Will Crimson Desert Run on Steam Deck?

When it comes to visuals, Crimson Desert is simply breathtaking. Everything from the tiniest bit of foliage to the towering mountain looming in the backdrop appears impeccably detailed. When coupled with the sheer number of gameplay systems, the action-adventure RPG can even seem overwhelming from afar. It’s no wonder players are worried that the game will burn down their PC rigs, but where does that leave Steam Deck users?

Valve’s handheld console is still going strong in 2026 and has somehow been able to run games such as Resident Evil Requiem, Battlefield 6, and Reanimal, to name a few. However, Crimson Desert seems like an entirely different beast, and some users are even calling the toughest challenge the console has ever faced. With this in mind, we’ve taken a stab at assessing whether or not Crimson Desert will run on the Steam Deck.

Is Crimson Desert Coming to Steam Deck?

No, Crimson Desert is not coming to Steam Deck and is not a verified title for the console at the time of writing. The verification badge, as fans will know, indicates that the title is optimized for the handheld console. The latest RPG by Pearl Abyss is yet to receive this certification, and the devs also haven’t provided any information on how the game will perform.

That said, Crimson Desert’s system requirements are certainly on the lower end, with the minimum requirement being the age-old GTX 1060. If this is an indication of how well the game is optimized, then running it on the Steam Deck should not be an issue.

Crimson Desert: Will it Run on the Steam Deck?

Yes, Crimson Desert will run on the Steam Deck. Now, admittedly, it’s impossible to tell how the game will perform until it launches, but the official ROG Ally X performance sheet looks quite promising. Both handheld consoles are nearly identical in terms of power, so the performance targets mentioned above should also apply to the Steam Deck.

According to the official spec sheet, Crimson Desert can deliver 40 FPS gameplay at 720p (with FSR 3 enabled) on ROG Ally X. This should mean that the Steam Deck will also be able to deliver a similar performance level. The exact visual settings have been omitted, but you’ll likely have to use the lowest preset for the best results.

It’s hard to imagine that the game will retain any of its visual splendour with frame gen turned on and graphics settings turned all the way down. But hey, at least it’ll run.

And that covers everything we know so far about Crimson Desert on the Steam Deck. We’ll be sure to update this article once official performance figures are out. Until then, let us know if you’re excited for the game in the comments.