The Fallout franchise is one of Bethesda's biggest (along with The Elder Scrolls), so it's no surprise that fans want to know the best way to play the games. With the Fallout TV show now available to feed on Prime, even more fans have flocked to the games and franchise, increasing the number of players for each game. If you're wondering if your Steam Deck can handle the game and what the best settings would be for it, this guide is for you.
Can Fallout 3 run on the Steam Deck?
The Fallout 3 Steam Page says that the game is “playable” on the Steam Deck. However, the game worked perfectly for me, and many fans online had the same experience. The main thing that Steam mentions for the game is that the game's launcher/settings tool may require a touch screen or virtual keyboard or be difficult to read. I will say that the settings tool did have a very small font, but that wasn't too big for me. The other thing Steam notes is that entering text may require manually invoking the virtual keyboard. I haven't really had this problem so far, but it's something to watch out for as you play the game. Overall, the game runs extremely well on the Steam Deck with minimal issues.
Related: List of Fallout 3 Bobblehead Locations
Best settings for Fallout 3 on the Steam Deck
Since Fallout 3 is an older game, you can play with the settings more than you can with games that come out today. As with most Steam Deck games, there are a few different “best settings”, depending on what you want to achieve. You'll want to have different settings if you want your battery to last longer than you would if you want the best graphics possible in the game.
If you want to save battery life, I recommend using medium settings for everything. Although this lowers the quality of the graphics, it ensures that you can play for much longer than you could if you were to run it at maximum graphics. If you take care of everything with a medium, you will go around 60 FPS constantly, which is perfect for the game.
For those of you who don't mind draining your battery or having your Steam Deck docked, you can crank up the settings. Even on high settings, the game will constantly receive 60 FPS unless you load into a new area or surrounded by many enemies. However, even then, you will have around 50 FPS. I started seeing my framerate drop below 40 when I played on super high, so I stay high. This game is one of those that can really shine on the Steam Deck with no problems at all.
For more information on Fallout 3, check out Where does Fallout 3 take place? Answered
