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After a year of PlayStation exclusivity, Final Fantasy 16 is finally heading to PC. Now technically playable on Valve’s handheld, Final Fantasy 16 Steam Deck performance shows why a successor system will soon be needed.
How bad is Final Fantasy 16 Steam Deck performance?
While still in a pre-release state, you can now play a sizeable Final Fantasy 16 demo on the Steam Deck. However, the game’s performance on the Steam portable leaves a lot to be desired.
Even running Final Fantasy 16 on the absolute lowest settings with FSR image reconstruction, it’s impossible to keep a stable framerate. Instead, the game hovers around 25fps with lurches in huge set pieces or cutscenes.
Designed originally for the PS5, Final Fantasy 16 was never meant to run on something as compact as Valve’s machine. While the handheld can run games even better than a PS4, it doesn’t hold a candle to Sony’s current machine.
On PC, Final Fantasy 16’s minimum specs require an Intel i5-4460 and an Nvidia GTX 1060 which substantially outclasses the Steam Deck. While a very powerful handheld, it just can’t handle the brunt of Square Enix’s massive RPG. As a result, Final Fantasy 16 Steam Deck performance is too unstable to recommend.
Time for Steam Deck 2?
While not essential right now, Final Fantasy 16’s poor performance on Steam Deck proves why a follow-up console needs to release. With the current generation finally in full swing with games like Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar, the Steam Deck is now falling behind.
As such, most AAA releases won’t be playable on Steam Deck. Or, at least, they will suffer from severe performance issues. As such, a Steam Deck 2 is now necessary, but current owners should still be happy with their handhelds for the time being.
If you’re still looking to play Final Fantasy 16 on the portable, you can still play the game in its entirety. On the other hand, if you have a decent internet connection, the game can also be played via GeForce Now.
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