Will Hollow Knight: Silksong run on the Steam Deck? (anticipated)
Hollow Knight: Silksong is a near-certain perfect fit for the Steam Deck — a light 2D engine, Verified-tier handheld play, and superb battery life.
Yes — Hollow Knight: Silksong should be one of the best Steam Deck games you can own. Expect Verified-tier status, native 800p at max settings, a smooth high refresh, and the kind of all-day battery life that makes the Deck shine. The "can it even run?" question is genuinely moot here. The interesting parts are how high the frame rate climbs, whether you cap it for marathon sessions, and just how many hours you get per charge.
Pre-release estimate. Silksong has not launched on, or been measured by us on, the Steam Deck yet. Everything below is anticipated from Team Cherry's lightweight 2D engine and the original Hollow Knight's track record. We'll replace these figures with measured numbers at launch. See our methodology for how we test and rate.
Why it's an ideal Deck game
Hollow Knight: Silksong is a hand-drawn 2D metroidvania — the same family of clean vector-style art and 2D physics that made the original such a joy to run. There is no heavy 3D geometry, no demanding ray tracing, no large-world streaming to choke a handheld. This is exactly the workload the Steam Deck eats for breakfast.
The Deck's hardware is wildly over-specced for a game like this. Its AMD Zen 2 4-core CPU, RDNA 2 GPU with 8 compute units, and 16 GB of shared LPDDR5 are tuned to push modern 3D titles at 800p inside a 15 W power envelope. A polished 2D engine asks for a tiny fraction of that. The 8 CU GPU has tons of headroom, so the Deck should hold the frame cap without breaking a sweat and without spinning up the fans.
The clincher is precedent. The original Hollow Knight is a flagship Steam Deck title — Steam Deck Verified, running flawlessly, and famous for sipping battery across very long play sessions. Silksong is built on the same light 2D foundation. Unless Team Cherry radically changed the engine, every reason the first game soared on the Deck applies here too.
Anticipated handheld experience
Native resolution is 800p (1280x800). All figures below are anticipated, not measured.
| Setting | Resolution | Target | Verdict | Anticipated FPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max, high refresh | 800p (native) | 90 Hz OLED | 🟢 | ~90 fps (locked) |
| Max, 60 fps cap | 800p (native) | 60 fps | 🟢 | 60 fps (rock solid) |
| Max, battery saver | 800p (native) | 40–45 fps cap | 🟢 | 40–45 fps |
Across the board this should be a green-light experience: maximum settings at native resolution, no compromises needed, and frame rate limited only by whatever cap you choose. Anticipated battery life lands in the excellent range — roughly 5–8+ hours depending on your refresh and TDP choices.
Battery life and the OLED refresh
This is where Silksong should really sell the Deck. A light 2D engine pulls the GPU well below its 15 W ceiling, so the whole system runs cool and efficient. That low draw is exactly what drives the long playtimes the original Hollow Knight is loved for — and why a single charge could stretch to a full evening of play.
On the OLED model, the 90 Hz panel adds a real benefit: locking to 90 fps makes the precise platforming and combat feel noticeably crisper and more responsive than a 60 Hz cap. If you'd rather maximize endurance, cap to 60 fps — or drop to a 40 Hz/40 fps mode — and the battery stretches even further for long flights, commutes, or couch marathons. Either way you're choosing between "buttery and snappy" and "play forever," not fighting to hit a playable frame rate.
Deck vs the rest
The Steam Deck is arguably the perfect home for Silksong, but it's far from the only good option across Valve's lineup:
- Steam Machine — total overkill for a 2D metroidvania. It will pin any cap effortlessly and drive a big TV at high resolution. Great on the couch, but you lose the portability that suits this game so well.
- Steam Frame — fine when streamed from a host machine. Silksong isn't a VR or headset-native experience, but it streams cleanly for casual play.
For most players, the handheld wins. If you want more titles in this vein, see our best Steam Deck games roundup, browse the full games library, or read the Steam Deck overview for hardware details. You can also compare the Steam Machine if a living-room setup is more your speed.
Frequently asked
Almost certainly yes, and beautifully. As a light hand-drawn 2D game it sits far below the Deck's capabilities. Anticipate native 800p at max settings with frame rate limited only by your chosen cap. This figure is pre-release until we measure the final build.
We expect so. The original Hollow Knight is Steam Deck Verified, and Silksong uses the same light 2D engine with the same controller-first design. A Verified rating at or near launch is the most likely outcome, though the official badge is anticipated until Valve confirms it.
Anticipated to be excellent — roughly 5–8+ hours, among the best you'll see on the Deck. The low TDP of a 2D engine keeps power draw down. Cap to 60 fps (or a 40 Hz mode) for the longest sessions, or run the OLED's 90 Hz for the snappiest feel. Final numbers will follow once we test the release build.