Horizon Forbidden West gets Steam Deck Playable badge despite poor performance
Valve upgraded Horizon Forbidden West from Unsupported to Playable on Steam Deck, but testing shows the game drops to 19-25 FPS during exploration and combat even on lowest settings.
Summary
Steam Deck HQ tested Horizon Forbidden West after Valve changed its compatibility rating from Unsupported to Playable. The reviewer found that even with settings dropped to Low and FSR 3 upscaling, the game suffers severe framerate drops into the 19-25 FPS range when running into new areas or during combat. The author argues the game remains effectively unplayable and should not carry the Playable badge.
Performance issues on Steam Deck
- Default High preset must be manually changed to Low for any playable framerate
- Upscaling set to FSR 3, the lowest available option
- Visual quality described as "horrible" with constant blurriness, especially during camera movement
- Framerate hits 30 FPS only after scene loading completes
- Drops to 19-25 FPS when running into new areas or during combat
- Original Unsupported rating was changed to Playable with only the note that graphical settings require manual adjustment
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing concerns about the consistency of Valve's Steam Deck Verified program, where badge upgrades may not reflect actual user experience.
Original reference: steamdeckhq.com →