
A comparison of the Cairn Review with the Steam Deck's performance can be found on Steam Deck HQ.

🛠️ Why is this happening
As a highly capable handheld gaming device, the Steam Deck does experience performance hiccups on occasion. To be blunt, the game's extremely high graphics requirements, your Steam Deck's limitations, and possible software glitches are likely the root of your problems with Cairn on the device.
Unfortunately, one of the game's major drawbacks when played on the Steam Deck is its failure to be properly optimized for the device's distinct hardware setup, leading to jarring frame rate fluctuations, pronounced lag, and other performance-related difficulties. Look, One important consideration when using the Steam Deck is that its Linux-based OS might necessitate some customized adjustments to deliver the highest level of performance.

✅ Step-by-Step Fix
- Ensure your Steam Deck is using the latest operating system iteration, because Valve frequently pushes out new versions that contain performance-enhancing tweaks and bug fixes.
- To avoid any potential issues or performance problems, head into the Steam Deck's system settings and verify that the graphics settings are set at a level that's optimized for your console's hardware. Honestly, to achieve this, navigate to Settings, then Performance, and subsequently, Graphics Quality.
- Confirm the game is stored on the intended hard drive or external drive. In order to prevent game loading issues on your Steam Deck, we recommend moving them to your internal storage or a higher-speed external hard drive.
- It's recommended to shut down any idle, background software programs that are not required to run in the background and might be hogging your computer's resources. To access the Task Manager, simply press the Steam key in combination with the 'B' key on your keyboard.
- Try reducing the game's graphics settings to see if it improves performance You can do this by launching the game, going to the options menu, and adjusting the graphics quality, resolution, or other settings
- Clear the Steam Deck's cache and restart the console This can help resolve any software-related issues that may be affecting performance
- Regularly check for updates for your Steam Deck and installed games to ensure you have the latest patches and optimizations
- Monitor your Steam Deck's system resources, such as CPU, memory, and storage usage, to identify potential bottlenecks and optimize performance
- Consider investing in a high-quality external storage device, such as an NVMe SSD, to improve loading times and overall performance
- Join online communities, such as the Steam Deck subreddit, to stay up-to-date with the latest news, tips, and optimizations for your console
- Keep an eye on the Steam Deck's temperature, as overheating can cause performance issues and reduce the console's lifespan
By following these steps and tips, you should be able to improve the performance of Cairn on your Steam Deck and enjoy a smoother gaming experience Remember to stay patient and persistent, as troubleshooting can sometimes be a process of trial and error
If you're still experiencing issues after trying these fixes, consider reaching out to Valve's support team or the game's developers for further assistance With the right combination of hardware, software, and optimization, you can unlock the full potential of your Steam Deck and enjoy a wide range of amazing games, including Cairn