Performance Overview
Strayed Lights is a bit of an oddity on Steam Deck. Stuttering is an issue, and due to the Deck’s lesser power compared with your average gaming PC, visuals look a little blurred on its 800p screen.
With my settings below, expect a framerate in the range of 30 to 45, mostly. It can go higher, but that won’t last for long. It’s the same the other way. Strayed Lights will drop below 30, and occasionally stutter as low as 19 frames per second.
Despite all this, Strayed Lights is perfectly playable and enjoyable on Steam Deck. I felt the drops, but for an unsupported game, I’ve seen much, much worse. You can play it and come away happy so long as you go in expecting a few issues here and there.
Recommended Settings
These settings are designed to get as close to a stable framerate as possible. I averaged a framerate in the region of 30 to 40, but expect higher in less busy areas and slight drops when new elements are loaded in.
You can pull an extra few frames by disabling V-sync and allowing tearing in the Steam Deck quick access menu, but I honestly don’t think that’s necessary. By dropping down the visuals you solve some of the problems Strayed Lights has, and there isn’t a reason to go to extreme lengths. Performance, bar the hitching, is good enough to play with.
| Strayed Lights (In-game Settings) | |
| Resolution | 1280×800 (16:10) |
| Full Screen | Yes |
| V-Sync | Enabled |
| AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2 Mode | Balanced |
| DLSS Mode | Off |
| Graphics | |
| Overall Quality | Custom |
| Antialiasing | Medium |
| Texture Quality | Medium |
| Visual Effects Quality | Low |
| Foliage Quality | Low |
| Post Process Quality | Low |
| Steam Deck Settings (Quick Access Menu) | |
| TDP: 10 | Estimated Battery Life: 2 Hours |
| Docked Mode Resolution: 1280×720 | FSR: On (Docked Mode) |
| GPU Usage: 92% | Temperature: 71 degrees |
| Battery Drain | 19.4w |
| Extra Info | |
| Fills the Entire Steam Deck Screen | No |
| Valve Grading | Unsupported |
| Performance Rating: 2/5 | |
Bugs and Issues
The biggest issue, aside from the slight blurring of the visuals, is stuttering. There isn’t a simple solution to fix this sadly, but the settings above will keep the rest of the game running smooth enough to play.
Verdict
There’s an obvious comparison with Dark Souls to be made with Strayed Lights but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Yes, both games are about exploring a hazardous world and combat revolves around response rather than button mashing.
But Strayed Lights is much more approachable than Dark Souls. The parry system, which is the game’s main combat element, is easy to understand and while it does take practice, it’s much more forgiving than Dark Souls’ similar system. You’ll still need to learn enemy patterns, and you will fail, but it’s easy to understand why you’re failing and adapt.
Strayed Lights also features a completely distinct world that is a joy to explore. It’s melodic while imposing, familiar but different, and captivating but repellent.
Performance on the Steam Deck leaves a little to be desired, but as mentioned, it’s still very playable, and if you click with Strayed Lights’ parry-based combat system, you’re sure to enjoy your stay.
Disclosure: Review code provided by PR. | All screenshots captured on Steam Deck.| To learn more about our review policy click here. | Alternatively, click here to find out why you can trust me.
