If you’ve noticed the striped mud texture bug while playing Red Dead Redemption 2 on your Steam Deck, you’re not alone. Many players have encountered this graphical glitch, often blamed on Vulkan API issues (a graphics API that is commonly used on Steam Deck). Fortunately, there’s a relatively straightforward workaround to get rid of those pesky stripes.

The striped mud texture bug is seen as an unpleasant visual error on the muddy surfaces in-game, which can take away from the game’s immersive experience. While the exact cause is uncertain, it’s believed to be linked to certain graphical settings and possibly the Vulkan API.

How to fix the striped mud texture bug in Red Dead Redemption 2, two different methods

The key to resolving this issue lies in adjusting your game’s graphical settings, which you can either do in-game or out of it. Here are our step-by-step guides for both methods:

Method 1: Adjust game files

1. Go to the system settings XML file: /home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1174180/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/My Documents/Rockstar Games/Red Dead Redemption 2/Settings/system.xml
2. Change <deepsurfaceQuality>kSettingLevel_Low</deepsurfaceQuality> to <deepsurfaceQuality>kSettingLevel_High</deepsurfaceQuality>

And while you’re at it, you can change the “DirectionalScreenSpaceShadowQuality” setting to 0.0 to remove annoying shadows flickering on the edge of the screen.

Method 2: Change in-game settings

1. Increase graphical preset – Start by increasing your graphical preset to the highest setting. This might initially seem counterintuitive, but it’s a necessary step to identify the culprit.
2. Gradual reduction – Once the striped mud texture disappears, begin lowering individual graphical settings one by one, keeping the overall preset unchanged. The goal is to find the specific setting causing the issue without compromising visual quality.
3. Texture quality – It’s crucial to maintain texture quality at “Ultra” or higher. Lowering this setting can introduce other graphical bugs.
4. Lighting and shadow quality – You can experiment with lighting and shadow quality settings. High settings generally look better, but low settings can be used if necessary.
5. Unlock advanced settings: For more granular control, unlock advanced settings and adjust them as needed.
6. Address shadow flickering: To eliminate shadow flickering on the screen’s edge, set Directional Screen Space Shadow Quality to 0.0 in the game’s settings.

Patience is key

Be patient during the process of adjusting settings. It might take some experimentation to find the optimal configuration. Consider using a controller with gyro aiming for improved accuracy and immersion. If you continue to experience issues, try verifying the integrity of your game files through Steam. By following these steps, you should be able to effectively eliminate the annoying striped mud texture bug and enjoy a visually improved Red Dead Redemption 2 experience on your Steam Deck.

About the Author

Tom Valentine

Tom is a tech writer with a detailed view on ensuring the best buying advice, most useful information, and latest news makes its way into PC Guide's articles.