Although Valve claims that Steam Deck can run games smoothly, you don't need to worry about your handheld PC running too fast. The Verge reports that Valve's Pierre Loup Griffais revealed that the Steam Deck will have a frame rate limiter that limits performance in exchange for longer battery life. You can trade frames that aren't needed for responsive visuals for more game time if you're not playing a title.However, games won't necessarily slow down the system. IGN was told by Valve that it was targeting 30FPS. Griffais said that the frame rate was the "floor", which is the minimum level of playable performance. The developer stated that every game it has tested has consistently met or exceeded this threshold. Although you won't be able to run the most advanced games at 30FPS (this $399 handheld is not capable of doing so), it's possible to enjoy your favorite games without worrying about them being too slow to play.Portal 2 will run for six hours at 30FPS, compared to four hours with no restrictions on frame rates. It is possible that the effect will be reduced for more intense games, which are less likely to reach high frame rate.Even with the limiter, Steam Deck may not provide a seamless experience. Digital Foundry warns that V-Sync activated might cause a less than ideal experience. V-Sync active is not recommended for cutting-edge games. However, you can expect a game with 30FPS to run at acceptable frame rates. This is about making sure your existing games are available for launch.
