Is it possible to play Grounded 2 on Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and other portable PC gaming systems available?
The early access release of Grounded 2, the highly anticipated sequel to one of the best survival games of the decade, is now available on various platforms, including gaming handhelds like the ASUS ROG Ally, Steam Deck, and Lenovo Legion Go. However, the current state of optimization for these devices, particularly the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally, is still a work in progress.
ASUS ROG Ally X: A Playable but Demanding Experience
On the ASUS ROG Ally X, Grounded 2 is playable, but even on powerful settings (25W Turbo mode, lowest graphics), the frame rate peaks around 40 FPS and can dip below 30 FPS in complex scenes like battles or detailed areas. To consistently stay above 30 FPS, the render scale was lowered to HD (720p). There were no crashes or severe frame drops observed, but noticeable performance fluctuations exist due to the game's current optimization state.
Steam Deck: Optimization Planned
For the Steam Deck, the experience is expected to be more limited because it is less powerful than the ROG Ally. Steam Deck verification and optimization are planned by Obsidian Entertainment and are part of the Early Access roadmap to improve performance, UI, and cross-play features.
Ongoing Optimization and Improvements
Obsidian has recently released Patch 0.1.2 which includes many bug fixes and hints at upcoming improvements specifically targeting Steam Deck verification and better support for the ASUS ROG Ally. The developers acknowledge that optimization is ongoing, and the game's current state is buggy and underperforming compared to console and desktop versions.
Xbox Series X Still Offers Best Performance
At this stage, the Xbox Series X still offers the best performance compared to handhelds. If you have a good internet connection, streaming Grounded 2 through Xbox Cloud Gaming is the way to play it on handhelds right now, as it renders the game at 1080p and runs around 60 FPS.
In summary, Grounded 2 is playable but not perfectly smooth on ROG Ally, with frame rates often dipping below 30 FPS in demanding scenes. Lower performance is expected on Steam Deck, but official verification and tweaks are planned. Obsidian is actively patching bugs and improving handheld support, signaling better optimization will come before full launch.
The ASUS ROG Ally is more powerful and supports Windows 11 full ecosystem, making it more versatile but sometimes less streamlined than Steam Deck’s gaming-optimized OS, which may affect overall game stability and usability. Despite the lack of built-in graphical options on Windows PC, the ASUS ROG Ally X can tap into features like AMD FidelityFX and NVIDIA DLSS, providing a boost in performance.
As Grounded 2 continues its journey through Early Access, players can look forward to improved performance and optimizations on gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally.
- The Xbox Series X, with its powerful hardware, currently offers the best performance for playing Grounded 2, with streaming through Xbox Cloud Gaming yielding consistent 1080p renders and 60 FPS.
- Obsidian Entertainment has acknowledged that the current state of Grounded 2 on the ASUS ROG Ally and Steam Deck is buggy and underperforming, but they are actively addressing this through ongoing optimization and patches.
- For the Steam Deck, official verification and optimization are planned by Obsidian Entertainment as part of the Early Access roadmap, aiming to improve performance, UI, and cross-play features.
- On the ASUS ROG Ally X, Grounded 2 is playable but can suffer from noticeable performance fluctuations in demanding scenes, with frame rates often dipping below 30 FPS.
- While the Steam Deck's gaming-optimized OS may offer better overall game stability and usability compared to the ASUS ROG Ally's Windows 11 full ecosystem, the latter can still leverage features like AMD FidelityFX and NVIDIA DLSS for a performance boost.
