Returnal Is Technically Playable on Steam Deck, But Still Not Great

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When the Steam Deck was first released, there were a few games that were consistently referenced that showed the device’s limits. One of those was Returnal, which pushed the Deck too hard, and it couldn’t be enjoyed. Now, as I was putting the recent Steam Deck Verified and Playable list together, I noticed that Returnal’s badge had changed from Unsupported to Playable, which shocked me. I always saw the game as the limit for what the Deck handles; now it is being paraded around as Playable. So, I just had to test it for myself.

While the game was actually released about a year after the Deck launched, Returnal was always looked at as a game the Deck couldn’t handle. That one I saw people testing consistently; I’m trying to find whatever way possible to actually make it playable. Now, the game has the Playable badge, but the only knock against the thing that we have to manually change the graphics settings for optimal play.

Now, after playing it for myself, there are two things I realized. The first is that the badge is technically correct. The default settings have a lot of drops, and manually changing it to be even lower (FSR at Ultra Performance) does help stabilize it. With this, it will mostly stay at 30 FPS, with a few drops here and there during running or big fights. However, I would still call it playable.

The second is that despite this, it’s not something I would recommend. The idea of playing this portably is awesome, but it’s just not enjoyable. This is a game that would really benefit from being played at 60 FPS, so it being at 30 just feels off. On top of that, to actually play it, we need the lowest possible settings, which can look terrible, with a good chunk of blurriness that can really stand out in a few areas.

I would consider the new badge technically correct, but it should come with a huge disclaimer. The game is playable, but it is not in a state where it should be enjoyed. At the end of the day, I would avoid this one on the Deck, but even I have to admit that it’s cool to see.

Returnal can be purchased for $59.99 on Steam.

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