Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced can deliver a smooth pirate adventure on both the Steam Deck and Steam Machine, provided players tune the game's graphics settings. Valve's handheld has earned a Steam Deck Verified status for the game, indicating good compatibility, and testing shows that both devices are capable of running the title without significant performance issues.
Steam Deck Performance and Settings
While the Steam version of Black Flag Resynced is Steam Deck Verified, the Ubisoft Connect version can also be made to run effectively. For those using the Ubisoft Connect launcher, it is recommended to install it directly in Desktop Mode by launching the installer as a non-Steam game, and then launching the main Ubisoft Connect executable similarly. While the launcher can be finicky with gamepad controls, launching the game via Steam with the 'A' button should ensure proper input recognition.
The game offers handheld-tuned presets (High, Medium, and Low), which appear to be geared towards more powerful portable devices. At the Steam Deck's native 800p resolution, these presets still require upscaling. The Handheld Low preset, for example, achieved 28fps with native TAA but improved to 35fps with AMD FSR set to Quality mode. To maintain a playable experience, especially in demanding areas, it is advised not to drop below this level of performance.
Customizing individual settings can yield better results without drastic performance loss. Options like screen space effects and terrain quality have a comparatively light impact on framerates and can be set to 'Low' or 'Very Low' rather than the absolute minimum. A recommended custom configuration for the Steam Deck includes Dynamic resolution off, AMD FSR set to Balanced, Motion blur off, Camera effects on, Chromatic aberration off, Raytracing mode off, and various other settings at Ultra Low or Very Low, with Texture resolution quality and Loading distance at Low. While FSR's Quality mode offers sharper visuals, the Balanced mode proved more effective at maintaining a consistent 30fps floor in busy environments, reaching up to 45fps in calmer sections.
General usability on the Steam Deck is good, with input prompts being the only minor readability concern on the small screen. Ubisoft Connect's cloud save feature also functions correctly. The primary drawback is battery consumption, with the original LCD Steam Deck lasting just under 1 hour and 19 minutes on a full charge, placing it among the more power-hungry games for the handheld.
Steam Machine Performance and Settings
At 1080p, the Steam Machine demonstrates impressive performance for its specifications. With native TAA, presets ranged from 43fps on Ultra High to 82fps on Ultra Low, with the High preset averaging 57fps. These figures are notably similar to those achieved on a desktop PC equipped with an RTX 4060 graphics card, suggesting that Black Flag Resynced is well-optimized for the Steam Machine's mobile GPU.
For the Steam Machine, a balanced mix of High and Medium settings is recommended, along with some lower-impact options like maxed-out texture resolution. A custom setting that achieves an average of 70fps in the benchmark tool, with a solid buffer above 60fps in gameplay, includes Dynamic resolution off, AMD FSR set to Quality, Motion blur off, Camera effects on, Chromatic aberration off, Raytracing mode off, Character quality at Medium, Hair strands set to Player only, and various other graphical elements at High or Medium. FSR upscaling is crucial for achieving these frame rates at 1080p.
While prioritizing framerate, the Steam Machine can also handle lower-end ray tracing effects. Combining the 'Extended' RT setting with Medium toggles for Ray Tracing Quality and BVH Quality reduces the benchmark average to 59fps, with dips into the mid-fifties in dense areas. This is considered a reasonable trade-off for the visual enhancements ray tracing provides.
One final adjustment to note is the potential need to manually disable a default 60Hz display limit in the SteamOS quick access menu to allow for higher framerates, if the connected display supports it. This setting may vary depending on whether the Ubisoft Connect or Steam version of the game is used.