How to improve Steam Deck performance using CryoUtilities
Do you want to get the absolute best performance out of your Steam Deck? There is a way, and it isn’t as difficult as it might look.
The concept of messing with the settings of your Steam Deck on a component level might sound daunting, but CryoUtilities actually makes the entire process surprisingly easy and user-friendly.
CryoUtilities is an app that uses the Linux operating system that Steam Deck is built on to let users tweak settings at a very low level, with even more precision and access than even Windows has. This allows users to have a level of granular control over CPU and GPU resources, allowing them to perfectly optimize their gaming experience.
Of course, this does require some level of technical knowledge, but for those who want to get the best possible gaming performance out of the Steam Deck, CryoUtilities is an excellent choice. This guide will help you in setting up CryoUtlities and give you some tips on how to get started. It is not nearly as scary as it sounds.
How to install CryoUtilities on Steam Deck
Download CryoUtilities and save it to the desktop. Make sure you have a sudo password set.
Double-click the new icon and set it to the recommended settings. You can experiment with them after the fact, but the default install will ensure maximum use of the hardware.
That’s about it for what you need to do. The software has told the hardware what to do. Once you start customizing your game settings, whether directly in the game or via the Steam settings in the triple-dot menu, you’ll start to see the benefits.
CryoByte runs its own YouTube channel, where it goes in-depth with the various settings options they’ve come up with as they work on the project.
What is CryoUtilities for Steam Deck?
CryoUtilities allows you to alter the ‘swap file’ on Linux. It’s a portion of storage that the Steam Deck sets aside for when the RAM is overloaded. However, CryoByte has pointed out in-depth, that some games will never actually utilize the hardware properly.
With the specs onboard, some games shouldn’t be running like they do, and can often be found not taking advantage of the 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and the custom APU that is housed inside.
Essentially, some games are over-reliant on the swap file, rather than the hardware. This can lead things like emulation, or certain games to hitch, stutter or lag behind their usual performance.
CryoUtilities allows you to not only shrink down the size of the swap file but also how much your device actually relies on it. With this out the way, your games will often default back to the hardware, rather than the software.
It’s an easy install, and you might not immediately see a massive difference. However, with the various things you’ll be throwing at the Steam Deck over its lifetime, getting better performance out of your games won’t always hurt.