Steam Deck: Battery-Saver & 40 FPS Universal Guide
This is the universal playbook to make almost any game feel smooth at ~40 FPS while stretching your battery. Use it as a template, then fine-tune per game.
Why 40 FPS + 40 Hz works
On the Deck’s screen, 40 FPS capped with a 40 Hz refresh gives cleaner frame pacing than 30 FPS and uses far less power than 60. You get less input jitter and a big battery win—especially in open-world or heavier shooters.
Quick Access settings (universal baseline)
- Open Quick Access → Performance (⚙).
- Set Refresh Rate to 40 Hz and Framerate Limit to 40.
- Enable the Performance Overlay (level 2–3) to monitor FPS, power (W), temps, and VRAM.
- Toggle Half Rate Shading off (only use it for very heavy titles if you accept blur).
- Allow Tearing off (keep V-sync behavior steady).
If the game is super light (e.g., indies), try 60 Hz/60 FPS + TDP 6–9 W. If it’s heavy, stick with 40/40.
TDP & GPU limits (battery sweet spots)
Balanced action/RPG
TDP: 9–11 W • GPU clock: 1000–1200 MHz • Result: stable 40 FPS with FSR/medium settings.
Heavier shooters
TDP: 11–13 W • GPU: 1200–1400 MHz • Result: 40 FPS with dynamic resolution or FSR Quality/Balanced.
Visual novels/indies
TDP: 6–8 W • GPU: 800–1000 MHz • Result: 60 FPS possible; battery champs.
Watch “power draw” on the overlay; every 2–3 W shaved is noticeable on battery life.
Game settings that matter
- Resolution scaling: Use FSR (in-game or system-level) at Quality or Balanced. Sharpen slightly.
- Shadows/Volumetrics: Drop to medium/low early—huge perf impact for small visual loss.
- Texture quality: Keep it one notch below max to reduce VRAM spikes.
- Motion blur/film grain: Off for clarity and a bit of saved power.
- V-sync: Let the Deck’s cap handle pacing; keep game V-sync off unless the title needs it.
Per-game profiles & Proton tips
- In Steam, open the game’s “⚙ → Properties → Compatibility”. Test Proton versions if you see crashes or stutter.
- Enable per-game performance profiles so your 40/40 caps and TDP limits auto-load per title.
- Disable Shader Pre-Caching only if it causes stutter; otherwise keep it on.
Battery extras that add minutes
Screen & sound
Dim a few notches; disable haptics when docked; use wired earbuds to save a bit on BT radio.
Background tasks
Pause downloads; close browser tabs; disable cloud sync while playing.
Thermals
Keep intake vents clear; a stand improves airflow and prevents early throttling.
Sample presets you can copy
| Game type | Refresh/FPS | TDP • GPU | Key settings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open-world | 40/40 | 11 W • 1200 MHz | FSR Balanced, medium shadows, low volumetrics |
| Competitive shooter | 40/40 | 12–13 W • 1300–1400 | Low shadows, low post-FX, FSR Quality |
| Indie/2D | 60/60 | 6–8 W • 900–1000 | Native res, effects low |
Your mileage varies per title—use the overlay to chase the lowest watts that still hold your target FPS.
