Game Mode resolution when connected to TV/Monitor

[Robbaz]

I'm surprised it's still not possible to choose a resolution in game mode. Even soon to be two decade old consoles can do it.

[dragon99919]

Originally posted by Bel:

Originally posted by dragon99919:

Yep, also waiting strong for this one.

It's been sorta added. Go to a game's properties before launch and set the resolution to "Native". That should let you go above 800p in-game.

I think they did it this way so that games won't try to run at 4k and destroy performance when you try to play handheld.

Still, an option to define resolution of the whole display while using GameMode would be nice.

There are a lot of times when I simply want to use a 1280x800 resolution (like which Deck has) on my TV without changing options in each game twice (for external display and internal) each time I install something!

[TiZ #HugLife]

Originally posted by Arcangelo:

+1!
Am I the only one who, connecting my Deck (game mode) to a 1080p TV, is forced to play games in a locked 800p resolution and an horrible letterbox?!
Only launching games from desktop mode let me change in game resolution...

They said that on external monitors, they use a virtual 1280x800 resolution by default. While this does match the Steam Deck's display exactly, it doesn't match the reality that most monitors are 16:9 (or wider!) A recent update should have added a wide variety of 16:9 and 16:10 resolutions lower than 1280x800 that you can select to take advantage of FSR; the game *should* detect these. If they don't, there is an override.

For Steam games, you can change the virtual resolution used for the game by going to properties in game mode, which can be useful for when a game stubbornly won't detect the other resolutions. You have a wide variety of both lower and higher resolutions you can use. For non-Steam games, that option is not available in properties, so 1280x800 *is* indeed locked for non-Steam games. I've made a thread concerning that specific issue.

[bluephyr]

We definitely need the option to adjust resolution to external display.

My TV in my living room is a large reason I was excited for the Steam Deck. But because of some funkiness in Game Mode, the upscaling likely attempts 4k, and unfortunately my Anker dock only does 1080p @ 60Hz, not 4k @ 60Hz.

After that, I'd like passthrough peripherals like Keyboard and Mouse. The game should just receive direct input from my 2.4Ghz usb keyboard and my bluetooth mouse.

[ComfyMinty]

+1

[kyle]

+1
I'm able to use these personal cinema glasses https://www.nreal.ai/air/ at 720/800/1080p/60Hz in desktop mode, but in gaming mode they will only link at 30Hz. I'd be very happy even if there was a config file somewhere that I could modify, so long as it wouldn't mess with the built-in display.

[El Duderino]

+1 for allowing user to select the output resolution of game mode. The Steam Deck has been an awesome living room console for me for the last month. But then last week I upgraded my projector to 4k. Now it's a laggy mess. I can assign games to run at lower resolution but the Steam UI is a slideshow. I have no way to tell the projector to simply run in 1080p it defaults to 4k when the deck connects.

Valve please, just let us chose game mode resolution!!

[Pulgasari]

Yes! It'a very annoying to be limited to 720p or 800p when connecting to a TV. I think on a TV the bare minimum should be 1080. Playing at 720p makes it feel like a less capable machine than it actually is

[Wolfman-RIP]

Connected my Steamdeck to my TV with HDMI using recommended dock but the screen is shaking and blurring when STEAMOS gaming mode is loaded or a steamos games running.

In Desktop mode I can eventually get the screen to stop shaking by changing resolutions and selecting 60hz but the resolution is still wrong as it cuts off bottom and top part of the screen.

It's very buggy and needs a lot more work

[Marlock]

could be a bad hdmi cable... did you try a different cable, different hdmi port on the tv, jingling the connection to see if anything changes?

[ogremalfeitor]

I tried to connect my steam deck to a tv (with max 4k 30hz) today and got hit by terrible stuttering although the fps counter said 90fps sometimes... this is not acceptable :(

Do valve and the steam deck team even read these forums?

[ben]

Originally posted by ogremalfeitor:

I tried to connect my steam deck to a tv (with max 4k 30hz) today and got hit by terrible stuttering although the fps counter said 90fps sometimes... this is not acceptable :(

Do valve and the steam deck team even read these forums?

this happens when you got the refreshrate from the deck set to less than 60. disable the refresh rate limiter, and set the fps limiter to 30 or more

[ogremalfeitor]

Originally posted by ben:

Originally posted by ogremalfeitor:

I tried to connect my steam deck to a tv (with max 4k 30hz) today and got hit by terrible stuttering although the fps counter said 90fps sometimes... this is not acceptable :(

Do valve and the steam deck team even read these forums?

this happens when you got the refreshrate from the deck set to less than 60. disable the refresh rate limiter, and set the fps limiter to 30 or more

Thanks for the reply, but those limiters were already disabled and the refresh rate was at maximum.

The problem is what the OP complained: the deck can't handle 4k even if it internally renders to 720p and stretches (at least not on all games) so we must have an option to force the resolution we want on external displays (so that any stretching is done by the TV), not be forced to 4k and watch the deck struggle. The issue isn't that noticeable when I connect to a monitor with max 1080p, and of course that the game in question (FIFA 22) is butter smooth when using the deck's display.

Changing resolution of the monitor/TV is such a basic option that I'm baffled that it isn't there, and judging by the relative lack of comments in this thread complaining about it I'm guessing not many people are using this device connected to a 4k tv and trying to play minimally demanding games... or else the issue would be obvious.

[DarkValefor]

I’m stuck at 30Hz because my TV defaults to 4k 30Hz. It supports 1080p 60Hz but because I can’t set the output resolution I have to deal with those 30Hz no matter what I do. An option to set the output resolution would be really helpful.

[ugafan]

You can change the external resolution in desktop mode, but not game mode.

Come on Valve, please fix this.

[Deihnyx]

+1, 4k@30 is unplayable. We should be able to select a max resolution (1080p)