Elden Ring Nightreign Brings Short Multiplayer Battles to Steam Deck

FromSoftware’s latest multiplayer title, Elden Ring Nightreign, builds on the beloved combat mechanics of Elden Ring but introduces a fresh, fast-paced multiplayer experience. Players can embark on solo adventures or team up in groups of three to challenge the Nightlord in short, intense online matches. This design makes it an ideal candidate for portable gaming on devices like the Steam Deck.

Portable gaming is booming as players seek to enjoy PC-quality games on the go. The Steam Deck, with its powerful hardware and handheld form factor, fits perfectly with games designed for shorter play sessions. Elden Ring Nightreign’s quick match format means it won’t heavily drain battery life, enhancing its appeal for mobile gamers.

Currently, Elden Ring Nightreign is not Steam Deck verified. Verification ensures controller support, compatibility with Steam Deck’s resolution, and smooth operation with the Proton compatibility layer. However, initial hands-on tests reveal the game runs smoothly on the Steam Deck, with no significant slowdowns or graphical issues. This is unsurprising given it uses the original Elden Ring engine, known for its efficient performance.

A notable caveat involves the game’s multiplayer mode. Elden Ring Nightreign requires a certain system performance level to participate in multiplayer matches, likely due to its anticheat technology. This means that devices not running Windows natively, including the Steam Deck’s Linux-based SteamOS, might be restricted to single-player mode unless they meet these requirements. FromSoftware confirmed the inclusion of anticheat software, which could limit multiplayer access on some platforms.

Here are the minimum and recommended PC specs for Elden Ring Nightreign:

• Minimum CPU: Intel Core i5-10600 or AMD Ryzen 5 5500
• Recommended CPU: Intel Core i5-11500 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600
• Minimum GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 3GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 4GB
• Recommended GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 8GB or AMD Radeon RX Vega-56 8GB
• RAM: Minimum 12GB, Recommended 16GB
• Storage: 30GB
• Operating System: Windows 10 minimum, Windows 11 recommended

The Steam Deck’s specs—featuring a Zen 2 CPU, 16GB RAM, and an 8 CU RDNA 2 GPU—comfortably exceed these requirements, enabling smooth gameplay. Tests confirm that Elden Ring Nightreign runs well on the Steam Deck without performance hiccups.

Elden Ring Nightreign launches on May 30 for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S at a price of $40. Importantly, owning the original Elden Ring is not required to play this new multiplayer-focused title.

In summary, Elden Ring Nightreign offers a compelling multiplayer experience optimized for short, intense sessions—perfect for portable play. While Steam Deck verification is pending, the device’s hardware is more than capable of running the game smoothly. The main limitation lies in multiplayer access due to anticheat requirements, which may restrict some users to single-player mode on non-Windows platforms.