A new hotfix has launched for Baldur’s Gate 3, bringing good news for fans of the Steam Deck. The update introduces a new native build tailored specifically for the platform. According to Larian, this new version promises “more stable framerate, lower loading times, and smoother gameplay” for users.

Previously, Baldur’s Gate 3 relied on a compatibility layer known as Proton, designed to enable Windows games to run on the Linux-based SteamOS. However, using Proton required additional CPU resources. Larian explained that running the game natively consumes significantly less CPU and memory.

“For those of you playing on Steam Deck, Baldur’s Gate 3 now also features a native Steam Deck build! Running natively on the platform, you should now see a better framerate, lower loading times, and smoother gameplay!”
— @larianstudios.com

This transition to a native version is expected to be straightforward for most players. However, it’s essential to note that saved games will be in a different directory with the Deck-native build. Recent saves will synchronize automatically with Steam Cloud saves enabled. Players disabling that option or needing to access older saves might have to move them manually.

Larian’s initiative for this native Steam Deck build stemmed from a dedicated engineer’s passion, who started the project on their own time. Swen Vincke, the CEO of Larian, commented on this effort: “It’s this type of pure passion for their craft that makes me fall in love with my developers over and over again.”

Overall, this hotfix not only enhances the gameplay experience but also resolves various bugs and crashes reported in previous versions.