Valve's Steam Deck, a handheld gaming device that costs less than an RTX 3050 graphics card, can now enable ray tracing with its latest beta OS update. While it was previously possible with some Linux-based tweaking, the new update allows for native support. The Mesa 23.1 graphics driver update on the Preview channel eliminates graphical corruption issues and provides for ray tracing in Doom Eternal.
According to Pierre-Loup Griffais, a Steam Deck developer, the device's performance while enabling ray tracing is impressive. A screenshot posted on Twitter showed a frame rate of 35 fps with a steady frame time graph. While Doom Eternal's ray tracing effects aren't the most demanding, they enhance the game's lighting and reflections.
SteamOS 3.4.6 Preview contains fixes for invalid rendering and performance improvements for Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Also comes with Ray-Tracing support for DOOM Eternal! pic.twitter.com/EViKO0Y4kk
— Pierre-Loup Griffais (@Plagman2) March 3, 2023
The Steam Deck's ray tracing support comes through the Vulkan graphics API rather than DXR through a Proton layer. While DXR support is not available natively, it is in the works. The Steam Deck's GPU hardware may struggle with the demands of DXR titles, but the prospect of not having to worry about Linux-based tweaks is exciting.
Enabling ray tracing on Linux-based devices has been possible for some time now, but it requires some pre-launch arguments and doesn't work for all games. The Steam Deck's native support for ray tracing eliminates the need for such Linux-based tweaking, making it a more accessible and user-friendly option for gamers.
A device as affordable as the Steam Deck can support ray tracing is impressive. While it's GPU hardware may not be capable of handling demanding DXR titles, the prospect of native DXR support is exciting. In addition, Steam Deck's latest beta OS update eliminates graphical issues and enhances the device's overall performance, making it a compelling option for gamers on a budget.