Monster Hunter Wilds is struggling to run on the Steam Deck, and I'm frustrated to report this yet again. The latest AAA title from Capcom is experiencing significant performance issues on Valve's handheld. After rigorously testing the new benchmark tool on my Steam Deck OLED, the results were disappointing. Luckily, if you have access to another gaming PC, you'll enjoy a better experience with Monster Hunter Wilds. Capcom has incorporated robust upscaling solutions, making it feasible to achieve a balance between good performance and appealing visuals, provided your equipment meets the updated minimum specifications. However, the Frame Generation feature isn't quite optimized for the Steam Deck yet. The benchmark tool includes various cutscenes and in-game tests that challenge the CPU and GPU, adequately representing the game's overall demands. Establishing a baseline is crucial for my tests, aiming to achieve a smooth 30 FPS at the default resolution of 1280x800 without additional tech. Unfortunately, when I tested the game at the lowest graphical settings and disabled FSR upscaling and AMD's frame generation, the results were disheartening: an average of just 21 FPS, with drops as low as 12 FPS. The game doesn't allow lower resolution settings, so I switched to AMD FSR with Ultra Performance mode and encountered significant stutters, averaging 28 FPS. Activating Frame Generation seemed necessary, but while it occasionally produced an apparent 42 FPS, stutters remained unbearably frequent, making gameplay unplayable. Even with upscaling and frame generation, Monster Hunter Wilds is practically nonviable on the Steam Deck for now. Fingers crossed for improvements before the game's official launch. The monster hunting action kicks off with an open beta from February 6, running until February 9. A second wave of beta testing will occur from February 13 to 16, leading up to the monster hunter wilds release date on February 27.
