**Hytale on the Steam Deck: A Playable Experience**
As the gaming community eagerly anticipates the full release of Hytale, the major question has emerged regarding its compatibility with the Steam Deck. Hytale, developed by Hypixel, initially presented uncertainty for Steam Deck owners due to the lack of controller support and no official Steam release, despite having a Linux version. However, players have found ways to make this popular block-building game accessible on Valve’s handheld device.
### Setting Up Hytale on the Steam Deck
To start playing Hytale on the Steam Deck, players must first switch to Desktop Mode, a versatile environment where installation can be managed. From there, users must download the Linux Flatpak version of Hytale from its official site. After installing the Hytale Launcher and logging in (a crucial step to be done in Desktop Mode as it does not function in Gaming Mode), players can launch the game. However, it is essential to note from the outset that the original controls were designed without controller support in mind.
### Configuring Controller Settings
To enhance gameplay on the Steam Deck, users should utilize custom controller layouts. By accessing Steam’s controller settings, players can implement cshjp’s Hytale configuration from the Community layouts. This setup remaps the Steam Deck’s inputs to emulate keyboard and mouse controls, allowing for a more seamless experience. Essential actions such as menu navigation and inventory management are facilitated by the right trackpad, while triggers can mimic mouse clicks, aiding in optimizing the game settings.
### Optimizing Game Performance
Players should focus on adjusting the video settings to ensure the best performance on the Steam Deck. Setting Hytale to fullscreen mode allows it to properly use the device’s 1280×800 display. Performance tests have shown that Hytale runs smoothly on Medium quality settings, maintaining an average of 60 FPS, though players might experience some frame rate dips during world loading or movement into vast new areas. A significant way to minimize these dips is by lowering the view distance; a setting around 288 blocks balances visual quality and performance effectively.
### Potential Drawbacks
Two notable challenges faced by players are the small text size for items and tooltips, which can strain visibility on the 7-inch screen, and the absence of cloud or account-linked saves. This means that progress made on one device will not transfer to another, a limitation to consider for those playing across multiple platforms.
### Recommended Graphics Settings
To manage performance and visual fidelity effectively, the following settings are recommended:
– Fullscreen: On
– Graphics Preset: Custom
– View Distance: 288 blocks
– Render Scale: 100%
– World Details: High
– Anti-Aliasing: Low (FXAA)
– Shadow Quality: High
– Particle Quality: High
– Shading Quality: High
– Bloom: High
– Sun Shafts: On
– Foliage Fading: On
– Depth Buffer Precision: On
With these adjustments, Hytale achieves satisfactory performance, making it a viable option for portable gameplay on the Steam Deck.
### Conclusion
While Hytale’s transition to the Steam Deck requires some initial effort and adjustment, the gaming community has established that it is indeed possible to play the game on this device. The flexibility of SteamOS allows for considerable customization, enabling users to create an enjoyable experience despite some limitations. As development progresses and updates are released, there is hope for further improvements that will enhance gameplay and reduce existing issues. For now, with the proper setup, Hytale can be a fun addition to the growing library of compatible Steam Deck games.
