Dead Space was initially released in 2008, many years before the concept of a Steam Deck was even a remote possibility. Thankfully Motive Studios has rebuilt the space horror classic in the most up-to-date version of the potent Frostbite engine. Isaac Clarke and his engineer rig have never looked so good, and that has left fans curious about how the Steam Deck would fare on the capable portable device. If you’re looking to get scared on the go, this guide will explain how the Dead Space remake plays on Steam Deck.
Related: Dead Space remake PC system requirements – minimum and recommended specifications
How Dead Space Remake runs on Steam Deck
The Dead Space Remake has been rebuilt from scratch for modern PCs and current generation consoles. Many of the game’s previous mechanics have been overhauled dramatically, and the Frostbite engine has transformed its visuals. Due to the push on the graphics front, the PC requirements are hefty for this rendition of Dead Space. Unfortunately, due to the graphical push and the power limitations of the Steam Deck, we can’t recommend Dead Space for this platform.
Dead Space will let you boot it up and technically play the game, but not without serious caveats; for one, we recommend you turn all the graphics to Low and FSR 2.0 Mode to Ultra Performance. The game will run at these settings, hovering between 30 and 40 frames per second, but just about every room will cause extreme freezes that can last seconds at a time. This makes the game a chore, and the low graphics dampen the visual fidelity significantly.
Dead Space Remake is an excellent game that reminds players why the trilogy was revered by its fans, but we have to recommend playing it on a powerful PC or current generation consoles. Steam Deck optimization isn’t out of the picture, but it might be time to play the original Dead Space, as that runs excellently on Steam Deck.
