Fallout: New Vegas is undoubtedly one of the best RPGs ever made, and thanks to Valve’s Steam Deck, fans have been able to play it on the go for some time now. But how exactly does it work on handheld and what are the best settings to use? Well, read on.
Can Fallout New Vegas be run on Steam Deck?
The Fallout: New Vegas Steam page lists the game as “Playable” on the Steam Deck, but as with many titles with this label, it’s actually runs without problems. Well, almost: you have to fiddle with the trackpads and launcher every time you start it (a real pain if you play in docked mode), but luckily, there’s a solution for that (more on that below). You also have to change the resolution when you first start it, but this is a minor sin.
How to disable the Fallout: New Vegas launcher on Steam Deck
You can do this with trackpads and the on-screen keyboard, but it will be much easier with a dock, mouse, and keyboard. In any case, follow these instructions:
- Switch to desktop mode
- Open steam
- Right click on Fallout: New Vegas
- Select Properties
- Select Installed files (left side of screen)
- Select Browse (top right)
- In the folder that opens, look for Fallout NV.exe and FalloutNVLauncher.exe
- Delete or backup FalloutNVLauncher.exe (the latter if you want to be safe)
- Rename FalloutNV.exe to FalloutNVLauncher.exe
From then on, starting the game will skip the launcher. Of course, you’ll only want to do this after changing the settings to your liking (see below).
Related: Does Fallout 3 work on Steam Deck? (Best settings)
Best Builds for Fallout: New Vegas on Steam Deck
As it’s an older title and even for its time the graphics weren’t exactly high-end, Fallout: New Vegas will run at a smooth 60 FPS at maximum settings on the Steam Deck. As such, there’s nothing to recommend in terms of game settings if you’re looking for a healthy balance between performance and graphics – just max everything out. That said, you should be careful to configure Antialiasing to 8 samples and resolution of 1200×800, since the Ultra preset won’t do it for you; Doing so will ensure smoother edges on NPCs, weapons, and basically anything in the game.
However, I recommend disable V-Sync in the start menu to reduce input lag, meaning the game can respond better to your inputs (the cost is possible screen tearing, but I didn’t notice any during my playtime). For the same purpose, you can open the Performance menu by clicking the three-dot (…) button in the bottom right section of the Deck and clicking the lightning bolt symbol. From there, click ‘Disable frame limiting‘ and ‘Allow tear‘.
The other consideration is, of course, battery life. In my tests, you’ll get approx. 4 hours at maximum settingand approximately one more hour if you go down to preset low, 45 minutes in Medium and . Surprisingly, the difference in graphics isn’t bad, so if you’re on a long trip without a battery and desperate for a little extra power, it will come in handy.
Looking for more Fallout content? Check out Shady Sands in Fallout 4? here at Pro Gaming Guides.