# Dragon Age: The Veilguard on the Steam Deck – How to Get It Running and Looking Fantastic
**Dragon Age: The Veilguard** has received official verification for the Steam Deck, making it one of the most eagerly awaited RPGs for Valve’s handheld system. The concept of bringing the world of Thedas with you on the move, or simply enjoying it from the comfort of your couch, is highly enticing for series enthusiasts. Although the game is playable on the Steam Deck, achieving smooth performance and great visuals necessitates a few adjustments. This article will guide you through the steps to enhance your experience with Dragon Age: The Veilguard on the Steam Deck.
## The Essentials: Controls and Cloud Saves
A standout feature of **Dragon Age: The Veilguard** is that it operates as a native Steam application, meaning you can launch it directly on the Steam Deck without the inconvenience of third-party launchers like EA Play. This marks a notable step up from earlier titles, such as *Dragon Age: Inquisition*, where players had to navigate extra launchers and could miss out on Steam achievements.
### Controls
The controls in **The Veilguard** are perfectly tailored for the Steam Deck. Crafted with console-style controls in mind, the button mapping is both intuitive and seamless. You won’t need to invest much time acclimating to the controls, especially if you are familiar with the game from consoles. However, transitioning between the PC version (utilizing mouse and keyboard) and the Steam Deck may require a brief adjustment to the different control methods.
### Cloud Saves
Another fantastic aspect is the effortless syncing of save files through Steam Cloud. This allows you to switch between your PC and Steam Deck without losing any progress. Whether you’re on a journey or simply relocating from your desk to your couch, your saved games will be promptly accessible.
## Initial Settings: Not Optimal
Upon launching **Dragon Age: The Veilguard** on the Steam Deck, you may find the default settings disappointing. The game starts with the lowest graphical settings to enhance performance, but the results fall short.
### Pre-Patch Performance
Prior to patch 1.0, **The Veilguard** found it challenging to sustain a steady 30fps on the Steam Deck, even with AMD FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) set to Ultra Performance. In certain locations, the frame rate plummeted to as low as 20fps, resulting in a sluggish gameplay experience. Adding to the frustration, the low graphical settings rendered the game muddy and blurry, diminishing the immersive adventure that *Dragon Age* fans anticipate.
### Post-Patch Enhancements
Fortunately, patch 1.0 introduced substantial performance improvements. With the update, the game now typically runs at 45-50fps, contingent on the environment and on-screen action. Although there are still some occasional drops, particularly in heavily graphical scenes, the overall gameplay is much more fluid.
Nevertheless, the patch did not enhance the initial graphical settings, which continue to make the visuals less than satisfactory. Thankfully, with a few adjustments, you can greatly enhance both performance and graphics.
## Enhancing Your Settings
To maximize your enjoyment of **Dragon Age: The Veilguard** on the Steam Deck, some modifications will be necessary. Here’s a breakdown of settings that will help you find the optimal balance between performance and visual quality.
### Important Customizations
1. **Upscaling: Switch to Intel XeSS**
– One of the most significant improvements you can implement is switching from AMD FSR to **Intel XeSS** for upscaling. While FSR is widely used, XeSS often provides superior visual clarity on the Steam Deck.
– **Change from Ultra Performance to Performance** mode. This minor tweak will make a considerable difference in the game’s visuals, without compromising frame rates too much.
2. **Graphics Settings**
– **Textures:** Adjust to Medium or High, based on your preference. Higher settings will enhance the sharpness of character models and surroundings.
– **Shadows and Lighting:** Keep these settings on Medium to prevent overloading the Steam Deck’s hardware. High settings may lead to significant drops in frame rates.
– **Ray Tracing:** Turn this feature off. Although it enhances visuals, the Steam Deck struggles to maintain performance with ray tracing enabled.
– **Geometry and Draw Distance:** Set these to Medium. This ensures a favorable balance between performance and visual quality, particularly in expansive areas.
3. **Display Settings**
– **Resolution:** Use the Steam Deck’s native resolution (1280×800) for the best outcome.
– **V-Sync:** Activate this to minimize screen tearing, but be aware that it