If you’re looking to play the latest Zelda game on the go, then you might be looking for the best Breath of the Wild settings for Steam Deck. We do have all the information you might need in this guide.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is widely regarded as one of the greatest video games ever made. And it’s no secret that many of us would love to play this classic on our Steam Deck. And it is possible to play BOTW on Steam Deck, thanks to emulators.
However, the game needs some serious tweaking on Steam Deck to perform optimally. For the best possible experience on Valve's portable PC, check out our best Breath of the Wild Steam Deck settings below.
Tips for the best BOTW experience on Steam Deck
Since there are two versions of Breath of the Wild: the Wii version and the Switch version, you don't want to install both. We recommend you install the Wii version because it runs better on Steam Deck. Also, the Wii version allows you to install mods.
Also, you might want join the Beta OS release as it gives you access to the 40hz refresh rate option. And while playing Breath of the Wild, limit FPS to 40 and set the refresh rate to 40hz to get the best results.
Three, we recommend installing Cemu to run BOTW rather than using EmuDeck. And when launching Cemu from Steam, go to Properties > Compatibility and force the use of Proton (latest version).
Finally, download the community graphics packs and use FPS++ as they will give you a great boost in performance and graphics. When FPS++ is enabled, set the frame limit to 40 FPS to get a stable experience.
Best Breath of the Wild settings for Steam Deck
The default settings for Breath of the Wild are not optimised to give you the best experience on your handheld PC. Hence, it calls for a little more involvement from your side to ensure a smooth and stable gameplay experience.
By tweaking the Cemu emulator settings as well as the Steam OS settings via PowerTools, you can get the best possible Breath of the Wild experience. So, here is the best Breath of the Wild settings for Steam Deck:
- Graphics API: Vulkan
- Device: AMD VANGOGH
- VSync: Off
- Async shader compile: On
- Graphics: Medium
- Frame Rate: 40 FPS
Using PowerTools, turn SMT off and set the number of threads to 4. Disabling SMT will improve single-threaded performance, resulting in an improved frame rate. Also, put the resolution at 0.5X (360p/540p) and limit the TDP to 11.
The above settings coupled with our advice will help you have a much better, more stable experience with Breath of the Wild on Steam Deck. Go ahead and enjoy the game!
Now that we have shared our best Breath of the Wild settings for Steam Deck, have a look at other guides such as the best GTA V settings for Steam Deck and learn how to play Pokémon Violet on Steam Deck. Also, perhaps you need a new power bank for Steam Deck.