love with it. It’s relaxing and de-stressing to watch as I wash away dirt and grime on a multitude of locations at my own pace. So, when PowerWash Simulator 2 was announced, I was over the moon. I was a bit curious how it could improve and change the original, but I was excited to have more regardless.

Today, a demo for the game was released, giving us a taste of two different jobs, with one of them being a new multi-stage job to try for ourselves. While I can confirm that this game is more of the same we are used to, which is exactly what I hoped, this also gives us a chance to see if it will be a decent experience on the Steam Deck. So, after playing both jobs, I can say that PowerWash Simulator 2 seems like it will be an incredible experience on the Steam Deck.

I played throughout both the included jobs, as well as walking around our hub, and there were almost no issues I could find. It stuck to a solid 60 FPS the entire time, with the battery drain sticking under 15W. It doesn't matter what I am cleaning or how much is around me; the game stuck to 60 FPS, and battery drain never went above that 15W mark. On average, the battery stuck to 11W - 12W, but there were a few times I did see it spike upwards.

While PowerWash Simulator 2 does update visuals a bit, developer FuturLab has done a fantastic job optimizing the game to make it run extremely well on the Steam Deck. The mix of high and low settings is a treat, and while there seem to be some legroom to increase the settings further, I will be waiting until the full release to really play around with it. The game's final build is most likely going to be different than the demo, so I tend to prefer waiting. However, I can say that turning the rendering scale to 2.0 makes the game relatively playable at 30 FPS with the default settings, which is impressive.

I look forward to trying the full game out when it releases. It's so oddly theraputic to just wash away all the dirt and grime off of different objects and buildings, and I am enjoying the multi-stage idea that changes up what we have to wash in the middle of the level. It's an interesting idea, and I very much want to see more. As a fan of the original, PowerWash Simulator 2 looks like the perfect continuation of the series, and I am ready to get lost in cleaning once again.

PowerWash Simulator 2's demo is available on Steam and can be wishlisted ahead of its release this year.

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