Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 has been massively improved on Valve’s Steam Deck with a massive update that adds a true native version for the extremely popular PC handheld.

After Valve accidentally made the game unplayable for a brief spell on the Steam Deck, Larian Studios has released a new Steam Deck Native version of the game, although players can still run the Windows version via Proton if they want to.

Announced in a recent blog post, the new version of the game is available as of the Hotfix 32 update. Players using the new native version will benefit from massively improved performance, especially in the game’s highly intensive Act 3.

“This means the game can now be run natively on the platform, resulting in a more stable framerate, lower loading times, and smoother gameplay,” Larian said in the blog post.

“When launching the game on Steam Deck after Hotfix #34, you will be on the native Steam Deck graphics settings by default. You can always give these settings a tweak, whether you decide to go native or play with Proton.

“Our Proton version runs on the Steam Deck via the Proton compatibility layer, which requires extra CPU processing power. Running the game natively on the Steam Deck requires less CPU usage and memory consumption overall!”

Alongside the blog post, Larian has put together a new comprehensive guide for the brand-new version of the game for fans who either need it or just want something extra to read.

While this version of the game is focused on the Steam Deck experience, Larian notes that all versions should benefit from improved performance due to the overhauled CPU and memory processes.

For more BG3 coverage, read about the mod that adds amazing player housing to the game, or read about the fact that your elemental summons can actually be arrested and sent to jail.