'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQH/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAf/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAw2QH/8QAHhAAAgEFAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDAAQFESFBQlH/2gAIAQEAAT8AxuYms7aeFrdJg4YIxlZSu10OD4e0J39ut5r/xAAVEQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEf/aAAgBAgEBPwCP/8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABH/2gAIAQMBAT8Ar//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Fallout 76 is fully supported on the Steam Deck, meaning you can play this game on the go anywhere. You might be wondering if this title fits the handheld experience well. After all, it leans heavily into the shooter aspect of the modern Fallout games, and any deterrence in performance or controls might be a deal-breaker for some.
We tested Fallout 76 on the Steam Deck OLED in 2024, and our findings suggest that this title is indeed fully playable. The game's native controller support suits the handheld experience well, and its gunplay feels smooth.
That being said, some assembly is required. We will go over how well Fallout 76 runs on the Steam Deck and discuss some setting optimizations you can use to elevate the experience.
Can the Steam Deck run Fallout 76?
The Steam Deck is fully capable of running Fallout 76. The title runs on the pre-Starfield Creation Engine. While it is not exactly the pinnacle of current-gen standards, technically, this is still a somewhat demanding game.
The ever-present asset-loading issues of the Creation Engine bog down the gameplay experience offered by Fallout 76, similar to the lackluster optimization of Fallout 4 on release. On the Steam Deck, the former's asset management issues perk up even more prominently.
We were able to get a good, mostly consistent framerate at the Low settings preset, but there were a few drops. With this preset at 1280x800, your average FPS will stay between 50 and 60, which is plenty for Fallout 76 gunplay.
The framerate dips every time you fast travel to a new area as the game starts loading assets and LOD objects. Also, expect drops when you enter a radiation zone. When there are a bunch of Scorched enemies and fire effects on the screen, these can easily cut your FPS by half every so often.
There are also a few rare cases of the game randomly freezing or presenting micro-stutters once almost every hour when you're out in the wild.
Another asset loading-related issue is the occasional object pop-up. These can be ignored if you squint, but we had one count of an enemy loading into existence at melee range. This only happened once in 10 hours of playtime, though, which is quite manageable.
Fallout 76 is quite battery-hungry on Steam Deck OLED, as one would expect. This version's upgraded battery will fully deplete within about two and a half hours of playtime. You may be able to squeeze out more playtime with a 30FPS lock, but it's hardly worth the tradeoff.
In conclusion, if you don't mind the occasional frame-drop and having to recharge after two hours, Fallout 76 is certainly a good game to play on the Steam Deck. Arguably, the experience this title offers on the handheld device beats the game's PS4 version in 2024.
Here are a couple of pros and cons of playing the title on the Deck:
Pros
- Fallout 76 Gunplay adapts well to the Steam Deck.
- 60 FPS is achievable if you sacrifice graphical fidelity.
Cons
- Unsolvable framerate dip after fast traveling to an exterior location.
- Realistically, you will not get more than two hours of uninterrupted play.
Read Related: Is Fallout 76 cross-play?
Optimal Graphics settings for Fallout 76 on Steam Deck
As a shooter, it is recommended you go for at least 45 FPS average. You can easily hit a 60 FPS lock at a lower resolution with low settings, but the visual tradeoff may be too much for some.
To have a good time in this game on the Steam Deck, you can go with the following optimized settings, which offer a balance between visuals and performance:
- Resolution: 1280 x 800
- Texture Quality: Medium
- Lighting Quality: Medium
- Water Quality: Medium
- Shadow Quality: Low
- Shadow Distance: Low
Additionally, you can try out the following INI tweak for better frame time consistency:
- Go to your steamapps folder in the Steam Deck file explorer, and head over to steamapps/compatdata/1151340/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/My Games/Fallout 76/Fallout76Prefs.ini
- In the fallout76prefs.ini document, locate and change the iPresentInterval value to 0 from 1.
Check out our other guides on Fallout 76:
Can you play Fallout 76 offline? || 5 best CAMP locations in Fallout 76 || Sugar locations in Fallout 76 || Fallout 76 nuke codes
