Steam Deck settings for the best experience

Undisputed is Steel City's latest boxing title. It is still in Early Access and is not optimized to run on Steam Deck. Steam Deck can run it, but it has so many issues that it's almost unplayable in its current state. This guide will explain how to get there Undisputed run on a Steam Deck.

Battery life is affected without the tools required for this guide, and the framerate inconsistently jumps between 14 and 25 FPS. Affects shot responsiveness Undisputedwhich lack the responsiveness required for a fighting title. With the guide provided here, Steam Deck players can achieve acceptable performance, play closer to a stuck 30 FPSand prevent the game from consuming too much battery.

Updated on November 24, 2024, by Michael Llewellyn: Undisputed received a full release in October 2024, but is still tagged as “Unsupported” for the Steam Deck. Fortunately, with some tweaks to Dekcy Loader's settings and power tools, it works perfectly. However, the latest Steam Deck update broke the Decky Loader app. This update will show you how to restore Decky Loader and run Undisputed again.

Even with the settings below, Undisputed it's not a perfect experience. It frequently crashes when attempting online modes and prize fights, forcing users to restart Steam Deck and recording a loss or defeat. So until Steel City gets a solution, stick to offline modes only.

Download Decky Loader for Steam Deck

Before trying to get the optimal settings and get 30 FPS, Steam Deck users will need to download and install Decky Tools. The following steps will show users where the Decky Tools plugin can be located.

Switch to desktop mode

More complete instructions for using Desktop mode can be found at this link. So this guide will go over the basics.

• Press the Steam button on the front of the Steam Deck
• Scroll down and select Power.

• Select Switch to Desktop mode.

Installing Decky Loader

Steam Deck users must install a plugin called Decky Tools, which can be accessed from the Steam Deck main menu. However, users should know that it is is not an official plugin for Steam Deckand while it is safe, there is always the possibility of something going wrong. That being said, Decky Loader is one of the best plugins that users can install to get the best out of their Deck.

• Make sure your Steam Deck has enough battery power for a smooth installation without any chance of errors.
• In Desktop mode, open a browser and use the following link to download Decky Tools.

• Scroll down to the direct download link and save the download to your Steam Deck desktop.

• Double click on the installer, select continueand select Recommended option.

• When the installation is complete, return to Steam Deck mode.
• Press the button with the three dotsit's on the front of the Steam Deck.
• Scroll to the bottom of the menu, Select Decky, and install all necessary updates.

• Now, select the Store icon from the Decky Loader tools.
• Scroll down and install power tools.

The best Steam Deck settings for Undisputed

With Power Tools installed, Steam Deck users can use the best settings for presentation and a stable framerate in Undisputed.

Power tool settings

• Once the user returns to Game modeopen Undeniably page game menu, but avoid launching it for now.

• In the Undisputed game screen, click the settings wheel icon.
• Select Generic.
• Select Game resolution drop down menu.

• Now, set the resolution to 1024 x 640.
• Select Compatibility.
• Check Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool.

• Now in the new drop-down menu, select Proton Experimental.
• Launch Undisputed.
• Press the key the button with the three dots on the front of the Steam Deck.
• Now in the Decky menu, select Power tools.

• In the Power Tools menu, highlight SMT and turn it off to enable odd-numbered processors. This will help maintain a stable framerate and consume less battery power.

Performance settings

• Press the three-dot button again.
• Scroll to access Performance settings.
• Now, set framerate limit to 30FPS or above.

Adjusting in-game settings

With SMT disabled in the Power Tools menuit's time to fiddle with the in-game settings. Use the following settings for best performance:

• back in the game highlight Profile and select Video.
• Your video settings should look like this:

• The graphics settings should look like this:

• Press R2 to highlight Game Settings and set Crowd Density to 25%.

• That should lock everything down to start a quick match with significantly better settings for Undisputed.

With these settings in place, Undisputed players should get a solid 30 FPS lock on Steam Deck with an occasional drop to 29 FPS. Thanks to the Power Tools add-on, these settings will be ensured Undisputed avoid battery drain.

Battery usage is still high at 19%, but 25-30% is preferable. Ideally, a fighting game like this would run better at 60 FPS, but until Steel City implements Steam Deck verified settings, this is the next best thing, and a vast improvement over the spotty 10-24 FPS without these. However, given the heavy battery drain, Steam Deck users may want to keep the device plugged in for long sessions.

How to Fix Decky Loader on Steam Deck

Unfortunately, the latest Steam Deck update broke the Decky Loader and it's probably gone from the quick access menu for most users. Fortunately, this only interrupts the program in Gaming mode. With a few steps, you can restore the Decky app, plugins and all the current settings you want to have. Use the following steps to fix Decky Loader on Steam Deck.

• Press the key Steam button.
• Select Power then move on to Desktop mode.
• In Desktop Mode, open a browser, navigate to the Decky Loader GitHub page, and select Download.
• Double click on the newly downloaded installer and select Execute. It is essential to avoid clicking “Open” as this will delete the original installation of Decky Loader.
• You will be prompted to enter your sudo password. If you haven't created one yet, the system will prompt you to do so.

Be sure to enter a memorable sudo password for future installations. It cannot be changed without resetting the Steam Deck back to factory settings.

• Once the installer has finished, turn off Steam Deck.
• Reboot into Game mode.
• With the Steam Deck back in Gaming mode, press the QAM button and the Decky Loader program and all its plugins will return.