Onimusha on Steam Deck is the definition of 'playable': Surprisingly pleasant, so long as 30 fps isn't a dealbreaker

We're long past the days of assuming the Steam Deck can comfortably handle the new big-budget action game of the moment, but here's a nice surprise: Valve's handheld is not a bad way to play Onimusha: Way of the Sword.

It's not quite the optimization darling that Resident Evil Requiem was earlier this year, but it's much better news than Monster Hunter Wilds or Dragon's Dogma 2. After testing Onimusha in its taxing Kyoto hub area, I'd add this to the win column for Capcom's proprietary engine.

To set expectations: Onimusha is a stubbornly 30-40 fps game on Deck. It can get as high as the 50s and 60s in the right conditions—turning FSR 3.1.4 upscaling on while in corridor areas outside the main hub—but you will eventually shoot back down to the 30s when there's a lot of action on screen. So if you're of the mind that a lower, stable framerate is ultimately the most comfortable way to play a game, then you can confidently lock it at 30 fps and turn off the performance overlay.

That's how I pla...