Steam Deck users get new way to improve console’s performance in November update

The Valve Steam Deck console is now getting more frame rate options, allowing players to choose different variations to improve its performance while keeping the games fun and portable.

For all the benefits the Steam Deck offers to people who want to play some great PC games on the go, the mobile nature of the device does lead to some game performance concessions. Lowering the Steam Deck’s frame rate was always an option to balance that out, with specific settings at 15, 30, and the common 60 FPS. With Valve’s November update, however, new options will be added to that list, including 10 and 20 FPS modes.

This update has already arrived in the Steam Deck beta client, allowing users to test it out before it has the chance to launch as an update to the main system. 

These two new options open a lot of possible frame rate and refresh rate combinations, with the best example being the one the Steam Deck news page mentions. For example, if a player is using a 60 Hz monitor, rolling with a game at 60 FPS will work smoothly but require more performance from a computer. But if you choose the 20 FPS option and triple the frames, it will match the 60 Hz screen.

Not only will game performance improve, but the lower frame rate will lead to less strain on the screen, leading to improved battery life on the console. That will allow games of your choice to be played longer in comparison to previous settings. Considering how fast the battery on the Steam Deck can drain depending on what game you play, this could be crucial to spending a half hour or even a full hour more entertained.

This update will need some adjustment time for both the player and the console, though, as getting used to the new frame rate could bother players’ eyes as well as cause new issues for the console. While the update is a new addition, this slider is still in its beta phase, so there are likely going to be some errors that pop up now and then.

All of these potential combinations are available via a slider in the Steam Deck’s Performance overlay or Performance settings, but users can opt out of this preset connection by going to Settings, then Display, and clicking on Advanced. 

For access to this updated setting for the Steam Deck, as of Nov. 7, users will have to switch to the beta channel of their device. As of this news update, the set date for when this launches across all devices is unknown.