PowerWash Simulator 2: Steam Deck Performance Review

Is PowerWash Simulator 2 a perfect fit for the Steam Deck? Let's dive into the performance, settings, and overall experience of this relaxing yet engaging game on Valve's handheld console. This review will cover everything you need to know to optimize your gameplay and enjoy PowerWash Simulator 2 on the go.

Summary

It’s hardly surprising that PowerWash Simulator 2 runs smoothly on the Steam Deck. With its focus on satisfying gameplay rather than demanding graphics, the game is well-suited for the Deck's hardware. Let's explore the specifics of the game's performance and the optimal settings to ensure a great experience.

Game Details

• Game Name: PowerWash Simulator 2
• App ID: 2968420
• Launcher: Steam
• Target Framerate: 30-39 FPS
• Average Battery Power Draw: Unknown
• Device: Valve Steam Deck LCD (64GB)
• OS Version: 3.7.13
• Steam Play Compatibility Tool Used: Steam Proton
• Compatibility Tool Version: Default
• Game Resolution: Default

Initial Impressions and Performance

From the get-go, PowerWash Simulator 2 demonstrates its compatibility with the Steam Deck. The game's core mechanics don't require cutting-edge graphical prowess, which allows the Steam Deck to handle it with relative ease. The target framerate of 30-39 FPS is comfortably achievable, providing a smooth and enjoyable experience for players. It is this smooth performance that makes PowerWash Simulator 2 an ideal title for handheld gaming, allowing players to immerse themselves in the therapeutic act of virtual cleaning without any jarring stutters or lags. The game leverages the Steam Deck’s capabilities effectively, providing a balanced experience between visual fidelity and performance stability, which is crucial for maintaining player engagement over extended gaming sessions. Given its optimization, players can expect a consistent and pleasurable experience, further solidifying the game's position as a top choice for portable play on the Steam Deck.

Optimal Settings for PowerWash Simulator 2 on Steam Deck

To achieve the best balance between visual quality and performance, several settings can be tweaked within PowerWash Simulator 2. These adjustments allow players to tailor the game to their preferences while ensuring it runs smoothly on the Steam Deck. Let's delve into the specific settings that make a difference.

Graphics and Display Settings

Configuring the graphics and display settings is crucial for optimizing performance on the Steam Deck. These settings allow you to fine-tune the visual output while maintaining a playable framerate. Adjusting the resolution, anti-aliasing, and other visual parameters can significantly impact the game's performance, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience.

• Game Resolution: Running the game at the Steam Deck's native resolution (1280 x 800) or slightly lower (1280 x 720) ensures a sharp image while preserving performance. The default settings usually work well, but slight adjustments may be necessary based on personal preference. Keeping the resolution at an optimal level is vital for maintaining visual clarity without overburdening the system. This balance ensures that details are crisp and the overall image quality is high, enhancing the immersive experience of the game.
• Window Mode: Borderless Windowed mode is generally recommended as it provides a seamless experience without the overhead of fullscreen exclusive mode. This setting allows for easy alt-tabbing and multitasking, which can be beneficial when using the Steam Deck for other activities alongside gaming. Borderless Windowed mode also tends to play nicer with the Steam Deck’s overlay features, making it easier to access quick settings and notifications without disrupting gameplay.
• Target Framerate: While the game allows for unlimited framerate, setting a target between 30-40 FPS can provide a stable experience and conserve battery life. This range offers a smooth visual experience without pushing the hardware to its limits. By capping the framerate, the Steam Deck can allocate resources more efficiently, reducing power consumption and preventing thermal throttling, which can occur during extended gaming sessions.
• VSync: Enabling VSync can eliminate screen tearing but may introduce input lag. If tearing is not an issue, disabling VSync can improve responsiveness. Experimenting with this setting is key to finding the right balance for your play style. VSync synchronizes the game’s frame output with the refresh rate of the display, ensuring a cleaner image, but the tradeoff in input latency can be noticeable for some players.
• Anti-Aliasing: Setting anti-aliasing to 4x provides a good balance between image quality and performance. Higher settings may offer slightly better visuals but can impact the framerate. Anti-aliasing smooths out jagged edges in the game, making the visuals appear more polished and less pixelated. The 4x setting is often a sweet spot, offering significant visual improvement without a major performance hit.
• SSAO (Screen Space Ambient Occlusion): SSAO enhances the depth and realism of the game's visuals by adding shadows and shading to corners and crevices. Setting this to High offers a noticeable improvement in visual fidelity without a significant performance cost. However, if you experience any slowdowns, lowering this setting can help improve framerates. SSAO is particularly effective in PowerWash Simulator 2, where the interplay of light and shadow is crucial to the overall aesthetic.
• Render Scale: Keeping the render scale at 1.0 ensures the game is rendering at the selected resolution without upscaling or downscaling. Adjusting this setting can significantly impact performance, but it's generally best to leave it at 1.0 for optimal clarity. Lowering the render scale can improve performance on lower-end hardware, but it often results in a blurry or less detailed image, which can detract from the overall visual experience.
• Model Quality and Texture Quality: Setting both Model Quality and Texture Quality to the highest available settings provides the best visual experience. The Steam Deck is capable of handling these settings without significant performance issues, allowing for detailed environments and high-resolution textures. High model quality ensures that the in-game objects and characters look sharp and well-defined, while high texture quality adds richness and detail to the surfaces and materials within the game world.

Additional Settings and Options

Beyond the primary graphics settings, there are several other options that can be adjusted to further optimize performance and the overall experience on the Steam Deck. These include settings related to frame limits, VRR, and scaling modes.

• Custom Launch Options: Custom launch options can be used to further optimize the game, but they weren't used in this instance. For advanced users, these options can provide additional control over the game's behavior and performance, allowing for tweaks that aren't available in the in-game settings menus. Experimentation with launch options can sometimes yield significant performance improvements or address specific compatibility issues.
• Frame Limit: Leaving the frame limit unaddressed can cause the game to attempt to run at an uncapped framerate, which can drain battery life and potentially lead to performance instability. Setting a reasonable frame limit, such as 30 or 40 FPS, can help maintain a consistent experience and conserve battery. Frame limiting ensures that the hardware isn’t unnecessarily strained, especially during less demanding scenes, which helps in preventing thermal throttling and maintaining a smoother gameplay experience over longer durations.
• Disable Frame Limit: Disabling the frame limit is generally not recommended for the Steam Deck, as it can lead to inconsistent performance and increased power consumption. Allowing the game to run unbounded can push the hardware beyond its optimal operating range, potentially leading to thermal issues and a reduction in battery life. While some players might prefer the highest possible framerate, a stable and consistent experience is often more desirable, particularly on a handheld device.
• Enable VRR (Variable Refresh Rate): Enabling VRR can help smooth out frame rate fluctuations, but the Steam Deck's built-in display does not support VRR. As such, this setting will have no effect. VRR technology synchronizes the display's refresh rate with the game’s framerate, eliminating screen tearing and reducing stuttering, but its effectiveness is contingent on the display supporting the technology.
• Allow Tearing: Allowing tearing can potentially increase framerates but introduces visual artifacts. It's generally better to leave this setting off for a cleaner visual experience. Screen tearing occurs when the display updates before the game has finished rendering a frame, resulting in a misaligned image. While allowing tearing might squeeze out a few extra frames per second, the visual distraction is often not worth the marginal performance gain.
• Half Rate Shading: Half Rate Shading can improve performance by rendering the game at a lower resolution and then upscaling it. However, this can result in a blurry image and is generally not recommended unless absolutely necessary. This technique reduces the computational load on the GPU, but the trade-off in visual quality is usually quite noticeable, making it a last resort for improving performance on very low-end hardware.
• TDP Limit (Thermal Design Power): Adjusting the TDP limit can help control the Steam Deck's power consumption and heat output. However, no specific TDP limit was set in this instance. Setting a TDP limit can be an effective way to extend battery life and prevent overheating, particularly when playing graphically intensive games. Lowering the TDP reduces the amount of power the system consumes, which in turn reduces heat generation, but it can also impact performance.
• Manual GPU Clock: Manually adjusting the GPU clock speed can potentially improve performance, but it can also lead to instability if not done carefully. No manual GPU clock adjustments were made in this case. Overclocking the GPU can provide a performance boost, but it also increases power consumption and heat, which can strain the system. It's generally best to leave the GPU clock at its default settings unless you have a thorough understanding of overclocking and its potential risks.
• Scaling Mode and Scaling Filter: The Auto scaling mode and Linear scaling filter are generally good choices for maintaining image quality while scaling. These settings ensure that the game scales smoothly to different resolutions without introducing excessive blurriness or artifacts. Auto scaling mode typically selects the best scaling method based on the current resolution and display, while the Linear scaling filter provides a balance between performance and image quality.

Gameplay and Visual Experience

PowerWash Simulator 2 on the Steam Deck delivers a satisfying gameplay experience, maintaining a balance between visual fidelity and smooth performance. The graphics are crisp, and the details are well-rendered, making the act of cleaning virtually therapeutic. The game's optimization allows for extended play sessions without significant performance drops, contributing to an immersive experience. The visual quality is particularly commendable, considering the game is running on a handheld device. The environments are richly detailed, and the water effects are realistic, enhancing the overall sense of immersion. This attention to visual detail, combined with the game’s smooth performance, makes PowerWash Simulator 2 a standout title on the Steam Deck.

Performance Rating

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Additional Notes

For a visual demonstration of the game in action, you can check out this YouTube video.

Conclusion

Overall, PowerWash Simulator 2 is an excellent addition to the Steam Deck library. Its smooth performance, combined with the relaxing and engaging gameplay, makes it a perfect title for on-the-go gaming. With the right settings, players can enjoy a visually pleasing and technically sound experience. The game's ability to run smoothly on the Steam Deck highlights its optimization and makes it an ideal choice for players looking to unwind with some virtual cleaning. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the series or new to the world of virtual power washing, PowerWash Simulator 2 offers a compelling experience on Valve’s handheld console.

For more insights into Steam Deck game compatibility and performance, visit the official Steam Deck Verified website.