The rather modest system requirements for Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance ensure that the title runs incredibly well on low-end PC hardware. This naturally extends into the Steam Deck, which is coincidentally the most popular handheld gaming PC in the market.
Unlike Windows-based handhelds such as the ROG Ally, the Steam Deck runs on a Linux-based operating system known as SteamOS – which allows for fine-tuned, granular control over both image quality and device TDP with the use of a robust user interface, that is further complemented by excellent performance at low TDP values.
This makes SMTV Vengeance a perfect addition for this device, much like prior ports (such as Persona 3 Reload) from Atlus.
The best Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance Steam Deck settings can be found detailed below – optimized for both battery life and image quality.
Optimized Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance Steam Deck settings
For this particular settings breakdown, we will consider the Steam Deck OLED as a baseline. While there is no discernible performance difference between the (old) LCD and (new) OLED versions of the Deck, the OLED Deck does have far superior battery life in comparison.
Regardless, an 800p image with a target of 60 frames per second will be used for the Steam Deck, which requires the following combination of in-game and Deck UI settings:
In-game settings
- Ambient Occlusion: On
- Motion Blur: None
- Anti-Aliasing: On
- Screen Mode: Full Screen
- Resolution: 1280×800
- Vertical Sync: None
- Frame Rate Limit: 60 FPS
Steam Deck settings
- Frame Rate Limit: 40/50/60 FPS
- TDP: 10-15W
- Battery Drain: 15-25W
Additional parameters, such as the image Scaling Filter (and thereby Image Sharpness) can be adjusted to your liking without affecting in-game performance.
Keep in mind that while these Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance Steam Deck settings offer a more or less stable 60 FPS experience, there will be the occasional dip during certain sections of the game world.
Scaling the TDP down to 12W and placing a frame rate limit of 40 FPS should offer an acceptable level of performance with vastly improved battery life – which may be the way to go for those seeking a truly portable handheld experience.
