Back when the Monster Hunter Wilds benchmark tool was released early last year, we tested it on the Steam Deck – and it wasn’t pretty. Fast forward to now, Wilds has officially received the Steam Deck Verified badge, meaning Valve has determined the game meets its requirements for a great experience, and to see if it’s accurate, SteamDeckHQ has put the game to the test.

The Steam Deck verification system isn’t perfect and has faced criticism before, as some games with the Verified badge can still have noticeable performance, graphical, or compatibility problems. And others that run fine remain untested. As such, it’s always worth waiting for in-depth reviews or Steam Deck-specific benchmarks instead of solely relying on Valve’s rating system.

Steam Deck performance for Monster Hunter Wilds

The good news is that the game’s performance has improved considerably compared to when it first launched. At the default settings, Monster Hunter Wilds generally stayed at 30 FPS or above, with occasional drops while exploring the open world. Those dips reportedly recovered quickly, and performance was also good enough during several fights.

The bigger problem, however, is the visual quality. To get the game running reasonably well on Steam Deck, the graphics have been reduced so heavily that the result is extremely blurry and pixelated. Textures appear muddy, shadows are heavily reduced, and much of the visual detail has been sacrificed. So while the game technically runs well enough to be considered playable, the image quality makes it difficult to recommend as a full gaming experience.

This is where the difference between “Verified” and “looks good” becomes important. Valve’s certification does not require a game to maintain high-end visual quality. As long as the game meets its technical requirements and provides an acceptable experience, it can still receive the green checkmark.

SteamDeckHQ therefore sees the badge as technically understandable, but still has reservations about recommending Monster Hunter Wilds on Steam Deck. The game could work well for shorter sessions, such as collecting materials or completing occasional hunts, but playing through the entire game with such a major visual downgrade may not be enjoyable for everyone.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.