Dune: Awakening has finally dropped its single-player version, which also brings the game to consoles. On PC, we now get a choice between single-player and multiplayer, so I took the new mode onto the Steam Deck to see how it holds up on handheld hardware.
Single player and your multiplayer world
If you switch to single player and already have a multiplayer world, you will have to start again, since your world doesn’t carry over. That works both ways, so there is no cheating your way through either mode. If you did put time into multiplayer, though, you will be able to plough through the early game in single player pretty quickly.
Performance compared with multiplayer
Unfortunately, there is not much of a performance improvement over what we saw in multiplayer. I start with motion blur and VSync off and the frame cap set in game, but the sensible target here is 30 FPS, or 60 with frame generation, just not the in-game version.
Best settings for a 30 FPS target
I set the resolution to 800p with the upscaling quality on low, switched the upscaling method to XeSS, and set the XeSS quality mode further down on the upscaler quality option. Setting the upscaling quality to low puts it on the balanced mode. Watch out here, because tweaking these options also re-enables FSR frame generation every time, so make sure you turn that off again. Everything else goes to low except texture quality, and I override the resolution scale to 60 in balanced mode.
With that setup, you get just under 30 frames per second when a lot is going on, but for the most part it sits around 30 and stays playable. FSR looks fuzzy and isn’t worth using, whereas XeSS at 60 or 50 runs very decently. If you turn off the FPS counter, or just cap the game at 30 in the Steam Deck’s own performance options, you are not really going to notice, and it makes for a good time.
Getting to 60 FPS with Mako frame generation
If you want to use Mako frame generation, it can get you to 60 frames per second. I recommend dropping the target FPS from the 90 I would normally use to 60 for this one, so it doesn’t push itself too hard trying to compensate. Because the game holds a fairly stable 30 base, doubling that to 60 feels pretty decent, and you do not really notice any input latency. Mako frame generation is a good addition, and it helps when you need to react quickly in the early hours, where pulling out the wrong weapon can get you killed fast.
Playing on GeForce NOW instead
If you would rather go all in and have a decent internet connection, Dune: Awakening is also available on GeForce NOW through Steam. That lets you run it at full ultra settings on the Steam Deck, and it is an absolutely gorgeous game at its highest settings. It is RTX 5080-enabled on GeForce NOW, which requires the Ultimate tier at around $20 a month, though it is also available on the Premium tier at around $10 a month if you want to save a bit of money. With a stable connection you will notice input latency less than you would with frame generation.
Final thoughts
Single-player Dune: Awakening is very playable on the Steam Deck with XeSS at a 30 FPS cap, and Mako frame generation gets you to 60 if you prefer a smoother feel. With single player in place, there is finally no need to worry about your base disappearing.
