Risk of Rain 2 is the captivating roguelike multiplayer shooter, drops players into a merciless alien world teeming with relentless foes, forcing them to adapt and survive. With its frenetic gameplay, vast array of characters, and ever-increasing difficulty, it’s a thrilling challenge that keeps players coming back for more.
We’ve tweaked and experimented to put together the very best settings for a premium experience when playing this game on your Steam Deck. So without further ado, let’s go!
Risk of Rain 2 Best Steam Deck Settings
<table style="margin: 1rem auto; color: #ddd; background-color: #23262F; border-radius: 0.5rem; padding: 0; border-collapse: separate;">
<tr bgcolor="#3f434f">
<th colspan="2" style="padding: 0.5rem;">Compatibility Settings</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Proton Version</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Default</td>
</tr>
</table>
Compatibility Settings |
Proton Version |
Default |
Risk of Rain 2’s performance is inconsistent. The Steam Deck hits 60 frames per second in the early rounds, but as you progress through the stages and more enemies start to fill up the screen, the framerate drops. In the later stages, the framerate drops to a crawl, sometimes hitting as low as the mid-20s.
The poor late game performance isn’t necessarily the Steam Deck’s fault. Many users have reported their high-end desktop rigs struggling in the later stages, so it seems to be an issue players will just have to live with.
Aside from the inevitable frame slowdown as you make progress, Risk of Rain 2 on the Steam Deck is a great experience and tons of fun. You won’t have to do any tweaking with compatibility settings to get started, so you should jump straight in and configure the in-game graphics settings.
Recommended — Performance Settings (Native@60fps | ~2h30m)
With these settings, I was aiming for as close to 60 frames per second as possible with the understanding that certain enemy combinations (like dual magma worms) would unavoidably tank the game’s framerate. Even when things the framerate drops to the 20s, the uncapped framerate and no VSync helps keep your inputs snappy and responsive. Overall, these settings allow for a great time both solo and in coop mode, so don’t let my constant talk about dropped frames dissuade you from enjoying the game.
<table style="margin: 1rem auto; color: #ddd; background-color: #23262F; border-radius: 0.5rem; padding: 0; border-collapse: separate;">
<tr bgcolor="#3f434f">
<th colspan="2" style="padding: 0.5rem;">Video Settings</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Resolution</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">1280x800</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Fullscreen</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">On</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">V-Sync</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">FPS Limit</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">HUD Scale</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">125%</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#3f434f">
<th colspan="2" style="padding: 0.5rem;">Advanced Video Settings</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Shadow Type</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Hard</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Shadow Resolution</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Medium</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Shadow Cascades</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Shadow Distance</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Low</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Texture Resolution</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Full</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">VFX Culling Bias</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Low</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">LOD Bias</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Medium</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">LOD Reduction</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Soft Particles</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Foliage Wind</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Bloom</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">SSAO</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">On</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Sobel Lighting</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Corpse Clean-up</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Hidden</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Max Corpses</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">10</td>
</tr>
</table>
Video Settings |
Resolution |
1280×800 |
Fullscreen |
On |
V-Sync |
Off |
FPS Limit |
Off |
HUD Scale |
125% |
Advanced Video Settings |
Shadow Type |
Hard |
Shadow Resolution |
Medium |
Shadow Cascades |
2 |
Shadow Distance |
Low |
Texture Resolution |
Full |
VFX Culling Bias |
Low |
LOD Bias |
Medium |
LOD Reduction |
Off |
Soft Particles |
Off |
Foliage Wind |
Off |
Bloom |
Off |
SSAO |
On |
Sobel Lighting |
Off |
Corpse Clean-up |
Hidden |
Max Corpses |
10 |
<table style="margin: 1rem auto; color: #ddd; background-color: #23262F; border-radius: 0.5rem; padding: 0; border-collapse: separate;">
<tr bgcolor="#3f434f">
<th colspan="2" style="padding: 0.5rem;">Steam Deck Performance Menu Settings</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Refresh Rate</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">60</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Framerate Limit</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Unlimited</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Allow Tearing</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">On</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Half Rate Shading</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Thermal Power (TDP) Limit</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Manual GPU Clock Control</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Scaling Filter</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Linear</td>
</tr>
</table>
Steam Deck Performance Menu Settings |
Refresh Rate |
60 |
Framerate Limit |
Unlimited |
Allow Tearing |
On |
Half Rate Shading |
Off |
Thermal Power (TDP) Limit |
Off |
Manual GPU Clock Control |
Off |
Scaling Filter |
Linear |
Reduced Lag Settings (Native@40fps | ~3h)
If you’re finding the intense lag in the mid to late game unbearable, there are a few things you can do to reduce the effect. Keep in mind, there is no true fix for this issue, as the game will continue to throw more and more monsters at you, and the framerate will suffer as a result. Still, these settings will help soften the blow and maintain playable framerates for longer.
<table style="margin: 1rem auto; color: #ddd; background-color: #23262F; border-radius: 0.5rem; padding: 0; border-collapse: separate;">
<tr bgcolor="#3f434f">
<th colspan="2" style="padding: 0.5rem;">Video Settings</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Resolution</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">1280x720</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Fullscreen</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">V-Sync</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">FPS Limit</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">HUD Scale</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">125%</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#3f434f">
<th colspan="2" style="padding: 0.5rem;">Advanced Video Settings</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Shadow Type</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Hard</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Shadow Resolution</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Low</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Shadow Cascades</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Shadow Distance</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Low</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Texture Resolution</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Full</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">VFX Culling Bias</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Low</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">LOD Bias</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Low</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">LOD Reduction</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">On</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Soft Particles</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Foliage Wind</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Bloom</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">SSAO</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Sobel Lighting</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Corpse Clean-up</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Hidden</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Max Corpses</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">10</td>
</tr>
</table>
Video Settings |
Resolution |
1280×720 |
Fullscreen |
Off |
V-Sync |
Off |
FPS Limit |
Off |
HUD Scale |
125% |
Advanced Video Settings |
Shadow Type |
Hard |
Shadow Resolution |
Low |
Shadow Cascades |
2 |
Shadow Distance |
Low |
Texture Resolution |
Full |
VFX Culling Bias |
Low |
LOD Bias |
Low |
LOD Reduction |
On |
Soft Particles |
Off |
Foliage Wind |
Off |
Bloom |
Off |
SSAO |
Off |
Sobel Lighting |
Off |
Corpse Clean-up |
Hidden |
Max Corpses |
10 |
<table style="margin: 1rem auto; color: #ddd; background-color: #23262F; border-radius: 0.5rem; padding: 0; border-collapse: separate;">
<tr bgcolor="#3f434f">
<th colspan="2" style="padding: 0.5rem;">Steam Deck Performance Menu Settings</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Refresh Rate</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">40</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Framerate Limit</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">40</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Allow Tearing</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">On</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Half Rate Shading</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Thermal Power (TDP) Limit</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Manual GPU Clock Control</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Off</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">Scaling Filter</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">FSR</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">FSR Sharpening</td>
<td style="padding: 0.5rem">2</td>
</tr>
</table>
Steam Deck Performance Menu Settings |
Refresh Rate |
40 |
Framerate Limit |
40 |
Allow Tearing |
On |
Half Rate Shading |
Off |
Thermal Power (TDP) Limit |
Off |
Manual GPU Clock Control |
Off |
Scaling Filter |
FSR |
FSR Sharpening |
2 |