Photo credit: dotesports.com
Monster Hunter Wilds marks an intriguing addition to Capcom’s acclaimed franchise, yet players using the Steam Deck have reported performance issues that leave much to be desired. Despite these challenges, the game remains an appealing option for quick gaming sessions during breaks or when other screens are occupied.
To help make the experience more enjoyable, we’ve put together optimal settings for Monster Hunter Wilds on the Steam Deck.
Is Monster Hunter Wilds Steam Deck verified?
The biggest drawback of Monster Hunter Wilds currently lies in its optimization. Many players, even with top-tier graphics cards like the RX 7900 XTX, have reported frame stuttering and visual glitches. When it comes to the Steam Deck, the performance issues are more pronounced, though the game is still technically playable.
According to Valve’s optimization criteria, Monster Hunter Wilds is not Steam Deck Verified.
While this might initially seem off-putting, it’s important to note that the game is still accessible on the Steam Deck, though Valve cannot vouch for a seamless experience.
Interestingly, despite its optimization struggles, Monster Hunter Wilds ranks as the seventh most-played game on the Steam Deck, a slight drop from its previous fifth position. This suggests that a significant number of players derive enjoyment from the game’s engaging grind and rewarding monster-hunting mechanics, even on a handheld device.
Best Steam Deck settings for Monster Hunter Wilds
For an improved gaming experience, it’s often advisable to set all graphical options to their lowest levels to avoid drastic frame rate drops. However, enabling Frame Generation through DLSS 3 can compensate by artificially increasing frame rates during demanding moments.
Maintaining texture quality at a medium setting can balance performance and visual fidelity without significantly impacting the framerate. Below are our suggested settings for Monster Hunter Wilds on the Steam Deck:
Upscaling: AMD FSR
Frame Generation: Enable
Upscaling Mode: Ultra Performance
Upscaling Sharpness: .50
Texture Quality: Medium
Texture Filtering Quality: Lowest
Fur Quality: Medium
Sky/Cloud Quality: Low
Grass/Tree Quality: Low
Grass/Tree Sway: Disable
Wind Simulation Quality: Low
Surface Quality: Low
Sand/Snow Quality: Low
Water Effects: Disable
Render Distance: Low
Shadow Quality: Lowest
Distant Shadow Quality: Low
Shadow Distance: Near
Ambient Light Quality: Low
Contact Shadows: Disable
Ambient Occlusion: Off
Bloom: Low
Motion Blur: Off
Vignette Effect: On
Screen Space Reflection: Off
Scattering: Off
Depth of Field: Off
Volumetric Fog: Low
Variable Rate Shading: Performance
Additionally, we suggest capping the Frame Limit at 30 under the Performance tab of your Steam Deck settings. This approach can help stabilize performance levels, as Monster Hunter Wilds hardly hits 30 frames per second on the device.
For users struggling to enhance performance with default settings, a newly available optimization mod named “The Little Engine That Couldn’t” offers an automated configuration tailored for Monster Hunter Wilds on both OLED and LCD Steam Decks. This mod can simplify the process by automatically applying recommended settings based on user preferences. You can find it here.
These recommendations outline the best Steam Deck settings for playing Monster Hunter Wilds. If you find yourself in a situation where handheld gaming is crucial but are not keen on averaging around 20 frames per second, it may be wise to consider playing on a more powerful gaming setup. Alternatives for PC settings can provide a more optimized, albeit still imperfect, gaming experience.
Source
dotesports.com