Mastering Steam Deck's Proton Compatibility: A Complete Guide
Unlock the full potential of your Steam Deck with Proton Compatibility Overcome gaming obstacles effortlessly by activating this feature Elevate your gaming experience today!
The Steam Deck revolutionizes handheld gaming with its exceptional features. From stunning visuals to extensive customization options, the device sets new standards in gaming. Moreover, its ever-expanding library of verified games ensures constant entertainment. However, some games may encounter issues related to controller compatibility and performance, albeit still being playable.
To address these concerns, the Steam Deck highlights problematic games with a yellow exclamation mark. Thankfully, there is a solution to optimize game performance – the Proton compatibility layer. Proton acts as a transformative tool, enabling Windows games to seamlessly operate on Linux operating systems by enhancing compatibility. This game-changing feature is particularly beneficial for titles that struggle to function smoothly with default settings on the hardware.
Content Updated on July 20, 2023, by Michael Llewellyn: The Proton compatibility tools prove indispensable for Steam Deck users, enhancing game performance for titles that would otherwise be incompatible.
Regularly refreshed with new iterations, determining the optimal Proton version for individual games often requires some trial and error. This updated guide now offers a streamlined feature that helps players identify the most suitable Proton tools version for various games, along with recommended configurations for their favorite titles on the Steam Deck.
How To Use Proton Compatibility On Steam Deck
To activate Proton Compatibility, follow these steps:
1. Power on the Steam Deck.
Select the desired game that may be having issues running.
Don't start the game. Instead, select the cog wheel icon on the right side.
Highlight and select the Compatibility option.
In the new menu, highlight and select the Properties option.
Select the option "Force The Use of a specific Steam Play Compatibility Tool" from the new menu. Then, choose either the latest version of Proton (in this case, Proton 8.0-1) or Proton Experimental from the dropdown menu.
Again, taking Kingdom Come Deliverance as an illustration of a demanding game to be played with high graphics settings, it exhibits a more seamless performance on the Steam Deck, averaging at 40 FPS and occasionally dropping to 35 FPS in densely populated areas.
Additionally, the Steam Deck is capable of running Kingdom Come Deliverance at 40 FPS on the majority of its highest settings.
In addition, the Proton Compatibility tools are able to circumvent various compatibility issues that games may encounter. Furthermore, they can enhance the performance of visually demanding games. However, it is important to note that Proton cannot resolve the problem of text readability.
Certain games are designed with bigger screens in consideration, which can lead to the text appearing overly small on the Steam Deck's display. To address this concern, simply press the Steam button along with the L1 button to activate the Magnifier Tool.
Install Decky Loader For Steam Deck
To maximize the potential of the Steam Deck, players should utilize the accompanying program called Decky Loader. Within Decky Loader, users can access a range of helpful plugins to enhance their gaming experience. One such plugin is ProtonDB Badges, which offers valuable information on recommended Proton versions and other useful settings. To install Decky Loader, follow these steps:
1. Press the Steam Button located beneath the left trackpad.
Highlight Power, and Switch to Desktop Mode.
To make the next few steps easier, connect a keyboard and mouse. The in-game keyboard can be accessed by pressing the Steam and X buttons.
Open the preferred browser in Desktop Mode and download Decky Loader using this link.
Scroll down the GitHub page and download the program.
Select Recommended Install and switch back to Gaming Mode after the installation.
Install ProtonDB Badges For The Steam Deck
Now it is time to download ProtonDB Badges so players can access the recommended tools from the game pages.
Press the QAM button with the three dots underneath the right trackpad.
Highlight and select the new plug icon.
Select the settings cogwheel and select Install Update.
After the installation, click on the store icon.
Scroll down until ProtonDB Badges is found and select Install.
Upon opening the game page, a new icon will be visibly located at the top left corner of the screen. Simply click on this icon to be directed to the ProtonDB website, where users share recommendations, provide guidance, and report any encountered bugs or issues.
The Steam Deck is available now from the official Steam Store.
