HoYoverse’s Zenless Zone Zero is one of the most exciting gacha games ever, but many fans were worried the game wouldn’t run on Valve’s beloved Steam Deck handheld. As it turns out, not only does Zenless Zone Zero run on Steam Deck, but it’s an amazing way to play HoYoverse’s latest character action game.
Once you’ve figured out how to install Zenless Zone Zero on Steam Deck, which does require going through some Desktop Mode shenanigans and making space for its massive install size, ZZZ immediately runs like a dream.
While Genshin Impact on Steam Deck suffered from some annoying technical hiccups and Honkai Star Rail was a devil’s gambit on the handheld, Zenless is almost perfect. There are some slight stutters during shader compilation, but the game runs better than anyone expected it to on the little handheld-that-could.
In our experience, runs at pretty much a locked 60 frames-per-second outside of huge bursts of alpha effects. When the action gets really heavy, framerates can drop into the mid-40s at worst, but this is still heaps better than anyone expected it would run. Considering HoYoverse’s past aversion to optimisation on PC, ZZZ is a huge step up.
Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to try some of the later sections of Zenless Zone Zero on Steam Deck which could pose issues. For example, after you’ve farmed all the polychromes you can and pulled the best characters in the Zenless tier list, you’ll likely delve into the Endgame Content. Here, you’ll fight some of the most hectic challenges in the game, and this is where ZZZ could start to buckle on Valve’s machine.
However, as it stands, Zenless Zone Zero is a treat, and it’s been great to have running on the Steam Deck for some pick-up-and-play action between long-winded meetings and annoying emails. You know, “admin stuff”. While the Standby Mode does play havoc with ZZZ’s online-only requirements, the few seconds it takes to log back in make everything a breeze.
For more Zenless Zone Zero content, check out your full ZZZ review here. If that’s not your style, you can also check out how to reroll, the best Zenless Zone Zero builds for each character and how to beat Shiyu Defense.
Zenless Zone Zero is available right now for free on PlayStation, PC and Mobile.