Horizon: Forbidden West was one of my most anticipated games for this console generation. But I don't have a PS5 to play it on. Thankfully, the game has since made its way to the PC, which means I can play it on Steam Deck.
Or can I? According to Valve, Horizon: Forbidden West is "unsupported" on the company's handheld gaming platform. However, games with this Steam Deck support rating can still be installed and launched on the device.
So, I decided to install Horizon: Forbidden West on a Steam Deck OLED and see what happened. After all, the worst-case scenario is that the game doesn't run, and I'm no worse off than I was before.
Why isn't Horizon: Forbidden West supported?
According to Valve's rating, the game is listed in the "Unsupported" category. On the Deck Verified website, games in this category are "not functional on Steam Deck." When you check Horizon's page on Steam Deck, it comes up with a warning saying, "Valve's testing Indicates this title is Unsupported on Steam Deck. Some or all of this game currently doesn't function on Steam Deck."
Below that, the warning explains why the game allegedly doesn't work: "This game's graphics settings cannot be configured to run well on Steam Deck."
That warning sounds harmless enough. Sure, it might not look great, but the game should be playable as long as the controls function. With that, I dove into the game and gave it a shot.
How does Horizon: Forbidden West run on Steam Deck?
I won't pretend that Horizon: Forbidden West looks incredible on the Steam Deck. You will not be able to run the game with high graphical settings. You'll even have a hard time running it at medium. However, if you can deal with very low or low graphics, you can play the game at a steady 30fps, which is perfectly acceptable to me.
I guess I'm just not that precious about visual fidelity. If you want to run all your games at 4K60, you might not like running Horizon: Forbidden West on Steam Deck. If you're here for the fun gameplay and want to play it on the go or while your kids are watching TV, you'll be okay with the performance offered here.
I'm not alone in my thoughts, as ProtonDB also says the game works fine with some minor tweaks. User [GD]Krom said, "Finished the (main) game in 118h on the deck, so very much playable. But don't expect stable 30 fps if you don't want to compromise too much on graphics. Even with lower settings it's still a beautiful game, though."
Another ProtonDB user, Tsunau, said, "Game is playable with sacrifice to quality that can make it hard to make out objects in the distance. Otherwise, very tolerable to play. It's the perfect companion to play on the go or in bed if you mainly play this on your PC."
As mentioned, if you do not need the best-looking graphics and want a fun game, you can play while moving around, Horizon: Forbidden West is exactly what you and your Steam Deck need.
Horizon: Forbidden West Steam Deck controls
Another critical aspect of Steam Deck playability is the controls, and I'm happy to report that Horizon: Forbidden West is ideally suited to the handheld console's controls. After all, it's a PS5 game originally, so it's designed to work with a controller.
Regarding settings, I left everything on the default with no tweaking required.
The only thing that took a little getting used to is the heft of the Steam Deck compared to a regular PS5 controller. Aiming and switching through the game's radial menus felt awkward initially, but after about 30 minutes, I was used to it, and it felt fine.
