While Star Wars Outlaws PC system requirements aren't insane, they are a bit heftier than some other recently released PC titles. Because of this, I was curious to see how well Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment's new open-world RPG handled on gaming handhelds such as Steam Deck, Legion Go, and ROG Ally.
After spending time playing (or attempting to play) Star Wars Outlaws on each of these devices, I can say that the game really only runs on ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, and Legion Go. There are currently multiple issues preventing it from being playable on Steam Deck. That said, if you want to play on ROG Ally or Legion Go, you'll need to adjust settings to get it to run as smoothly as possible. Let's go over what settings you need to adjust.
- Star Wars Outlaws Standard Edition (Xbox): $69.99 at CDKeys
- Star Wars Outlaws Gold Edition (Xbox) was
$109.99now $105.59 at CDKeys - Star Wars Outlaws Ultimate Edition (Xbox) $129.99 at Xbox
Star Wars Outlaws Standard Edition (PC) $69.99 at Ubisoft - Star Wars Outlaws Gold Edition (PC) was
$109.99now $54.09 at CDKeys - Star Wars Outlaws Ultimate Edition (PC) $129.99 at Ubisoft
Best Star Wars Outlaws settings on ROG Ally and Legion Go
I spent several hours playing Star Wars Outlaws on my ROG Ally X and Legion Go. The game can get pretty choppy at times, which is why it's best to leave ray tracing off or as low as possible. Most graphics settings will need to be on their lowest settings as well.
Even then, the game won't run 100% smoothly, but it can be playable. To increase performance, it's best to do the following:
Best ROG Ally or Legion Go system settings
- Set to max TDP: It is definitely going to drain the battery, but if you want this game to run as smoothly as possible, you need to put TDP up high. On ROG Ally, this is quickly done within Armoury Crate's Command Center side menu. On Legion Go, this is done within Legion Space. If you're worried about battery life, play while the handheld is plugged in and charging.
- Put VRAM to 6G: You'll find that Star Wars Outlaws runs a lot smoother if you up the VRAM allotment to 6G on your gaming handheld. For help with that, you can check out our guide on how to increase ROG Ally VRAM.
- Turn on AMD Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF): AFMF uses AI to generate additional frames and significantly improves a game's overall frames per second (FPS). For help turning this on, check out our ROG Ally AFMF guide.
- Go to 120Hz refresh rate: This is a steady rate that shouldn't be too taxing.
- Resolution at 900p: This is really a matter of preference, but you don't need to have the Ally at 1080p. It will help the system if you put the resolution to a lower setting. Resolution can be adjusted within Armoury Crate or Legion Space.
Best in-game graphics settings for ROG Ally and Legion Go
- Run Star Wars Outlaws → Settings → Video
- Vertical Sync: On
- Display mode: Borderless Window
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 or lower (will be greyed out, must be changed in Armoury Crate/Legion Space or Windows)
- Cinematic display mode: Whatever you want. Full-screen makes it easier to see more detail but 21:9 allows you to see more of the world at once
- Monitor refresh rate: 120.00 Hz (will be greyed out, can be changed within Armoury Crate/Legion Space)
- Cinematic framerate: Locked
- Frame rate limiter: Off
- Out of focus sleep: Off
- Screen Calibration: Can be left alone or adjusted to your preferred light and contrast
- Upscaler type: AMD FSR 3
- Frame Generation: On
- Ray Reconstruction: Off (this will really mess with performance if turned on)
- Upscaler mode: Biased
- Upscaler quality: Ultra performance
- Run Star Wars Outlaws → Settings → Graphics
- Quality: Low
- Advanced graphics:
- Environment reflection quality: Low
- Fog blur: On
- Mcrodetail quality: Low
- Particle quality: Low
- Scatter density: Low
- Shadow quality: Low
- Shadow proxies: On
- Spotlight shadows: Few
- Spotlight shadow quality: Low
- Deformable terrain quality: Low
- Lens and cinematic effects quality: Low
- Extra streaming distance: 0
- Object detail: 75
- Destruction quality: Low
- Spotlight projection resolution: 128
- Terrain tesselation: Low
- Raytraced contact shadows: Low
- Raytraced diffuse reflections: Low
- Raytraced diffuse reflections resolution: Medium
- Raytraced specular reflections: Low
- Raytraced specular reflections resolution: Very low
- BVH quality: Low
- Volumetric fog: Low
- Volumetric Clouds: Low
- High contrast mode: Adjust these settings to your liking
- Chromatic aberration: Off
- Film grain: Off
- Depth of field: Low
- Motion blur intensity: 2
- Camera motion blur intensity: 5
- Per-object motion blur intensity: 5
- NVIDIA RTX Direct Lighting: Off
- MSI Mystic Light: Off
What does Star Wars Outlaws look like on ROG Ally and Legion Go?
⬆️ Look at the above gallery to see screenshots taken on ROG Ally X. ⬆️
At the time of writing, I've spent over eight hours playing Star Wars Outlaws on my ROG Ally X. As usual, this 3D video game won't look as good on ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, and Legion Go as it does on a powerful gaming laptop or gaming desktop. However, it looks good overall on these Windows 11 handhelds. Textures render decently, and pop-in isn't too bad. Choppiness can be an issue, but can be reduced with the right settings.
Star Wars Outlaws on Steam Deck
⚠️ As of right now, Star Wars Outlaws does not run on Steam Deck. ⚠️
Since the PC version of Star Wars Outlaws isn't on Steam (only on Ubisoft Connect), players currently have to find a workaround to install Ubisoft's game on Steam Deck. I attempted various methods, including using an open-source launcher plugin called Decky Loader.
However, even after I got the game installed on my Deck and booted it up, the program didn't support Steam Deck controller. What's more, while I can open to Outlaws's opening menu, the game always crashes if I attempt to actually start it.
Now, it's possible that a Steam Deck fix could be coming down the line, but since this isn't a Steam title, it isn't guaranteed. In case that changes or in case you want to attempt it yourself, here are some guides I've written on how to install Decky Loader on Steam Deck as well as how to install Ubisoft Connect on Steam Deck using Decky Loader.
Star Wars Outlaws on Steam Deck warning
When playing on Steam Deck, a Warning notice will appear after starting Star Wars Outlaws. It reads:
WARNING The game is currently installed on a mechanical hard drive which might result in unexpected and unwanted issues (streaming issues, low resolution textures...). It is recommended to install Star Wars Outlaws on an SSD.
You can bypass this notice by tapping on the Continue button with your finger. But once again, even at lowest possible settings, the game will crash if you attempt to run it on Steam Deck.
Star Wars Outlaws gaming handheld FAQ
Is Star Wars Outlaws on Steam?
No. The PC version of Star Wars Outlaws is currently only available on Ubisoft Connect.
Is Star Wars Outlaws Steam Deck verified?
No. Since Star Wars Outlaws isn't on Steam to begin with, it isn't Steam Deck verified. What's more, workarounds can get the game installed on Steam Deck, but Outlaws will crash if you attempt to play it.
Will Star Wars Outlaws come to Steam at a later date?
It's best not to count on Star Wars Outlaws coming to Steam down the road. Obviously, previous Ubisoft PC games have released on Steam, but the company seems to be pushing its own Ubisoft Connect digital distribution service and game launcher app these days. As such, it's very possible that Star Wars Outlaws will never come to Steam.
Can I play Star Wars Outlaws on Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Legion Go?
No, yes, and yes. Currently, Star Wars Outlaws does not work on Steam Deck. Even when using various workarounds to get the game installed on the handheld, the game will crash if it attempts to start a game on Steam Deck. Additionally, it seems the Steam Deck controller isn't supported on Ubisoft Connect.
However, Star Wars Outlaws runs very nicely on the more powerful ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, and Legion Go Windows 11 gaming handhelds. You'll just want to adjust settings to get it running at its best.
What is the best gaming handheld to play Star Wars Outlaws on?
To get the best experience, you should play Star Wars Outlaws on either the AMD Z1 Extreme ROG Ally or ROG Ally X. These devices are more powerful than Steam Deck and can actually install Ubisoft Connect locally. Legion Go is also a good alternative. However, since it doesn't support vertical refresh rate (VRR) like ROG Ally does, Outlaws will be a bit choppier on Lenovo's handheld.
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Ever since I got my Steam Deck, I've mostly only wanted to play my PC games with a gaming handheld. Since Valve released its system, I've been able to get an ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, and a Legion Go as well, and I find that each of these devices has its uses. More often than not, I find myself playing PC games in bed with one of these three systems before going to sleep. It makes for very convenient and comfortable gaming.
Of these three, my favorite device to play Star Wars Outlaws on is the AMD Z1 Extreme ROG Ally or ROG Ally X. I was easily able to download Ubisoft Connect right on the system, and it's far more powerful than Steam Deck anyway. Additionally, since ASUS's handhelds support VRR, they reduce screen tearing better than Legion Go does.
