Can you play Dragon Ball Sparking Zero on Steam Deck?

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero heralds a return to the iconic Budokai Tenkaichi series after a break of almost two decades, with the previous entry being 2007's Budokai Tenkaichi 3. The game was released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S via early access on October 7, 2024, with the Standard Edition scheduled to release on October 10, 2024. The title features over 180 playable characters and a host of game modes.

With the boom in popularity of handheld gaming devices, particularly Valve's Steam Deck, fans of Sparking Zero may have a pertinent question regarding the game's functionality on the console. Though not officially confirmed on the game's Steam page, various sources suggest the title reportedly runs on the Steam Deck without too many issues.

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Dragon Ball Sparking Zero Steam Deck compatibility

Though the game's store page does not explicitly mention compatibility with the handheld, many Steam Deck owners have responded positively regarding the game's functionality on the device, mainly pertaining to the single-player aspect.

As per review comments left on the Steam page from those who have played the title on the handheld, Sparking Zero runs without major performance issues on the Steam Deck, though the multiplayer feature isn't functional. Below are some of the most popular Steam Deck reviews on the store page.

A broad overview of the Steam Deck users' comments regarding performance on the handheld (Image via Steam)

The game has to be run at lower graphical fidelity settings to present itself at a high frame rate, even though even medium graphical settings can reportedly be achieved in the ballpark of 40 frames per second. The troubles arise when the game hits a frame rate lower than 60, as anything below that number results in the game performing in a very laggy manner.

Though seemingly playable on Valve's popular handheld device, Dragon Ball Sparking ZERO is not officially confirmed as being compatible with it (Image via Bandai Namco)

However, future updates to the title may fix this issue, and the game may even become fully or partially certified to run on the Steam Deck by Valve themselves. Please note that until confirmed by Valve or by Bandai Namco, the game is not officially compatible with the Steam Deck handheld device.

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