Can you play Doom: The Dark Ages on Steam Deck? Bethesda and id Software send Doom Guy on a medieval, blood-soaked crusade, blending savage combat with a dark new world. Wielding brutal weapons and a crushing shield, it feels tailor-made for handheld chaos. Still, before jumping in, you'll need to set realistic Doom: The Dark Ages Steam Deck expectations.
Previous entries in this genre-defining FPS game series have run like butter on the Steam Deck. Doom: Eternal is a miracle on Valve's handheld. However, there's something different in the water here. Doom: The Dark Ages scales up the series' visual polish and impeccable art direction, but it sadly leaves portable gaming consoles weeping on the sidelines.
Can I play Doom: The Dark Ages on Steam Deck?
Yes, you can play Doom: The Dark Ages on Steam Deck. Performance is better than ever thanks to post-launch patches. I was ready to tear through demons with a smile, but Doom: The Dark Ages left me disappointed when it first came out. The shooter is built with high-end rigs and consoles in mind, but considering id Software's history with optimization, there's no good reason it shouldn't run better on lower-powered platforms.
In our early launch testing, Doom: The Dark Ages struggles to reach 20 FPS on default settings. Dropping graphics to low and turning on frame generation helps slightly at 1080p, but 720p is the real baseline for anything close to playable. Even then, expect frequent stutters, and that's if the game doesn't crash. With a minimum demand of 8GB VRAM, Doom: The Dark Ages Steam Deck performance pushes the hardware to its limits, leaving other handheld PCs in even worse shape.
And let me tell you, there have been plenty of hard crashes with Doom: The Dark Ages. Simply traversing the environment is a taxing job on a handheld, let alone busting through doors into new areas of a mission.
Can I play Doom: The Dark Ages on any handheld PC?
Similar to tinkering with the TDP settings on a Steam Deck, I thought that the ROG Ally's CPU boost and 30W power boost could even the odds. While it certainly helps make the game's framerate a bit more consistent, it still isn't enough to stir me on to keep playing. For clarification, it isn't a reflection of the game's combat or design ethos, as neither is fully enjoyable in this state. Until id Software brings out more improvements for the game in future patches, Doom: The Dark Ages' handheld experience is woeful.
Is Doom: The Dark Ages Steam Deck verified?
Yes, Doom: The Dark Ages is not Steam Deck verified. While the game was listed as "unsupported" for Steam Deck at launch, that isn't the case anymore. Multiple updates have brought the game's shape in line to better fit Valve's handheld.
Well, there you have it. We have guides for some of the best Steam Deck games, so be sure to check out our ARC Raiders Steam Deck, Indiana Jones Steam Deck, Marvel Rivals Steam Deck, and The Finals Steam Deck.