I put playing Baldur’s Gate 3 off for the longest time. Every time I looked into it for the Steam Deck, I’d stumble across nothing but doomer comments about how it ‘runs like dogshit’ or to just go and buy a high-end PC instead. Eventually, I decided to just flat out ignore those comments and picked it up in the Steam Autumn sale. I’ve since put together a guide to using the Steam Deck build along with the settings I used to play it, which surprisingly aren’t all set to low. The Steam Deck Build was made possible by a lone Larian developer and it runs incredibly well. Story-wise, I think it definitely helps to have played the first two Baldur’s Gate games. There’s a lot of history entwined in the story and seeing familiar faces appear hits a bit differently when you’ve spent time with them before. I’m not sure it’s entirely necessary, but I felt some big moments landed harder and motivation for certain side-quests just made more sense. The pure nostalgia of thinking back to my old-school playthroughs was just, uh… nice. Almost that full-circle feeling.
Steam Deck Specifics:
The best way to play Baldur’s Gate 3 on the Steam Deck is obviously with the Steam Deck build. My guide can run you through how to do that, along with the settings that got me through the game smoothly. The short version: head to settings for Baldur’s Gate 3 in SteamOS, into properties and under ‘Compatibility’ tick the box for ‘Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool’. Here, select ‘Steam Linux Runtime 3.0 (sniper)’ and then you’ll be running the Steam Deck build. Feel free to mess with the settings however you like, I was quite happy with mostly Medium settings and FSR off.
Baldur’s Gate 3 was released by Larian Studios in 2023, the Steam Deck build arriving as part of a hotfix later in September 2025. It’s a party-based RPG with turn-based combat built on Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition rules. The interface features a flexible floating camera, which adjusts for a 3rd person view all the way to a classic top-down isometric look. Like the originals, it takes place in the Forgotten Realms on the continent of Faerûn. The story is genuinely one of the strongest I’ve experienced in an RPG. It starts off fast and weird: you wake up on a mind flayer ship and discover you’ve been infected with a mind flayer tadpole that will eventually transform you into one of them. After a chaotic battle, the ship crashes in Faerûn and you team up with other infected survivors to search for a cure. That path slowly twists into a much larger conflict involving a rising and mysterious cult, three dangerous figures who we learn are the chosen champions of the dark gods and a powerful Elder Brain who is pulling all the strings behind the scenes. Some familiar faces return, new faces are given their chance to shine and the whole game is gripping from start to finish. It’s almost too easy to get lost in. ‘One more quest’ turns into ‘oh shit it’s 2am’ before you even notice.
I think it goes without saying: the Steam Deck isn’t running Baldur’s Gate 3 at ultra settings at 4K. But with a mix of mostly Medium settings, it honestly looks fantastic and it’s even better once you toggle FSR off. FSR was giving me some weird blurriness and glitter effects, turning it off actually made everything noticeably clearer without costing performance. Even at Medium, the world is ridiculously impressive. Faerûn feels dense and populated, with a lot of finer details tucked into every corner. We’ve got areas like cluttered streets and taverns, crumbling overgrown ruins and the eerie bio-luminescent glow of the Underdark just to name a few. The game is presented beautifully and I think that’s largely due to the art direction and lighting doing the heavy lifting. It’s got that warm, almost cinematic tone throughout that really shines on a smaller screen. It’s one of those games where you can easily stop and look at your surroundings for a moment to just soak it all in. Probably most important of all, Baldur’s Gate 3 just feels great to play on the Steam Deck. It’s smooth, responsive and way more polished than a game of this size has any right to be on a handheld. It doesn’t surprise me that it’s still sitting third on Steam’s ‘Most Played on Steam Deck’ list. It legitimately blows my mind that I can play a game this massive and meticulously crafted while slouched on my couch after putting my kid to bed. That’s the dream and seriously: what a time to be alive.
….no you won’t.
When I think of Baldur’s Gate, I still picture the old-school setup. Mouse-only with a few hotkeys thrown in, hunched over a desk clicking away through the Sword Coast. I never really imagined playing the third installment entirely with a controller, let alone on a handheld. I can confidently say it feels shockingly natural on the Steam Deck. The radial menus for attacks, spells, items and anything else you could think of are fantastic. It’s comfortable, intuitive and after a couple hours it becomes second nature which only adds to the experience. Now, I’ve talked at length previously about games that have features shoehorned into them for the sake of it. Baldur’s Gate 3 certainly has a mountain of features, probably more than I’d ever need. But, the way Larian slots them in never feels excessive. Everything sits in the background, ready to roll if you want it, but never shoved in your face. The way you approach the game is entirely up to you as well. Playing as a Ranger, I could’ve easily just spent my time at the back shooting away with arrows and called it a day. But the game subtly encourages you to mix things up. You can toss potions like grenades, cycle through random scrolls looted off various corpses, swap weapons mid-fight to start hacking away at an enemy that’s snuck up on you or start using spells that you completely forgot were written into your spellbook. Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you the freedom to approach the game however you like, regardless of class. There’s definitely no correct way to play and you’re not pushed into a rigid path. Truly, it feels like the game genuinely wants you to steer the experience for yourself.
Baldur’s Gate 3 feels like a game that was built for multiple playthroughs, each completely different from the last. The options actually feel endless and you can kind of choose how difficult you want to make it on yourself. Do you solo your way through? Stick to managing the classic four person party? Drag just a healer along and hope for the best? Co-op opens up even more possible angles, I’ve been meaning to try it but time is my biggest barrier. In my playthrough, I stuck closely to the main story and only came across maybe half to two-thirds of the available companions. Karlach or Minsc were probably my favourites, Minsc for the nostalgia and Karlach for being Karlach. But staying focused on the main story also means I missed a hell of a lot of side-quests and plot elements which only fuels my desire for a second run. I probably skipped a huge chunk of Act 1 and maybe Act 2 as well, I was uh, making my way through the Underdark pretty early on. Maybe I should have paid attention to that warning that suggested I was too low of a level to continue into Grymforge, but I had a blast regardless and I really enjoyed the story. I opted for a good-guy run, the valiant hero who saves the day. Likely this won’t be the case for my second run, which will probably be much more thorough.
Honestly, Baldur’s Gate 3 on the Steam Deck has been one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences I’ve had probably ever. For a game this huge and polished to run this well on a handheld still feels a little absurd, especially after all the noise that made it sound like it would barely boot. Instead, it’s been a smooth and genuinely absorbing experience that can easily takeover an entire evening. Baldur’s Gate 3 is fast working its way into my top 10, hell, top 5 games of all-time. It hits, and hits HARD on story, character arcs, mechanics and genuinely meaningful choices. Having played the originals, I feel this added an enjoyable layer of familiarity and nostalgia. But even without that history, it’s the kind of game that sticks with you long after putting it down. While I’m finished with my first playthrough, I’ve built an even longer list of things I want to try next time around which I think says a lot about the game. It gets you thinking about what choices to flip, which companions to pick up and what questionable choices to justify for, uh …reasons. If you’ve been holding off for any reason, know that Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of those big, meaty RPGs that not only works on the Steam Deck, it thrives on it.
Verdict:
Baldur’s Gate 3 on the Steam Deck is a rare beast. Massive, polished, endlessly replayable and yet it somehow plays amazingly in your hands thanks to the Steam Deck build. The story, the characters and freedom of choice coupled with the ability to approach each situation however you want make it utterly absorbing. This is a game that doesn’t just entertain you, you’ll get lost in it. But, you’ll happily stay lost.
Deck Compatibility: 10/10
Overall Game Rating: 10/10 – Top Tier RPG
Dad with a Deck 
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