Project Motor Racing launches on the Steam Deck through Proton on SteamOS, but the handheld cannot deliver an acceptable driving experience in its release state. While the game boots without crashing into anti-cheat blocks, the Steam Deck APU lacks the CPU processing power required by the in-house Hadron physics engine. When frame rates drop, simulation tick rates fall behind real time, forcing races to run in literal slow motion accompanied by severe steering input latency.
Steam Deck Performance and Test Results
Technical analysis from reviewer tests and community benchmarks demonstrates that while Project Motor Racing boots, performance falls far below the standard expected of racing simulations. By default, the game attempts to boot into the Ultra graphical preset because GIANTS Engine 10 does not automatically detect the Steam Deck hardware or downscale presets to match handheld hardware limits.
At default Ultra settings, the game renders between 6 and 10 frames per second. Adjusting presets down to the lowest tiers provides marginal frame rate gains, but tests reveal noticeable visual degradation, persistent rendering artifacts, and timing desynchronization.
| Configuration / Setting | Resolution & Upscaling | Observed Frame Rate | Driving & Simulation Behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra Preset (Default) | Native / Docked 720p | 6–10 FPS | Completely unplayable; severe slideshow. |
| Performance Preset | 720p with FSR3 Ultra Performance | 20–28 FPS | Visuals appear heavily pixelated; physics run in noticeable slow motion. |
| Lowest Custom Settings | 720p with FSR3 Quality | 20–25 FPS | Audio clipping occurs; steering input displays a 1 to 2 second delay. |
| Lowest Custom Settings | 720p with FSR1 Performance | 22–30 FPS | High edge aliasing; game speed remains desynchronized from real time. |
| Performance Preset (Handheld Laps) | Native SteamOS | Sub-30 FPS | Boots out of the box on Proton 10.0-3; sluggish responsiveness reported across laps. |
Why Project Motor Racing Struggles on Handheld Hardware
The underlying barrier to Steam Deck playability lies in CPU demands rather than graphics rendering alone. Straight4 Studios built the title using GIANTS Engine 10 paired with their custom Hadron vehicle dynamics model. Official minimum PC requirements set by publisher GIANTS Software mandate a 64-bit processor with at least 12 execution threads, such as an Intel Core i7-8700 or AMD Ryzen 5, along with 16 GB RAM and 75 GB of storage space.
The Steam Deck custom APU features 4 cores and 8 threads. In technical deep-dives conducted on the title, Hadron physics calculations and scene render command generation heavily saturate individual CPU threads.
When the CPU cannot complete the necessary Hadron simulation loops within the standard rendering frame window, game time slows down. In tests conducted across YouTube and tech reviews, driving at 25 to 30 FPS causes in-game vehicles to travel at roughly half of real-world speed. This slow-motion effect also introduces a delayed steering response, where wheel and analog stick corrections take one to two seconds to reflect on track.
Settings Bugs and Configuration Issues
Players attempting to tweak visual settings on SteamOS will encounter several options menu bugs present in early builds:
- Settings Reverting Automatically: When lowering individual graphical options manually, several settings—including volumetric fog, atmospheric quality, and the rear-view mirror—repeatedly revert back to Medium upon leaving the menu.
- Missing Mirror Functionality: Disabling or adjusting screen-space reflections and mirror parameters frequently leaves the on-screen rear-view mirror blank or glitching in the top corner.
- Broken VSync Behavior: Technical tests highlight that the in-game Vertical Sync implementation engages an erratic frame limiter that induces jitter. On desktop Linux, players frequently bypass this using Borderless Fullscreen with VSync disabled, but this workaround does not resolve the CPU-level bottleneck on the Steam Deck.
- FSR Audio Stutter: Enabling FSR3 upscaling profiles under heavy CPU load introduces noticeable audio clipping during race sessions.
Peripherals and Controller Support on SteamOS
On Steam Deck, built-in gamepad controls register properly, allowing players to navigate menus and drive without third-party mapping software. However, players connecting external sim-racing equipment to docked Deck setups face distinct hurdles:
- Logitech G29 Detection: In ProtonDB reports, the Logitech G29 in PS3 mode requires the custom launch option PROTON_ENABLE_HIDRAW=0x046d/0xc24f %command% to register pedal and wheel axes. Because the game reads wheel inputs via Raw Input, standard SDL joystick passthrough fails to map axes without the hidraw flag.
- Force Feedback: Even when the G29 is detected and mapped through Linux hidraw, the game currently fails to output Force Feedback to the wheel base regardless of in-game gain levels.
Until Straight4 Studios and GIANTS Software issue dedicated CPU optimization patches to decouple the Hadron physics rate from the display frame rate, playing Project Motor Racing on the Steam Deck is not recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Project Motor Racing launch on the Steam Deck without crashing?
Yes. Testing on Proton 10.0-3 and Proton Experimental confirms the game launches and navigates menus without crashing or encountering incompatible anti-cheat software.
Can you achieve a stable 30 or 60 FPS in Project Motor Racing on Steam Deck?
No. Even with graphics dropped to the Performance preset and FSR set to aggressive upscaling modes, frame rates hover between 20 and 30 FPS. Because physics updates depend heavily on CPU throughput, the game cannot sustain a steady 30 FPS, and 60 FPS is not attainable on the handheld.
Why does the car handle sluggishly and drive in slow motion on the Deck?
Project Motor Racing ties in-game physics calculations directly to CPU performance through its Hadron simulation model. When the Steam Deck APU cannot finish the calculations in time, the simulation clock slows down, making the car move at a fraction of normal speed while causing steering inputs to lag by one to two seconds.
Is Project Motor Racing Steam Deck Verified by Valve?
Official Steam data lists the game for Windows platforms with full controller support, but Valve has not officially marked the title with a Steam Deck Verified badge. Technical benchmarks classify the current experience as having significant performance problems on handheld hardware.
