On a Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU) (paired with a balanced Intel Core i5-8600K-class CPU), Star Citizen runs at roughly 43 FPS at 1080p with our optimized settings — up from about 19FPS with everything maxed. Here's the configuration and what each setting costs.
The Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU) is a handheld graphics card with 4GB of VRAM, and Star Citizen is a one of the most punishing games to run on PC. Paired with the Intel Core i5-8600K, it is a real challenge at 1080p — about 43 FPSwith FrameCoach's optimized settings, a clear jump from roughly 19 FPS with everything on High.
Across resolutions you can expect around 43 FPS at 1080p and 26 FPS at 1440p, dropping to roughly 15 FPS at 4K. With only 4GB of VRAM, keep textures a notch below max in Star Citizen at higher resolutions to avoid stutter. The biggest free win is FSR upscaling — set it to Quality for a large FPS boost at little visual cost.
| Resolution | All-High FPS | Optimized FPS |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 19 | 43 |
| 1440p | 12 | 26 |
| 4K | 7 | 15 |
⚡ Fine-tune this for your exact CPU & target FPS →
🎯 Can the Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU) run Star Citizen? See the verdict →
With FrameCoach's optimized balanced settings, the Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU) averages around 43 FPS at 1080p in Star Citizen — up from about 19 FPS with everything on High.
At 1440p with optimized settings, the Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU) averages roughly 26 FPS in Star Citizen; turn on upscaling or aim for a locked 60 for the best feel.
Turn on FSR (Balanced), keep ray tracing off for maximum FPS, and ease the heaviest options like Volumetric Clouds / Gas and Shadow Quality down a notch. The full per-setting breakdown is above.
FPS figures are estimates from a generalized model (hardware tier × game load × per-setting weights), not live benchmarks — real performance varies by scene, drivers and game version.