Proper now, most individuals enjoying Last Fantasy XIV are doubtless prepared for Dawntrail, the subsequent main enlargement due in a couple of month. All my buddies enjoying the sport have a number of characters or lessons prepared for the enlargement, they usually’ve all been wanting on the varied trailers and job particulars for what’s subsequent in Last Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. I’m not even near Dawntrail proper now, and have slowly been chipping away at Last Fantasy XIV’s major story for a couple of decade at this level. I used to be very gradual getting via Last Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn on PS3 and PS4, and solely actually began correctly enjoying it as a lot as I may about two years in the past. I’ve been wanting to write down about Last Fantasy XIV for some time although, and with how a lot it has impressed me not only for its story, but in addition with the way it performs on Steam Deck, I made a decision to write down about what it is advisable to know to play Last Fantasy XIV on Steam Deck in 2024, and likewise why it’s price your time.
Learn how to play Last Fantasy XIV on Steam Deck in 2024
Should you’re simply right here to discover ways to play Last Fantasy XIV on Steam Deck, it’s fairly easy. Should you personal the sport license on Steam or wish to play the Last Fantasy XIV Free Trial on Steam, you’ll be able to simply declare it in your account and get began. Last Fantasy XIV is formally marked as Steam Deck Playable by Valve. It’s because the sport’s launcher requires utilizing the touchscreen or mouse cursor and manually invoking the on-screen keyboard for textual content enter.
Should you’ve not put in GE-Proton but, I like to recommend doing so simply on the whole to your Steam Deck as a result of it helps a variety of video games run even higher. GamingOnLinux has a step-by-step information right here on doing it. I’ve had a variety of people who play Last Fantasy XIV on Steam Deck advocate utilizing GE-Proton to play, and I’ve had zero points utilizing it.
One very last thing to bear in mind is Last Fantasy XIV’s area lock and account system. On Steam, you’ll be able to solely entry the model meant to your area. Should you play utilizing the standalone license, you don’t have any restrictions like that. Most individuals I do know play on NA accounts regardless of dwelling exterior NA or having moved exterior NA. On Steam, they’d be compelled to create a brand new account and character for one more area. Verify the Steam recreation web page for Last Fantasy XIV earlier than logging in or making an account for those who plan on enjoying through the Steam license. I like to recommend utilizing the standalone license for flexibility. Even when Steam solely serves you the PAL model and also you wish to play utilizing the NA area account, the information beneath will assist.
Last Fantasy XIV on Steam Deck with standalone license
Should you personal Last Fantasy XIV via its standalone license or the Mog Station like I do, you’ll be able to nonetheless play via Steam by following this information. It makes use of no mods or plugins. This has labored completely for me for months now on each my Steam Deck LCD and OLED fashions. The one factor you want to bear in mind is ensuring to sort your password, then hiding the keyboard. Don’t press enter or click on login right here. Should you accomplish that, you get an error. When you sort your password after which conceal the keyboard, transfer the cursor to the one time password area after which sort that by invoking the keyboard. At this stage, hit return on the keyboard/proper set off. This may allow you to play with out points. I’m unsure what the issue is for clicking or not doing it this fashion, however I’ve examined a number of instances and the one approach to do that with none friction is hitting enter/return/proper set off after the one time password has been stuffed. You additionally want GE-Proton to make sure stability.
How does Last Fantasy XIV run on Steam Deck OLED
As of this writing, I’ve made it to about 10 hours into the Last Fantasy XIV: Stormblood storyline. I’ve not performed Shadowbringers or Endwalker but so can not touch upon the content material in these expansions, however every part in Last Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, patches, and no matter I’ve performed of Last Fantasy XIV: Stormblood to date is superb on Steam Deck OLED, with it working nicely above 60fps nearly on a regular basis. I’ve even performed dungeons with buddies at 80-90fps.
Whereas I’ve not performed too many raids, I wish to spotlight that it does play rather well even in Crystal Tower with all the results and ran noticeably higher than once I performed on consoles. You simply must get used the muddle on the small display. I’ve been pleasantly stunned at how nicely Last Fantasy XIV runs and performs on Steam Deck via the numerous dozens of hours I’ve put into it not too long ago and within the final two years throughout updates.
Last Fantasy XIV Steam Deck graphics settings
I’ve been utilizing the 150% UI setting, windowed mode, customized 1280×800 decision (with 16:10 help), the 90fps body charge restrict, real-time reflections off, anti-aliasing at FXAA, clear lighting high quality and grass at regular, parallax occlusion and tessellation at excessive, map decision at excessive, and glare off. For shadows, I’ve all displayed with LOD set to low-level. Shadow decision at 1024p, cascading at the perfect preset, softening at robust, anisotropic texture filtering at 16x, and dynamic decision off. I performed with dynamic decision on and off, so attempt each and see which you favor. If you wish to run at 60fps and never greater, you’ll be able to flip just a few choices greater. Since Last Fantasy XIV is an online-only recreation, I’m often enjoying at dwelling or once I’m close to my telephone for hotspot, and I often have a cost close to me. This isn’t a recreation I prioritize battery life with.
Last Fantasy XIV management settings
The one factor I modified right here was PS5 gamepad sort controls so I may have the identical button prompts I’ve been used to for years. I additionally enabled DualSense options for once I play on Steam Deck over the docking station with my DualSense controller plugged in. One factor to bear in mind right here is that the controller ordering typically causes points with which controller is lively. Whereas circuitously associated to controls, I don’t advocate utilizing the on-screen keyboard for chatting. I’ve been utilizing Discord voice to talk with buddies whereas enjoying on-line right here.
Last Fantasy XIV on Xbox Collection X
Since Last Fantasy XIV hit Xbox Collection X not too long ago, I made a decision to additionally cowl that model. Last Fantasy XIV on PS5 feels fairly near the PS4 Professional model apart from some minor visible enhancements. The large increase was to load instances and the superb DualSense haptics. On Xbox Collection X, apart from the controller options being absent, it performs nice and hundreds quick. I additionally admire having VRR help which I don’t have on PS5 when utilizing my monitor.
The most important benefit to enjoying Last Fantasy XIV on Xbox Collection X is for my lazy facet. Not having to sort the password and one time password every time is nice for getting me to play once I simply wish to boot up the sport and do a quest or two. That is extra of a laziness situation, however it’s price highlighting, and I hope the opposite techniques have this added as an choice.
How is Last Fantasy XIV in 2024 for a brand new participant?
Regardless of having a personality from round 2013, I nonetheless take into account myself a comparatively new participant since I’m nonetheless enjoying story content material that hit again in 2017, simply with newer options added. Last Fantasy XIV isn’t solely a improbable Last Fantasy recreation, however it’s price your time even if you wish to play solo. Virtually all of the content material may be performed with a celebration of NPCs, and once you do must do some content material that isn’t doable like that, the queue time could be very brief in my expertise. If I needed to rely, I feel I’ve had solely about 5 situations of needing to play with others in all of Last Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and Heavensward with patches. Enjoying with others is extra enjoyable for certain, however you’ll be able to deal with this as a single participant Last Fantasy recreation, only one that’s online-only.
Whereas Last Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has its ups and downs for the story, I loved nearly all of it main into Heavensward. Heavensward however is elegant for its narrative, characters, new places, music, and extra. Last Fantasy XIV: Heavensward is in my high 5 Last Fantasy video games of all time. It’s completely price experiencing.
Having performed Last Fantasy XIV on a controller because the early PS4 days and even distant enjoying it on PS Vita for those who imagine it, I’ve all the time loved the controller enter technique. What I didn’t know till somebody in my free firm informed me, is the expanded maintain controls and different crossbar choices for a controller. This coupled with the Steam Deck’s Steam Enter makes Last Fantasy XIV extra pleasurable for me to play on Steam Deck than on PS5 and Xbox. It additionally helps that the sport runs brilliantly on Valve’s handheld.
Should you’re a longtime participant and also you simply wish to replay the story, there’s a NG+ choice now, and that may be the perfect use case for experiencing the principle story on Steam Deck. Should you simply wish to use the Steam Deck to grind out sure issues, that’s additionally an choice. Having a wonderful moveable model of Last Fantasy XIV that even excels above the console variations won’t ever get outdated.
The principle factor I’d wish to see addressed with Last Fantasy XIV on Steam Deck and PC on the whole, is the login system. Proper now, Last Fantasy XIV on PS5 has you inputting your one time password to login. On Xbox Collection X, it saves every part so that you simply must boot the sport up and may instantly hit login and play. On PC, it’s a must to enter each the password and the one time password to login. Doing that is very annoying on Steam Deck. I hope we see the Xbox-style login choice added on PC and PS5 sooner or later.
The music of Last Fantasy XIV
I’ve mainly caught to Last Fantasy XIV all these years due to Masayoshi Soken’s music. I’ve been listening to it nicely earlier than getting the expansions and even reaching these factors story smart in-game. I do know this isn’t superb, however the music in A Realm Reborn was too good for me to not hearken to it continually over time. It was attention-grabbing seeing the place every music was used in-game although. I made a decision to place a pause on that for Endwalker, and have been saving that soundtrack for once I hear it in-game. Soken’s music in Last Fantasy XIV is past unimaginable. I even love most of his work in Last Fantasy XVI, however I feel the Heavensward and Shadowbringers music kind a number of the collection finest music of all time. It’s that good. I’ve been making it some extent to all the time purchase Last Fantasy XIV music even when I’m not updated with the sport. I prefer it that a lot.
What’s subsequent for Last Fantasy XIV on Steam Deck?
Subsequent month, Last Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail with a graphics overhaul arrives. It’d make some facets of this text out of date, however I can’t actually say proper now. I’ll try to maintain this up to date as soon as Dawntrail releases so these seeking to get into Last Fantasy XIV with the brand new graphics can nonetheless play it on Steam Deck. Keep tuned for that. I’ll hopefully even be protecting Dawntrail sooner or later.
Once I initially acquired the Steam Deck again in 2022, it took me some time to se tup Last Fantasy XIV due to how difficult all of the guides had been again then. In 2024, enjoying Last Fantasy XIV on Steam Deck is less complicated than ever, and there’s nearly no friction concerned. It feels wonderful on the hand-held, and is even playable over a telephone hotspot in my expertise.
As somebody who’s enjoying it just for the story and music, I’ve had a ton of enjoyable with it on my Steam Deck OLED and Xbox in latest weeks. Should you aren’t certain whether it is one thing you’ll take pleasure in, at the very least get the free trial as a result of Last Fantasy XIV: Heavensward is well the most effective Last Fantasy experiences I’ve ever had.
