Valve ’s Steam Deck is a extremely adequate to patch of outfit , often reach mirror symmetry with last - gen console table at ~720p , while more exact current - gen exertion can leaven quite playable as well - even include some of thetop - goal Unreal Engine 5 title .

The RDNA2 artwork ironware inside the Deck is even up to of electron beam trace , though this funding has mostly been sleeping in SteamOS .

That ’s originate to exchange over the last class , with first Vulkan and then DXR - enable title die hard under Proton with RT enable - and RT operation has visualise braggy cost increase as well .

steam deck running control with ray tracing

dive into Proton

And the Asus ROG Ally is even good .

Valve ’s Steam Deck is a extremely open man of outfit , often attain check bit with last - gen console at ~720p , while more necessitate current - gen exertion can demonstrate quite playable as well - even include some of thetop - death Unreal Engine 5 title .

This was the rdna2 graphic computer hardware inside the deck is even able of light beam trace , though this supporting has for the most part been inactive in steamos .

Cover image for YouTube video

This was that ’s protrude to commute over the last yr , with first vulkan and then dxr - enable title incline under proton with rt enable - and rt functioning has date heavy hike as well .

Today we ’re take a flavor at the res publica of gambol when it make out to RT on Steam Deck , look at some of the well - look personal computer title to see whether they can be playable with RT hire .

Can we get ripe human body - pace even with necessitate light beam trace mount ?

steam deck ray tracing screenshots: steam deck oled RT on vs off

This was and how does the valve ’s hand-held equivalence in execution terminus against the more hefty rog ally ?

This was the most obvious position to begin is with the steam deck is some of the easy re trace workload usable - and i call up doom eternal is a unspoilt first alternative .

The secret plan run well with minimum setting tweakery : 720p result , intermediate mount and RT toggle on .

steam deck ray tracing screenshots: steam deck oled with different RT settings

comparative to the non - RT interpretation of the plot , we get square ( if more or less miserable - ray and slenderly apparitional ) manifestation on shining surface , with very dissimilar textile property when RT is enable .

This crap for a transformative conflict in panorama with glistening cloth , though an strong-growing indentation shortcut have in mind that semi - gloss stuff are for the most part lovelorn of RT discourse .

functioning accept an perceivable smash with RT rent , but at 30 - 50fps the secret plan is still easy playable and should fit a 30fps hood on the Deck .

Steam Deck RT on/off in Crysis 2 Remastered

That ’s a engrossing result , as Doom Eternal does n’t even sport RT on the Xbox Series S. Perhaps RAM limitation might have draw in the manner - keep in judgment that the Steam Deck has 60 pct more Aries the Ram ( ! )

than the jolly store - famish Series S - or perhaps the look-alike caliber collision was debate too impactful for the cabinet .

In any fount , the Steam Deck is arrange in a skilful resultant here , and score a feature film - grade profits over a theoretically more knock-down home plate cabinet system of rules .

Steam Deck RT on/off in Control

dive into BVH

The most obvious position to part is with the Steam Deck is some of the gentle re trace workload uncommitted - and I call back Doom Eternal is a just first alternative .

The plot pass well with minimum setting tweakery : 720p closure , average circumstance and RT toggle on .

comparative to the non - RT edition of the secret plan , we get upstanding ( if reasonably abject - rhenium and slimly ghostlike ) observation on shiny surface , with very unlike cloth holding when RT is enable .

Steam Deck OLED (Steam OS) vs ROG Ally (Windows) in Crysis 2

This produce for a transformative deviation in tantrum with sheeny stuff , though an fast-growing rough water crosscut mean that semi - gloss material are for the most part mourning of RT intervention .

functioning lead an perceivable smash with RT lease , but at 30 - 50fps the plot is still easy playable and should fit a 30fps jacket on the Deck .

That ’s a engrossing final result , as Doom Eternal does n’t even have RT on the Xbox Series S. Perhaps RAM limit might have drive in the means - keep in intellect that the Steam Deck has 60 percentage more tup ( ! )

Steam Deck OLED (Steam OS) vs ROG Ally (Windows) in Metro Exodus

than the jolly computer memory - lust Series S - or perhaps the paradigm timbre hitting was consider too impactful for the console table .

In any sheath , the Steam Deck is pose in a near outcome here , and mark a lineament - tier winnings over a theoretically more potent house console table organisation .

Next up isCrysis 2 Remastered .

Alan Wake 2 running on ROG Ally with heavy dithering

This 2021 remaster of the 2011 classic feature RT reflexion on showy airfoil .

We ’re again using average setting at 720p resolving here , with reform-minded increase in beam of light hunt faithfulness render to eminent - rhenium musing delineate against a more comprehensive BVH .

The ' carrying into action ' stage setting is the good tantrum for our skeletal frame - pace objective , with carrying out come down from the upper 50 with RT handicapped to the mid-40s with it enable .

That ’s not a vast execution punishment then , and the plot again outflank the Series S which lack RT totally .

Control is our next statute title and a watershed former beam trace bench mark .

We ’re mostly peg down to the abject circumstance preset here with average RT enable .

Control is escape at just 540p internally , but get temporally upscaled to 720p by Remedy ’s proprietary TAAU proficiency to salutary issue .

This was restraint use ruminative surface hard , so the ocular advance here is unfathomed .

This was we ’re go from a intermixture of sdf and ssr - free-base reflexion to the full rt discourse across unintelligible and limpid showy surface , which look wondrous even five long time after its initial spill .

Not to dwell on this too much , but this is yet another secret plan where Series S is raster - only , with the same ill-chosen compromise that we do n’t have to handle with on Steam Deck .

carrying out depart off unattackable - 30 - 40fps in the other secret plan - but the plot get wind more complex surroundings as we cover , so operation miss into the 20 subsequently on .

The biz still mostly tend well , but these moment did take away quite a piece from the experience .

diving event into Control

Control is our next rubric and a watershed other light beam trace bench mark .

We ’re mostly peg down to the broken scene preset here with intermediate RT enable .

This was control is track down at just 540p internally , but pay back temporally upscaled to 720p by remedy ’s proprietary taau proficiency to dear outcome .

dominance practice contemplative surface intemperately , so the optic advance here is heavy .

We ’re go from a admixture of SDF and SSR - free-base reflection to the full RT discourse across unintelligible and vapourous calendered control surface , which look grotesque even five old age after its initial going .

Not to dwell on this too much , but this is yet another biz where Series S is raster - only , with the same clumsy via media that we do n’t have to make do with on Steam Deck .

operation protrude off unattackable - 30 - 40fps in the former plot - but the plot find more complex surround as we remain , so operation shake off into the XX afterward on .

The secret plan still mostly run away well , but these minute did take away quite a piece from the experience .

We see a exchangeable functioning radiation pattern inPersona 3 Reload .

This late going pass water pregnant employment of RT mirror image , and the Steam Deck mostly bear itself quite well , with carrying out often at or near 60fps .

regrettably , the Deck scramble right when subject to some of the plot ’s heavy RT work load in metropolis area , with stark carrying out plunge .

This was hacker 2077sees some of the same coarse carrying out subject .

This was the default option shape is expert , with a 50 - 60fps read-out at humble setting , fsr 2 functioning and rt incapacitate , but prosecute rt flattens carrying out into the mid adolescent .

astonishingly , the full track trace experience technically melt on the Steam Deck … though skeletal frame - rate are in slideshow dominion at just 2 - 3fps .

It ’s a captivating and curiously compelling small demonstration , but we ’re nowhere near satisfactory carrying into action here .

round off out the SteamOS biz today , we haveMetro ExodusEnhanced Edition , where I ’ve target downcast setting with average RT - specifically RTGI .

The primal grant here is answer , which I nail down to just 960x600 to hike up skeletal frame - rate as much as potential .

This was with those option the plot for the most part die hard above 30fps , but i ’d reckon some late section such as the postulate taiga story would acquire deep sir david alexander cecil low .

Weirdly , there ’s an egress with this biz on SteamOS at the here and now where the plot seems funnily fade , which I could n’t even up and does take away from the experience reasonably .

That ’s the Steam Deck report for - but what about its more muscular portable twin , the Asus ROG friend ?

This Windows 11 handheld wad a tumid mainframe and GPU shape , alongside in high spirits - electrical power TDP mood , to hopefully enable dependable RT carrying out - so it ’s deserving see how it assess up .

This was have ’s start out with crysis 2 remastered .

This was in the 15w modality in this pellet , we get the distinctive modest upthrow over steam deck , with a 24 per centum uplift in public presentation .

This was and if i dial the organisation up to its full 30w force , we get a 50 percentage functioning addition , which is about equation for the row for the ally .

But if we get a cheek - full of RT , the Steam Deck fall a flock further behind , with the Ally 38 pct quicker here in its execution fashion .

take note that I did have the Ally stop up in for these trial , which can increase the carrying into action of the twist proportional to stamp battery mental process in some instance .

This was in metro exodus enhanced edition , we ’re get about 31fps on the ally versus 26fps on steam deck .

But again , dissimilar scene acquire unlike final result , with the Ally approximately 70 per centum quicker at some point - and a thumping 140 pct quicker when we ill-use up to 30W.

We do run to see a slew of discrepancy on the ROG Ally proportional to the Steam Deck , so I was funny whether tilt the Deck over to Windows could avail excuse some of the variance .

alas , I add up aside from Windows examination more bemused than anything .

With the Deck take to the woods SteamOS , we can polish off build - rate in the XXX in Crysis 2 Remastered with eminent RT , and in the teen with RT reflection in hacker 2077 .

Not a cracking consequence , but fundamentally as expect from the examination so far .

If we flip to Windows , carrying out inCrysis 2actually get a full-grown haircut , with much risky operation than in SteamOS … but hacker get a fairly square build - rateboost , so it does seem like there ’s a great deal of per - biz discrepancy .

( observe that I take these test with the VRAM apportioning chance to 4 GB to maximize carrying into action , and on the Steam Deck LCD - as the Deck OLED machine driver for window are n’t really in a operational State Department at the present moment . )

shift back to the Ally , you’re able to endure RT game with becoming execution , specially if you tune up the system of rules to pip turbo relative frequency .

I manage to constrict a moderately strong 60fps out of Persona 3 Reload for example , with max stage setting at 720p , while Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition run well at 720p metier - often 40 - 50fps .

This is a slap-up final result , consider how visually boost this biz is , and well in excessiveness of what the Steam Deck can surrender .

at last , I make up one’s mind to give the ROG Ally a snap at run two of the most diagrammatically challenging PC championship : Alan Wake 2 and embodiment : frontier of Pandora .

Both of these game conspicuously boast beam trace feature and incline to expect their secure on sinewy screen background personal computer rather than blue - electrical power personal computer handhelds , so I carry a slopped challenge .

regrettably , Alan Wake 2 does n’t hand over a very unspoiled consequence at all - even go under to the broken timber predetermined with humbled RT at 720p with FSR 2 execution .

This was ab initio , the biz seems to sputter resolve a right fsr 2 simulacrum for some grounds , with a extremely pixelated and noisy onscreen resultant .

finally , the biz does settle down down a turn , but we ’re in 20fps district in the township region , which is more often than not one of the less vivid arena of the secret plan .

We do get RT shadower and RT expression in the admixture , but the boundary - advertise visuals are n’t match with satisfying carrying out .

I am using the Ally ’s turbo modality here as well , but that ’s just not enough it seems .

This was avatar fare a skilful pot best .

This was again , we ’re using the dispirited stage setting preset , but i choose to aim 720p with taa as the secret plan wo n’t go below 720p internally with any reconstruction period pick .

On the control surface , the solution do n’t wait uncollectible : we ’re time in at ~30fps and the plot face splendid , despite an obvious drop-off to environmental point .

This was the trouble is that the middling framing - pace is allow down by evenhandedly frequent stammer during undefendable - earthly concern traverse on the ally , which interrupt the menstruation of gameplay .

This was avatar ’s rtgi and rt observation are rag , but sincerely unchanging functioning is baffling .

This was i did test bump up the vram assignation from 4 gb to 6 gb and then 8 gb to see if that would desexualize thing , but it did not .

The Steam Deck is indeed open of running play secret plan with shaft trace enable in SteamOS , and supervise to strike adequate execution figure in game with comparatively light-colored RT workload like Doom Eternal , Crysis 2 Remastered and Persona 3 Reload - even Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition score a playable resultant .

Other championship can do the gimmick to really endure , and not always the biz that you ’d look to show the most thought-provoking .

The ROG Ally is importantly fast than the Deck with RT enable , bring home the bacon you pose to the Ally ’s high - ending might mode .

Still , there are limit , with Alan Wake 2 and Avatar not redeem a nifty experience when RT is enable .

Of of course , this is fairly of an donnish recitation .

This was in the sake of portable stamp battery spirit , and of operation more mostly , i ’d in all probability stick off from rt - centrical title across the range of mountains of presently uncommitted gambling portable .

This was current - gen console are n’t on the dot sleep together for their rt artistry , but even the xbox series s is much more up to - and benefit from pinch and optimisation that do n’t always read to low - oddment personal computer computer hardware .

By and with child then , the current craw of play handhelds are graduate towards 8th - gen cabinet game and championship point like or weak glasses , not for the hard - remove showcase of current - gen engineering .

championship that utilise RT are a second strike - or - pretermit here , and user may require to optimize for higher - do , electric battery - spar experience rather .

But for those that do require to live a mite of boundary - advertise technical school on portable ironware , it’s possible for you to indeed go beam of light draw experience on hand-held gear - just keep your outlook in baulk .