Arc Raiders Steam Deck Best Settings (2026)

Arc Raiders Steam Deck best settings for LCD and OLED. Community-tested graphics for 30-40 FPS. Get free hardware-matched results from FragForge.

By FragForge Labs · April 16, 2026 · 12 min read

The best Arc Raiders Steam Deck settings land between Low and Medium across most options, with FSR on Quality and Ray Tracing off. That setup gets you a stable 30-35 FPS on the LCD model and 35-40 FPS on the OLED.

Arc Raiders is an Unreal Engine 5 extraction shooter, and UE5 titles are notoriously demanding on the Deck's modest RDNA 2 GPU. Default settings will tank you into the low 20s during chaotic ARC encounters. The good news: the Deck's fixed hardware means the community has already narrowed down what works, and the settings below reflect real player data rather than one person's opinion.

This guide covers the full settings breakdown for both LCD and OLED models, SteamOS and Proton setup, performance tuning, and common fixes for stuttering and crashes. If you want a one-click answer, run the Arc Raiders settings wizard and get hardware-matched results based on community benchmarks.

> Key Takeaways

> - Set most graphics to Low-Medium with FSR on Quality to hit 30-35 FPS on LCD or 35-40 FPS on OLED

> - Ray Tracing off is non-negotiable on Steam Deck — it cuts frame rate by 40-60%

> - Use Proton Experimental (or GE-Proton) and let shaders pre-compile on first launch to eliminate stutter

> - The OLED model runs Arc Raiders 5-8 FPS higher than LCD thanks to better thermals and faster memory

> - Lock your frame rate to 30 FPS (LCD) or 40 FPS (OLED) for consistent frame times and better battery life

Can You Play Arc Raiders on Steam Deck?

Yes. Arc Raiders runs on Steam Deck through Proton, and Embark Studios has improved compatibility steadily since launch. As of patch 1.24.0 (April 14, 2026), the game boots and plays on both LCD and OLED models without major blockers.

Here's what you're working with on the hardware side:

| Spec | Steam Deck LCD | Steam Deck OLED |

|------|---------------|-----------------|

| CPU | AMD Zen 2, 4-core/8-thread, 2.4-3.5 GHz | Same |

| GPU | RDNA 2, 8 CUs | Same |

| RAM | 16 GB LPDDR5 5500 MT/s | 16 GB LPDDR5 6400 MT/s |

| Display | 7" 1280x800, 60 Hz | 7.4" 1280x800, 90 Hz |

| TDP Range | 4-15W | 4-15W |

The Deck's 8-CU GPU sits roughly between an RX 6400 and a GTX 1650 in raw power. Arc Raiders lists a GTX 650 Ti as its minimum GPU and a GTX 1660 as recommended, so you're above minimum but below the comfort zone on paper.

The key constraint isn't raw throughput. It's thermal management. The Deck throttles under sustained load, and UE5 titles push sustained load constantly. The OLED model handles this better with its larger heat sink and faster memory, which is why the two models need slightly different settings targets.

Marcus loaded Arc Raiders on his Steam Deck during a layover at O'Hare, hit 18 FPS on the default High preset, and nearly closed the game. After dropping to the settings below, he was extracting loot at a steady 34 FPS before his boarding group was called. Ten minutes of setup saved the next four hours.

Best Arc Raiders Settings for Steam Deck

These settings target two profiles: 30 FPS locked on LCD (prioritizing battery life and frame-time consistency) and 40 FPS on OLED (taking advantage of the 90 Hz panel and better thermals).

|---------|--------------------|--------------------|-------------------|

| Shadow Quality | Low | Low | High (GPU) |

| Post Processing | Low | Low | Low |

| Volumetric Lighting | Low | Off | High (GPU) |

| Ray Tracing | Off | Off | Very High |

| Motion Blur | Off | Off | Preference |

| VSync | Off | Off | Use SteamOS limiter |

Why These Specific Settings

Shadow Quality on Low is the biggest single win. Shadows are heavily GPU-bound, and FragForge's engine weights GPU impact at 39% of overall performance. On the Deck's 8-CU GPU, dropping from Medium to Low shadows alone recovers roughly 5-7 FPS. FSR on Quality (LCD) vs Balanced (OLED) reflects the different FPS ceilings. FSR Quality renders at roughly 75% internal resolution and upscales to 1280x800. That is plenty sharp on a 7-inch screen. The OLED profile drops to FSR Balanced (67% internal resolution) to claw back the extra frames needed for a 40 FPS lock. Volumetric Lighting is the stealth killer on Deck hardware. It looks gorgeous in Arc Raiders' post-apocalyptic Italian landscapes, but it hammers the GPU disproportionately. Off or Low gives you back 3-5 FPS with minimal visual loss at handheld viewing distance. Ray Tracing off is non-negotiable. The Deck's RDNA 2 has hardware RT support in theory, but 8 CUs cannot sustain RT workloads at playable frame rates. Turning it on cuts FPS by 40-60%. Don't touch it.

These are general starting points. For settings matched to your exact Steam Deck model and target FPS, optimize your Arc Raiders settings through the FragForge wizard. It cross-references community data from players running Deck-tier hardware and gives you a confidence score so you know how reliable the recommendation is.

SteamOS Performance Overlay Settings

After applying the graphics settings above, configure the SteamOS performance layer:

1. Press the Quick Access button (three dots)

2. Go to Performance tab

3. Set Framerate Limit to 30 FPS (LCD) or 40 FPS (OLED)

4. Set TDP Limit to 12W (good balance of performance and battery)

5. Enable GPU Clock Control and set to 1100 MHz

6. Turn on the Performance Overlay (Level 2) to monitor frame times

Locking the frame rate is critical. A consistent 30 FPS with even frame times feels far smoother than an unlocked 25-38 FPS that bounces around. The 40 FPS target on OLED pairs perfectly with the 90 Hz display (90 / 40 = 2.25x, still within smooth territory with VRR).

SteamOS and Proton Setup for Arc Raiders

Which Proton Version to Use

Use Proton Experimental as your first choice. It receives the fastest fixes for new games and has the best UE5 compatibility track record. If you hit issues, switch to GE-Proton (the latest build) as a fallback.

To force a specific Proton version:

1. Open Arc Raiders in your Steam Library

2. Tap the gear icon > Properties

3. Go to Compatibility

4. Check Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool

5. Select Proton Experimental

Check ProtonDB for the latest community reports on which version works best with the current Arc Raiders patch.

Launch Options

Add these launch options in Properties > General > Launch Options:

```

PROTON_ENABLE_NVAPI=0 %command% -dx12

```

PROTON_ENABLE_NVAPI=0 prevents the game from trying to use NVIDIA-specific APIs through Proton's translation layer. -dx12 forces DirectX 12 mode, which generally runs better on the Deck's RDNA 2 architecture than DX11 fallback.

Shader Pre-Caching (Fix First-Launch Stutter)

Arc Raiders on Steam Deck will stutter badly during your first session. This isn't a settings problem. It's the Vulkan shader cache compiling.

Two ways to handle it:

1. Let Steam handle it. In Steam Settings > Shader Pre-Caching, make sure it's enabled. Steam will download pre-compiled shaders if available

2. Manual warm-up. Launch the game, go to the main menu, and wait 3-5 minutes. Then load into a low-intensity area and walk around for another five minutes. The stutter will diminish as shaders compile

After the first full session, subsequent launches should be smooth. Major game updates may require another shader warm-up pass.

Steam Deck OLED vs LCD: Arc Raiders Performance

The OLED model is not just a screen upgrade. It runs Arc Raiders measurably better due to three hardware differences that matter for demanding UE5 titles.

Thermal headroom: The OLED Deck has a larger heat sink and more efficient power delivery. During sustained Arc Raiders sessions, the LCD model starts throttling the GPU after 15-20 minutes of heavy load. The OLED sustains peak clocks roughly 30% longer before thermal limits kick in. Faster memory: LPDDR5 at 6400 MT/s (OLED) vs 5500 MT/s (LCD) gives roughly 16% more memory bandwidth. UE5 is bandwidth-hungry, and the extra throughput translates to 3-5 FPS under load. 90 Hz display: You can target 40 FPS instead of 30 FPS and still have a buttery experience. The 90 Hz panel also enables better VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) behavior, smoothing out minor frame-time spikes that would cause visible hitches at 60 Hz.

Priya had been running Arc Raiders on her LCD Deck at a locked 30 FPS and thought that was the ceiling. When she upgraded to the OLED model and bumped to 40 FPS with the OLED profile settings above, the difference was instant. Firefights against ARC machines that used to drop to 24 FPS on her old Deck held at a steady 38 FPS on the OLED. Same game, same settings philosophy, but the hardware headroom changed the experience completely.

Battery Life Expectations

At the recommended settings:

| Model | FPS Target | Estimated Battery Life |

|-------|-----------|----------------------|

| LCD | 30 FPS @ 12W TDP | 1.5-2 hours |

| OLED | 40 FPS @ 12W TDP | 1.5-2.5 hours |

| OLED | 30 FPS @ 10W TDP | 2.5-3 hours |

Arc Raiders is not a battery-friendly game on any portable device. If you are traveling, the 30 FPS / 10W TDP OLED profile gives the best playtime without sacrificing too much fluidity.

How FragForge Optimizes Arc Raiders Settings

Most settings guides give you one person's opinion. FragForge takes a different approach: we aggregate community benchmarks from players running hardware similar to yours and score matches by relevance.

Here's how FragForge works under the hood. The scoring engine weighs six factors:

GPU match (39%): the primary bottleneck for rendering, and the biggest factor in your score
CPU match (17%): matters for UE5's heavy CPU thread usage
Resolution match (17%): critical because 1280x800 is unique to the Deck
Target mode (14%): competitive FPS vs. visual quality preference
FPS target (10%): how close the benchmark hits your desired frame rate
RAM (3%): less impactful but still factored in

Steam Deck is actually an ideal use case for this approach. Because every Deck runs identical hardware, community consensus is stronger. When 50 players with Steam Decks submit their Arc Raiders settings and FPS data, you get high-confidence recommendations. On a desktop with thousands of possible GPU/CPU combos, the same number of submissions would spread thin across many hardware permutations.

Every result comes with a confidence score so you can see exactly how much data backs the recommendation. High confidence means lots of matching submissions. Lower confidence means fewer matching submissions. Still useful, but set expectations accordingly.

See what other Steam Deck players actually run for Arc Raiders. Get your personalized settings in 30 seconds.

Troubleshooting Arc Raiders on Steam Deck

Shader Compilation Stutter

Symptom: Game hitches or freezes for 0.5-2 seconds at random, especially in new areas. Cause: Vulkan shaders compiling on first encounter. This is normal for the first play session. Fix: Let Steam's shader pre-cache download. Then play through a full session. Stutter will reduce dramatically on subsequent launches.

Kai followed a Reddit thread that suggested setting everything to Low to fix the stutter, but the hitching continued every few seconds regardless. The issue wasn't graphics settings. It was shader pre-compilation. After he let the game sit on the menu for five minutes while shaders built, then walked around the cantina area for another few minutes, the game smoothed out to a consistent 33 FPS. The fix was patience, not lower settings.

Low FPS Despite Optimized Settings

Check these in order:

1. TDP limit too low. Open the performance overlay and confirm TDP is set to at least 10-12W

2. Background downloads. Pause any Steam updates or downloads while playing

3. Proton version. Switch between Proton Experimental and GE-Proton to see if one runs better

4. Game patch mismatch. After major updates, shader caches may need to rebuild. Delete the shader cache in Steam Settings and let it re-download

5. Thermal throttling. If FPS drops steadily over time, your Deck may be overheating. Play in a cooler environment or use an external fan accessory

Game Crashes or Fails to Launch

Verify game files through Steam (Properties > Installed Files > Verify)
Switch Proton versions. Some Arc Raiders patches conflict with specific Proton builds
Remove any custom launch options temporarily to isolate the problem
Check if Easy Anti-Cheat needs a Proton-specific update

Controller Mapping Issues

Arc Raiders has native controller support, so the Deck's built-in controls should map automatically. If inputs feel wrong:

Reset to the default Steam Deck controller layout in Steam Input
Disable Steam Input for Arc Raiders if the game's native controller support works better
For gyro aiming, set up a custom profile in Steam Input with gyro bound to right stick

If troubleshooting gets tedious, you can also get instant settings through FragForge's I'm Feeling Lucky mode. It skips the wizard and gives you a fast recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you play Arc Raiders on Steam Deck?

Yes. Arc Raiders runs on Steam Deck via Proton. Use Proton Experimental for best results. Expect 30-40 FPS depending on your model and settings.

Does Arc Raiders run at 60 FPS on Steam Deck?

Not at native resolution with acceptable visual quality. The Deck's GPU tops out around 35-40 FPS with optimized settings. You could push past 40 FPS by dropping to FSR Ultra Performance, but the image quality at that render resolution is not worth it on a 7-inch screen.

Should I use FSR in Arc Raiders on Steam Deck?

Yes. FSR is essential on Steam Deck because the Deck uses an AMD APU (no DLSS support). FSR Quality or Balanced gives you a significant FPS boost with minimal visual loss at handheld viewing distance.

Is Arc Raiders Steam Deck verified?

Check the Steam store page for the latest Deck verification status. Compatibility can change with patches, but the game is playable on Deck as of April 2026.

What TDP limit should I set for Arc Raiders on Steam Deck?

12W is the sweet spot. Going higher (15W) gives you 2-3 extra FPS but drains battery much faster. Going lower (8-10W) will cause noticeable FPS drops during intense encounters.

Your Next Steps

Getting the best Arc Raiders Steam Deck settings takes some initial setup, but once configured, the game runs well for a UE5 extraction shooter on handheld hardware. Here's the quick version:

Graphics: Low-Medium settings, FSR Quality/Balanced, Ray Tracing off
Proton: Experimental, with DX12 forced via launch options
Frame lock: 30 FPS (LCD) or 40 FPS (OLED) with 12W TDP
First launch: Let shaders compile before judging performance

Stop guessing at settings. FragForge's free Arc Raiders optimizer uses real community benchmarks to find the exact settings sweet spot for your Steam Deck. Enter your specs, get your settings, and start playing.

For more optimization guides, check out the FragForge blog.