Summary
Stellar Bladedeveloper Shift Up has revealed its intention to optimize the action-adventure game for the Steam Deck and similar handheld PCs. Initially released in April 2024 as a PS5 exclusive title,Stellar Bladeis scheduled to roll out on PC later in 2025.
Korean game development studio Shift Up marked its big debut in the console game market withStellar Blade’s well-received launch. Despite some controversy related to the protagonist’s appearance leading up to release, the Sony-published title garnered impressive reviews while also instantly topping sales charts in the US. After months of speculation, Shift Up eventually confirmed thatStellar Bladewas headed to PC with an announcement in November 2024. More recently, the studio, established in 2013, talked about the hack-and-slash game’s in-development PC version, providing a big confidence boost for Steam Deck owners.
In the Q&A section of its latest financial report (viaGamingOnLinux), Shift Up shared that optimization is one of the company’s areas of interest to ensureStellar Blade’s “continued success in the PC market.” It added that the devs plan to make “smooth gameplay” possible on UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC) systems, such as the Steam Deck. Along with optimization, the Seoul-based developer said that it also aims to provide enhanced “user convenience” and additional content as well as a “tailored” marketing plan forStellar Blade’s PC release. Moreover, Shift Up stated that it expects the PC port to commercially “exceed” the performance of the console version, given the larger market share of the former platform. Besides talking about the forthcoming PC port, the studio also said that it may share new details related toProject Witches, its next game scheduled to launch after 2027, in the first half of 2025.
Stellar Blade Will Be Optimized for the Steam Deck
The aforementioned comments fromStellar Blade’s developer about optimization could give a big morale boost to Steam Deck players. This encouraging update, which hints that the sci-fi game may be playable on Valve’s handheld system at launch, comes at a time when heavyweight AAA entries are becoming increasingly more difficult torun on the Steam Deck’s aging hardware. If the Shift Up team somehow manages to execute its plan,Stellar Bladewould be a major addition to the handheld device’s library.
As Steam Deck users wait to try out Shift Up’s console hit later this year, they can possibly indulge in some comparatively lightweight AAA titles that have become available on Steam recently. The newest name on this list isCivilization 7, which rolled out as aSteam Deck-verified game at launch.
Stellar Blade
WHERE TO PLAY
RECLAIM EARTH FOR HUMANKIND The future of humanity hangs in the balance in Stellar Blade, an all-new story-driven action adventure. Ravaged by strange, powerful creatures, Earth has been abandoned, and what is left of the decimated human race has fled to a Colony in outer space. After travelling from the Colony, 7th Airborne Squad member EVE arrives on the desolate remains of our planet with a clear-cut mission: to save humankind by reclaiming Earth from the Naytiba – the malevolent force that has devastated it. But as EVE tackles the Naytiba one-by-one, piecing together the mysteries of the past in the ruins of human civilization, she realizes that her mission is far from straightforward. In fact, almost nothing is as it seems…
