Bilawal Bashir 
Fans of the post-apocalyptic series are asking whether Stalker 2 will run on Steam Deck after GSC Game World announced the recommended PC specs and the answer is a resounding “yes, but also no.”
The long-awaited Stalker 2 is ready for launch after multiple delays. GSC Game World, the Ukrainian developers behind the titles, faced plenty of setbacks, but the game will be released on November 20, 2024. The highly anticipated fourth mainline game in the series is set to be released on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
GSC is making “The Zone” an open-world area that is bigger and denser than previous games. The game will have 20 regions for players to explore, fight, and loot. The open-world nature combined with Unreal Engine 5’s graphical fidelity promises an exciting survival experience to fans. However, open-world games, especially those made on Unreal Engine 5, haven’t fared well on any iteration of Valve’s handheld PC.
So, will Stalker 2 run on Steam Deck? The official recommended specs shed some light.
Will Stalker 2 run on Steam Deck?
The official PC hardware requirements for a low 1080p resolution and 30 FPS suggest that Stalker 2 might run on Steam Deck.
The lowest Stalker 2 graphical preset targets 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second. The recommended CPUs are the 7-year-old Intel i7 7700k and AMD Ryzen 5 1600x. On the GPU side, GSC’s new title demands Nvidia GTX 1060 and AMD Radeon RX 580 graphics cards.
The Steam Deck runs at an even lower 720p resolution, so hitting 30 on the device shouldn’t be too hard. The developers have not confirmed anything yet, so everything is speculation at the moment. Black Myth: Wukong, another Unreal Engine 5 open-world game, runs reasonably well on the Steam Deck, so there’s some hope.
However, even if the game runs, there’s no guarantee that it will run smoothly. Games like Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Starfield can be booted and played on Steam Deck, but suffer from performance issues that many gamers would find prohibitive.
Stalker 2 is not currently rated as “Great on Deck.” That could change closer to launch.
Many games receive the Steam Deck thumbs up close to or after release. So, chances are Valve might update the Steam store page as the release date approaches. As for the game running on the Steam Deck, there’s a high chance players will be able to enjoy it on the go. Monster Hunter: Wilds may not have the best time on the handheld, but that is using a different engine.
With tame hardware requirements, Stalker 2 could run on the Steam Deck. However, it’s an open-world game, which could threaten a stable 30 FPS experience on Valve’s handheld. Players eagerly awaiting the game’s release can try out one of the best MMORPGs on Steam Deck to make time go faster.
