Cover-Credits:
After nearly five years in early access, Eleventh Hour Games’ Last Epoch finally received its anticipated full release on 21st February. This ambitious hack-and-slash ARPG is currently available only for Windows and Linux PCs via Steam and naturally, many gamers are wondering if it is available on Valve’s handheld, considering that it shares the same platform.
The answer is a resounding yes! Last Epoch runs great on the Steam Deck, thanks to its RDNA 2 GPU and Zen 2 Cores, delivering impressive frame rates even on the game’s Ultra preset. Without further ado, here are the most optimal settings to enjoy this title on Valve’s Handheld!
Best Settings for Last Epoch on Steam Deck
As mentioned above, Valve’s Handheld does a tremendous job at running Last Epoch, churning out respectable frame rates even on Ultra settings, despite being unverified as a Steam Deck-compatible title. Considering the console’s performance numbers, players can use a wide variety of settings depending on their preferences. Here’s how the game runs on every quality preset:
Very Low Settings
Last Epoch’s Very Low preset yields anywhere from 70 to 82 FPS with an average of 72 while exploring open areas. This figure might drop down to the high 60s when there are hordes of foes on your screen. While this is certainly outstanding for a handheld, you do sacrifice quite a bit of visual fidelity with this preset.
Low Settings
The Low preset slightly bump up the visual quality while still providing more than playable frame rates. The game averages around 65 FPS when there is some action on your screen. This figure goes back up to the low 70s when simply traversing through the areas.
Medium Settings
Easily the most optimal way to play Last Epoch on the go, blending decent visual quality and respectable frame rates. You will get around 52- 55FPS while exploring but this number will drop down to the low 40s if there is a lot of action on your screen. We recommend the following settings for the most consistent performance:
Master Quality: Medium
Shadow Quality: Low
AntiAliasing: TAA
Grass Density: Low
Reflections: Low
Ambient Occlusion: Low
Volumetric Lighting: Medium
Screen Space Reflections: Medium
Terrain Quality: Medium
The aforementioned presets combine both Low and medium settings, offering between 50-60 FPS. we strongly suggest you lock your frame rates to a maximum of 60 to reduce the occasional micro-stuttering.
High, Very High, and Ultra Settings
While these quality presets provide the best visual fidelity, there was a noticeable stuttering preset on all three settings, with the most evident one being the Ultra preset. While High settings average around 45FPS, Very High and Ultra Settings produced an average frame rate of 36 and 32 respectively.
However, if you want the absolute best visual quality and do not mind sacrificing the extra frame rates, we recommend you run the game on a mix of Very High and Ultra settings with a 30FPS cap to reduce stuttering issues.
