Starfield is looking to be an absolutely massive title with hundreds of hours of content. As such, some players may want to continue their experience in handheld form, if possible.
This makes the Steam Deck a perfect option for players wanting to play Starfield on a handheld. But first, it’s important to know, will Starfield work on Steam Deck?
While Bethesda Softworks hasn’t specifically confirmed or denied whether Starfield will work on Steam Deck, Todd Howard has done several interviews leading up to release that may help us answer this question.
In an interview on the Kinda Funny Xcast a couple of months ago, when asked about Starfield on Steam Deck, Howard simply said that’s something he’d talk about later down the road. However, with the launch just a couple of weeks away, I’d consider us later down the road. But even still we’ve not heard anything about Steam Deck compatibility from Bethesda.
Will Starfield work on Steam Deck even if it isn’t Steam Deck verified?
Even if Starfield isn’t Steam Deck verified, you can technically still try to play it.
With the higher-than-usual system requirements for Starfield, you will have to keep your expectations in check. Also, the file size for Starfield is massive, requiring over 125GB of storage space. Unless you have extended storage via a microSD card, chances are the Steam Deck won’t have enough storage space.
Finally, the recommended system requirements indicate a GeForce RTX 2080 is necessary, meaning the Steam Deck would probably have trouble running it even at 720p. Similar games with similar system requirements have struggled to reach even 30fps, so this would certainly not make Starfield Steam Deck verified.
In summary, if you are determined to try Starfield on Steam Deck, nothing will stop you from doing so. Just don’t be surprised if it’s not the best experience overall. I expect it will be a pretty lackluster performance on the handheld.
