Garry's Mod on Steam Deck OLED

Steam Deck PlayableValve's ratingEstimate · medium confidence, ±20%

Yes, with issues. Valve rates Garry's Mod Steam Deck Playable. At the Steam Deck OLED's native 1280×800 we estimate ~56 fps on the ultra preset (range 45–67, medium confidence, ±20%). 60 fps is reachable on the high preset. Model estimate, not measured; data updated 2026-09-24.

Estimated FPS at native 1280×800

Preset	Native 1280×800	Range
low	119	95–143
medium	91	73–110
high	70	56–84
ultra	56	45–67

Estimate · medium confidence, ±20%

Estimated FPS from our model (v0), based on the game's published requirements and relative GPU/CPU performance. Not measured. Real results vary with drivers, patches, and scenes. Values above 300 fps show as 300+. Data updated 2026-09-24.

Presets for 30 / 40 / 60 fps

30 fps at 1280×800: ultra preset
40 fps at 1280×800: ultra preset
60 fps at 1280×800: high preset

AMD graphics: use FSR in quality or balanced mode (or the system-level RSR upscaler) before dropping the preset. DLSS is not available on AMD.

Frame cap and power

Screen: 1280×800, 90 Hz, 50 Wh battery.
Even frame caps for 90 Hz: 30, 45, 90 fps. At ultra (low end of the range 45 fps), a 45 fps cap should hold steady.
TDP: not measured yet. We don't publish wattage advice until we have measured runs.

Valve's Steam Deck test

Valve rates Garry's Mod Steam Deck Playable.

!Default controller configuration not fully functional
!Controller glyphs do not match Steam Deck device
!Text input does not automatically invokes keyboard
✓Interface text is legible
✓Default configuration is performant

Garry's Mod on other handhelds (ultra preset, native resolution)

Handheld	Screen	FPS at native	FPS at 1280×800	Verdict
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+	1920×1200	67	112	Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU
ROG Xbox Ally X	1920×1080	53	82	Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU
ROG Xbox Ally X20	1920×1080	53	82	Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU
Legion Go 2	1920×1200	47	77	Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU
MSI Claw 8 AI+	1920×1200	47	77	Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU
MSI Claw A8	1920×1200	47	77	Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU
MSI Claw 7 AI+	1920×1080	48	74	Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU
ROG Ally X	1920×1080	46	71	Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU
Legion Go	2560×1600	27	63	Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU
ROG Ally (Ryzen Z1 Extreme)	1920×1080	41	63	Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU
Legion Go S (Ryzen Z1 Extreme)	1920×1200	38	63	Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU
Legion Go 2 (Ryzen Z2)	1920×1200	38	63	Steam Deck Playable · faster GPU
Steam Deck OLED	1280×800	56	56	Steam Deck Playable
Steam Deck LCD	1280×800	53	53	Steam Deck Playable
ROG Xbox Ally	1920×1080	31	48	Meets minimum
Legion Go S	1920×1200	29	48	Meets minimum
MSI Claw A1M	1920×1080	31	48	Meets minimum
ROG Ally (Ryzen Z1)	1920×1080	24	37	Meets minimum

Stronger handheld for 60 fps: Legion Go, ~63 fps at 1280×800 ultra vs 56 on the Steam Deck OLED (est.).

Native = each device's own screen resolution; 1280×800 compares GPUs at the same render resolution. A faster handheld is the upgrade path here; desktop cards don't apply.