If, like me, you rushed to install Red Dead Redemption 2 on your Steam Deck, only to find it running at a disappointingly low speed, a fix has arrived to alleviate that.
According to Gaming on Linux (opens in new tab), Rockstar’s game (opens in new tab) has been included as part of a Proton update, which allows a bunch of games to run on the Steam Deck’s SteamOS, alongside Linux PCs with an AMD GPU.
The comment in this update (opens in new tab) describes a memory leak, which is where an application erroneously uses too much memory in a device, slowing everything down.
Expect this fix to arrive as part of the next SteamOS update, but it could arrive sooner if you’re on the Beta channel, found in the Settings menu.
The fast pace of updates
I’m only a fortnight into owning my Steam Deck, and already it’s one of the best purchases I’ve made in recent years. It’s already replaced my PS Vita that I’d carry in my bag for the commute, so being able to play Resident Evil 2 Remake, Outer Wilds and Tomb Raider Legend on the train is a sight to behold.
Yet seeing Red Dead Redemption 2 play at full speed is a greater sight, and it makes me excited for what future models of the Steam Deck could bring.
I have to keep reminding myself, though, that it’s not a handheld – it’s a PC, and so it’s constantly being updated by Valve to bring enhancements and fixes to games that have been running slow before.
To highlight this quick pace of updates, Valve has already brought out another one that enables you (opens in new tab) to load custom boot animations for when you switch the Steam Deck on – so if you want to have an Xbox animation, you only need to place it into a folder.
While all this is going on, I’ve installed a 1TB microSD card to put more games on, but I can’t help but wish for other games to find a way to work on the Steam Deck. From DragonBall FighterZ to Destiny 2 and Fortnite, these all have an anti-cheat system built-in that stops the Deck from making them playable.
Hopefully there’ll be a way thanks to Valve and the developers involved someday. But for now, there’s plenty to love with this handheld PC, and its best days are clearly ahead of it.
