Can I play Doom: The Dark Ages on Steam Deck? Bethesda and id Software take Doom Guy back to brutal basics with a medieval twist, turning every battle into a blood-soaked crusade. Armed with skin-shredding guns and a bone-crunching shield, Doom: The Dark Ages Steam Deck sessions might sound like a blast, but you may want to temper your 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?
No, you can't play Doom: The Dark Ages on Steam Deck. Sure, you can technically launch the latest Doom title and try to power through, but performance on handheld PCs is currently dreadful. I wanted to beam from ear to ear while tearing through demons, but Doom: The Dark Ages left me disappointed. The shooter targets high-end rigs and consoles, but id Software has shown before that they can make things work on lower-powered platforms, so there's no excuse.
In my testing, Doom: The Dark Ages barely scrapes past 20 FPS at default settings. Bringing all graphical settings down to low and relying on frame generation marginally improves this at 1080p resolution, but to make any semblance of gameplay possible, 720p is the starting point. Even then, it can be a stuttering mess, and that's if the game doesn't crash. With 8GB of VRAM required as the minimum for Doom: The Dark Ages, it's a tall order for the Steam Deck, let alone other handheld PCs.
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.
If you're hankering to play the latest Doom game, then picking up the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, or desktop PC version might be your best port of call. Or, we can hold out hope for the alleged Doom: The Dark Ages Nintendo Switch 2 port.
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?
No, Doom: The Dark Ages is not Steam Deck verified. If it wasn't clear from the sections above, the Steam Marketplace has yet to list the game as fully verified for Steam Deck. Doom: The Dark Ages is sitting with an 'unsupported' status right now, with the developer yet to specify what issues the Steam Deck is to overcome.
Well, there you have it. Doom: The Dark Ages Steam Deck antics aren't exactly great right now, but that doesn't mean we're going to leave you hanging. We have guides for some of the best Steam Deck games, so be sure to check out our Indiana Jones Steam Deck, Marvel Rivals Steam Deck, and The Finals Steam Deck.