Resident Evil Requiem has not been officially rated on Steam Deck at launch, but based on how previous RE Engine titles performed (RE4 Remake, RE Village, RE2 Remake), the Steam Deck should be able to handle it — with the right settings.
RE4 Remake earned a “Playable” rating on Steam Deck (not Verified, due to small text and control quirks), and ran at 30-40 FPS with medium settings. RE Requiem should follow a similar pattern. This guide provides recommended settings, TDP tuning, and battery life optimization for the best portable Resident Evil experience.
Note: This guide is based on RE Engine performance patterns and will be updated with real-world Steam Deck benchmarks after the February 27, 2026 launch.
Expected Steam Deck Compatibility
- Proton Compatibility: RE Engine games have worked well on Proton since 2023. Expect Proton Experimental or Proton 9.x to work out of the box. If the game does not launch, try switching Proton versions in Properties > Compatibility.
- Deck Verified Status: Likely “Playable” (not “Verified”) at launch due to small UI text, typical of RE Engine titles. Full Verified status may come in a later patch.
- Controller Support: Full controller support is expected. RE Engine games natively support gamepad with proper glyph display.
Recommended Settings: 30 FPS Target (Best Visuals)
A locked 30 FPS gives you the best visual quality and longest battery life. For a horror game where smooth motion matters less than atmosphere, 30 FPS is a perfectly valid choice.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1280×800 (native) |
| Upscaling | FSR 3 Balanced |
| Framerate Limit | 30 FPS (in-game + SteamOS) |
| Texture Quality | Medium-High (VRAM-dependent) |
| Mesh Quality | Medium |
| Shadow Quality | Medium |
| Volumetric Fog | Low |
| SSR | Low |
| Ambient Occlusion | SSAO |
| Ray Tracing | Off |
| Anti-Aliasing | Handled by FSR |
Expected battery life: 2 to 2.5 hours (Steam Deck LCD), 2.5 to 3 hours (Steam Deck OLED).
Recommended Settings: 40 FPS Target (Balanced)
The 40 FPS sweet spot works beautifully on the Deck’s 40 Hz refresh rate mode. You get noticeably smoother gameplay than 30 FPS without the GPU cost of 60 FPS.
To enable 40 Hz mode: Press the Quick Access button (…) > Performance > set Refresh Rate to 40.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1280×800 (native) |
| Upscaling | FSR 3 Performance |
| Framerate Limit | 40 FPS |
| Refresh Rate | 40 Hz (SteamOS) |
| Texture Quality | Medium |
| Mesh Quality | Low-Medium |
| Shadow Quality | Low |
| Volumetric Fog | Low |
| SSR | Off |
| Ambient Occlusion | Off or SSAO |
| Ray Tracing | Off |
Expected battery life: 1.5 to 2 hours (LCD), 2 to 2.5 hours (OLED).
TDP and Power Tuning
Fine-tuning TDP (Thermal Design Power) in SteamOS can stabilize frame rates and extend battery life:
- For 30 FPS: Set TDP limit to 10-12W. This keeps the APU cool and quiet while maintaining your target.
- For 40 FPS: Set TDP limit to 12-15W. You need the extra wattage for consistent frame delivery.
- Access TDP settings: Quick Access button (…) > Performance > enable “Use per-game profile” > adjust TDP Limit slider.
GPU Clock Speed: For 30 FPS, set GPU clock to 800-1000 MHz. For 40 FPS, leave it at default (1600 MHz) or try 1200 MHz as a power-saving compromise.
Steam Deck Troubleshooting
Game Will Not Launch
- Switch Proton version: Properties > Compatibility > Force specific Proton version. Try Proton Experimental, then Proton 9.0-4, then GE-Proton.
- Delete the prefix: Navigate to
~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/and delete the RE Requiem app folder. Steam will create a fresh Proton prefix on next launch.
Audio Crackling or Stuttering
- This can occur during shader compilation on first launch. Let the game sit at the title screen for 2-3 minutes to finish compiling.
- If persistent, lower audio quality in the game settings to reduce CPU overhead.
Controls Not Responding
- Open the Steam controller layout and ensure “Gamepad with Joystick Trackpad” is selected (the default).
- RE Engine games sometimes need a community layout for optimal Deck controls — check the community layouts after launch.
Storage Tips
RE Requiem requires 70 GB of storage. On the base 64 GB Steam Deck, you will need a microSD card. An A2-rated microSD (like the Samsung EVO Select 512 GB) provides fast enough read speeds for acceptable load times. Internal SSD or a fast microSD card is recommended over a slow A1-rated card.
For the full PC optimization guide with detailed per-setting explanations, see our RE Requiem best PC settings for 60 FPS guide.
More RE Requiem guides:
- Crashing on PC? Every Fix
- Best PC Settings for 60 FPS (Every GPU)
- Beginner Tips Guide
- FAQ: Game Pass, Length, Co-op and More
