Star Wars Outlaws: Steam Deck performance & alternatives explained
Even if you can get Star Wars Outlaws installed on your handheld, the force is not strong with this brand-new Ubisoft game on Steam Deck.
The Steam Deck doesn’t have the easiest time running exclusive Ubisoft titles on the go. With no native Steam option to be seen, running games like Star Wars Outlaws depends on the use of alternative launchers, where performance can differ drastically.
Even ignoring the monotonous setup for Ubisoft games on the Deck, the minimum specs for the PC version of Outlaws might be too much for the handheld. Sadly, we can’t test to be sure, as Outlaws doesn’t even run on the Steam Deck to begin with.
Star Wars Outlaws is a no-go on Steam Deck
We’ve already seen games like The First Descendant and Horizon Forbidden West run up against the limitations of Valve’s handheld. Now, it’s time to potentially add another to the list.
As of now, we don’t believe that the Steam Deck will play the game well, as the required specs are significantly higher than some of the toughest games that the Deck can run:
| Spec | Minimum Requirements |
|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | Intel i7-8700K |
| Graphics | Nvidia GTX 1660 | AMD RX 5600XT (6GB) | Intel Arc 750 (ReBAR on) |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage | 65GB SSD |
| Resolution | 1080p, 30FPS, upscaled from 720p |
We have been surprised before by what the Deck can do, but we don’t suspect you’ll be playing this portably on the Deck. We do think devices like the Asus ROG Ally X and Ayaneo 2S will be able to brute force their way through the low settings with beefier specs, though.
Worse, anyone with access to the game so far, like Steam Deck HQ, hasn’t been able to get the game to boot up at all on the Deck. According to the site, loading up Outlaws through Ubisoft Connect will result in the game freezing, requiring a reboot to return to full working order.
Even attempting to try different Proton layers, or running the game through the DRM directly, or even Lutris, results in the same issue.
You shouldn’t take this as bad news though. The Steam Deck has a wealth of titles to pull from. However, as time progresses and big AAA games’ tech evolves, the handheld isn’t always going to keep up.
Ubisoft via DexertoAlternatives for playing Star Wars Outlaws
In the meantime, if you’re eager to play Star Wars Outlaws on the Steam Deck, we recommend using Chiaki-ng or Moonlight to stream the game to the handheld instead.
You still won’t get the most optimal performance, compared to games available natively on the Valve handheld. But at least it makes the AAA Star Wars game playable, which is more than the PC version can offer.
Looking for more Steam Deck guides? We have you covered with our ultimate starter guide. Check out our How to add Xbox and PC Game Pass games on Steam Deck if you’re looking for even more Steam Deck games to play on the go.