- Doom: The Dark Ages debuts at number one on Steam, even surpassing the Steam Deck itself in the weekly rankings.
- The Steam Deck experience is possible with minimal graphics settings and the help of technologies like FSR, although it remains subject to significant performance and stability limitations.
- The Denuvo DRM presents barriers for Linux and Steam Deck players, causing temporary blocks and even preventing access for those who have paid for the game.
- The community is demanding greater optimization and technical support, especially for portable devices and alternative systems, reflecting the need for developers to adapt their releases to the current gaming reality.
The launch of Doom: The Dark Ages has generated a major impact on the Steam Deck ecosystem and the PC gaming communityThe medieval prequel to the legendary shooter series has grabbed headlines for its sales rankings, player numbers, and the technical and compatibility issues experienced by some users, especially on handheld devices.
Although it has debuted at the top of the Steam charts, even surpassing the Steam Deck itself in weekly sales, id Software's game also It has been embroiled in debates over its performance on less powerful hardware and the restrictions imposed by its DRM protection system.We take an in-depth look at how it's been received on Steam Deck and Linux, as well as the key points you should consider before diving into this medieval hellish action game on handheld.
Doom: The Dark Ages, a bestseller on Steam… but with nuances
Doom: The Dark Ages has managed to place itself as the best-selling title on Steam during its release week, topping the sales charts above major releases and hardware like the Steam Deck. The accumulated expectation and tradition of the series have boosted its numbers, although its concurrent player figures remain below previous installments such as Doom Eternal or the 2016 reboot. According to data from tracking platforms, the maximum peak of Concurrent users have reached around 31.470, far from the more than 104.000 reached by Eternal. Even so, the series continues to enjoy very strong support in the community.
High expectations have also been accompanied by criticisms about the selling price, considerably larger than that of previous releases, and about the impact of launching it from day one on services like Game Pass, which has diversified the player base beyond Steam.
Steam Deck: Recommended Settings, Limitations, and Gameplay Experience
Many players have decided to launch into the demonic carnage on their Steam Deck, although the title It does not currently have official compatibility verification. y requires specific adjustments to function acceptably. The tests carried out indicate that, although Doom: The Dark Ages can run on Steam Deck, it is necessary to apply numerous cuts in the graphical configuration:
- Resolution: 1280 × 720
- Graphic quality: Everything to a minimum
- FSR in Performance mode to get close to 30 FPS
- Effects like Motion Blur, Depth of Field and Reflections disabled
- Textures and shadows in low quality
Even with these settings, The game experiences performance drops, crashes, and high battery consumption.Some players recommend locking the screen refresh rate to 30 FPS for stability. The graphical experience is far from perfect. which can be enjoyed on computers more powerful or home consoles, and the The visual result is reminiscent of ports of demanding games brought to portable hardware..
Crashes and difficulties in Linux: The role of Denuvo and the community's reaction
There are quite a few Linux and Steam Deck users who have found Unexpected barriers due to the Denuvo DRM. When switching between versions of Proton (the compatibility layer developed by Valve to run Windows games on Linux), some players have seen how Denuvo interprets this as multiple activations and blocks access to the game for 24 hours, even for those who have purchased premium editions or paid for the title legitimately.
This situation has generated discomfort and protests in forums and networks, especially because in the Linux environment it is common to experiment with different configurations to improve compatibility. In addition, computers with AMD graphics cards have experienced visual errors and crashes, which has motivated the community to create and share patches for the Mesa graphics drivers. Despite these efforts, DRM-related crashes continue to hinder normal access.
It just so happens that Bethesda already removed Denuvo from previous Doom installments after the release, so It is not ruled out that the same could be done in the future to alleviate these problems., although for now players must arm themselves with patience or apply alternative solutions.
The Steam Deck Community: Demands, Mods, and Future Prospects
The Case of Doom: The Dark Ages reflects how the Steam Deck and Linux community continues to grow and demands that major developers pay more attention to support for laptops and alternative systems. The number of Steam Deck users has continued to grow, and with it, the demand for titles to arrive optimized and free of technical or legal obstacles.
Moreover, the The modding scene has already begun to offer alternatives for modifying certain aspects of the game on PC., although these options aren't always available or safe for use on portable devices. The community appreciates the availability of workarounds and guides to get the most out of Doom: The Dark Ages on the Steam Deck, even if it often means accepting technical limitations.
This release demonstrates that Doom: The Dark Ages remains a title that generates interest and anticipation, although its performance and compatibility on portable devices like the Steam Deck still present challenges that must be addressed by developers and the community to improve the gaming experience in these environments. So, as you know, lower the graphics if you want to get all the secrets of the game on your portable console.
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