Civ VI on Steam Deck?

[blackbutterfly]

Any news of Civ VI support for the upcoming Steam Deck by Valve?

Presumably it already runs the SteamOS version of Civ VI but albeit with desktop UI and mouse/keyboard controls. So will there be full support? (i.e. console UI and console controls)

Cos that would be awesome!

Civ VI has become increasingly sluggish on the Nintendo Switch (for me at least).
This was not the case at game launch for consoles when it ran very briskly on the Switch.
But now I'm looking to either upgrade my Switch (but Nintendo refuses to release a more powerful version) or look at alternatives like The Steam Deck.

With the release of HUMANKIND in a month I expect I will only really play/develop mods for Civ VI on the PC and play Civ VI only on the go (i.e. on the Switch or possibly the Steam Deck).

 

[Dedrytus]

You can install Windows on it so it is "normal PC". Do not worry. Games works on Steam OS, and when are troubles just install win.

 

[Kwami]

I think @blackbutterfly is more concerned about whether the game will use the native console-like interface instead of using the PC interface. Of course, the game will run on Steam Deck. The hardware kind of sucks, though...

 

[blackbutterfly]

I think @blackbutterfly is more concerned about whether the game will use the native console-like interface instead of using the PC interface. Of course, the game will run on Steam Deck.

Exactly right.

Already on higher resolutions Civ VI is almost unreadable on the PC. Imagine what it'd be like on the Steam Deck.
Console UI is not just upscaled UI it is a compact version of the desktop interface:

vs.

Also notably the controller button/keys can be seen in the UI as well as not needing the mouse at all to control every aspect of the game.

In fact this is my preferred way to spend hours playing Civ VI.
Nowadays I play mostly on the PC cos performance on the Switch has got really bad with recent updates/patches.

 

[Dedrytus]

My bad. Sorry for my misunderstaning.. I was using my very old monitor for some time 1280x1024... and it was terrible experience. Covid and related problems forced me to use it. But yes, civ is harder to play with this resoluution, Fallout 4 is umplayable without mods and other games are mixed experience. I was surprised that my old samsung 770p started after all those years, but I was more surprised that not every resolution is OK.

 

[Linklite]

My concern is that it's literally going to just play the computer game but with Joy Con controls. That would really suck, but I'm not sure every Steam game is going to be updated to support a controller, and that's before QoL improvements that are practically essential for a console game.

I'm dubious about the Steam Deck, and Civ 6 is a great example of how a game could be ruined if they don't put the effort it.

 

[Zegangani]

I think FXS would only put the effort to make a custom UI version of Civ6 that is compatible with the Steam Dech, if they're the opinion that they can make more sales with it. If Yes, then it's very likely that Civ6 will have a custom UI version for the Steam Deck.

Otherwise, if the console version of the Game has its UI running with lua (I don't know how console games are set up), then it shouldn't be a huge amount of work for the devs to import it to the Steam Deck version, which in this case, they might do it without (necessarily) having sales in view.

 

[blackbutterfly]

I think FXS would only put the effort to make a custom UI version of Civ6 that is compatible with the Steam Dech, if they're the opinion that they can make more sales with it.

I think this is key.

For example, if I were to get a Steam Deck to play Civ VI I don't need to spend any more money, cos my Steam license is valid on SteamOS.
So execs at 2K+Firaxis would have to determine what if any financial incentive there is for additional development to allow for console mode on the Linux/SteamOS port.

I imagine this is a discussion Valve are having with multiple developers re: Steam Deck.

(TBH this would be a great for the PC version as well cos I much rather play Civ VI with a controller than mouse+keyboard).

To answer @Zegangani's other question: the console versions use the same XML+Lua foundations as the desktop but that on consoles these are opaque AFAIK.

 

[iammaxhailme]

Exactly right.

Already on higher resolutions Civ VI is almost unreadable on the PC. Imagine what it'd be like on the Steam Deck.
Console UI is not just upscaled UI it is a compact version of the desktop interface:

vs.

Also notably the controller button/keys can be seen in the UI as well as not needing the mouse at all to control every aspect of the game.

In fact this is my preferred way to spend hours playing Civ VI.
Nowadays I play mostly on the PC cos performance on the Switch has got really bad with recent updates/patches.

Yeah, I have the game on both PC and Switch... I like to play with mods so I usually use PC, but besides that, there was a period where I palyed more on Switch. But not anymore, becuase it crashes so much and the hall of fame never saves. The Switch version was not always this buggy, I'm not sure what happened. I think the framerate went down substantially too (which isn't super important in this kind of game, but it IS annoying to be so low...)

 

[Kwami]

Well, Aspyr did the Linux port, so I'd imagine that they'll be the ones to implement the console UI for Steam Deck. Did Asypr also make the console ports? That'd make it easier.

 

[blackbutterfly]

Well, Aspyr did the Linux port, so I'd imagine that they'll be the ones to implement the console UI for Steam Deck. Did Asypr also make the console ports? That'd make it easier.

Nintendo may have assisted in the original console port, cos if you remember it was only available on the Switch for an entire year before coming out for PS4 and Xbox.
IDK TBH

But yes Aspyr is responsible for those ports as well.

 

[Linklite]

As a Switch owner, I'd be very wary of buying the Steam Deck for any game that they port. They did the Switch version and it's been terrible. The large majority of my complaints about Civ 6 are specific to either either Switch or consoles I general - stuff done by Aspyr. For example, it's been at least a year, and I think quite a while longer, that their roads don't display properly and they haven't done anything about it. The Hall of Fame has never worked properly. The list of cities to send governors doesn't scroll properly using the stick to navigate, so if you have more than a handful of valid cities to send a governor to, you have to use the touchscreen. The list just goes on.

I really wouldn't recommend an Aspyr job.

 

[sukritact]

Civ VI is very playable with the Steam Controller fwiw, so it should be fine with the UI scaling set pretty high. You can set keybinds for common actions on the steam controller too, even if you won’t get those big button prompts on the screen.

 

[blackbutterfly]

Civ VI is very playable with the Steam Controller fwiw

How much better is the Steam Controller than the Dualshock (PS4) or Switch controller (with Civ VI)?
I found both horrible and virtually unusable. Mouse + keyboard is far superior in that case.

 

[aieeegrunt]

You can put windows on the steam deck

 

[Kwami]

You can put windows on the steam deck

That's already been covered. It's not relevant to the original question.

 

[sukritact]

How much better is the Steam Controller than the Dualshock (PS4) or Switch controller (with Civ VI)?
I found both horrible and virtually unusable. Mouse + keyboard is far superior in that case.

Here's a Reddit thread with some thoughts from people. And another

But to answer your question, remember that the Steam Controller essentially has two track pads on it, with the left trackpad doubling as a dpad, so if you've every played any strategy game on a laptop sans mouse, you'll have a good idea of what it feels like.

 

[Linklite]

Here's a Reddit thread with some thoughts from people. And another

But to answer your question, remember that the Steam Controller essentially has two track pads on it, with the left trackpad doubling as a dpad, so if you've every played any strategy game on a laptop sans mouse, you'll have a good idea of what it feels like.

Except you'll be doing with your thumbs or be holding the SD awkwardly. It'll be fine for shooters and possibly games like Civ, but will likely struggle for games like AoE.

 

[blackbutterfly]

Here's a Reddit thread with some thoughts from people. And another
But to answer your question, remember that the Steam Controller essentially has two track pads on it, with the left trackpad doubling as a dpad, so if you've every played any strategy game on a laptop sans mouse, you'll have a good idea of what it feels like.

For example, can you use the up/down arrow keys to navigate the menus like you can in Civ VI console UI (Switch/Ps4/Xbox)?

Many of the comments from those reddit gamers are not very objective.

My advice: for anyone considering buying the Steam Deck to play Civ VI is they first try out the controller interface on their PC/Mac/Linux desktop, which is easy to do. Just plug in any of the controllers - Dualshock (PS4), Switch or Xbox and go.

 

[sukritact]

Except you'll be doing with your thumbs or be holding the SD awkwardly. It'll be fine for shooters and possibly games like Civ, but will likely struggle for games like AoE.

I don't disagree entirely, but this thread is not about Age of Empires.

My advice: for anyone considering buying the Steam Deck to play Civ VI is they first try out the controller interface on their PC/Mac/Linux desktop, which is easy to do. Just plug in any of the controllers - Dualshock (PS4), Switch or Xbox and go.

Again, as someone who has played Civ with the Steam Controller, it's perfectly fine and not at all awkward playing civ with with those controls, so the Steam Deck should be fine. Heck, even Stellaris wasn't too bad! I'm not sure why you started this thread if you're going to completely disregard people who have played Civ with similar controls. Just because the Steam Controller/Deck looks like a controller does not mean it handles like one. The trackpads are a lot more precise than a thumbstick, so you don't really need to slowly use the arrow keys to move through menus.