Why Civilization 7 Shines on the Steam Deck

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For more than three decades, the game known as Civilization has been a prominent figure in the 4X strategy genre. Notably, it held the top spot for quite some time without being released on any home console. Although the initial two installments of Civilization were adapted for consoles such as SNES and PlayStation, the series began an exclusive PC release streak with Civilization 3 in 2001. Apart from Civilization Revolution, a simplified spin-off aimed at introducing newcomers to the game, the Civilization series didn’t reappear on consoles until 2017.

As a gaming enthusiast, I can confidently say that the Nintendo Switch port for Civilization 6 surpassed all expectations, thanks to Take-Two’s efforts. Given this success, it’s not surprising that Civilization 7 has made its grand debut on multiple platforms all at once – a first for this franchise! You can get your hands on Civ 7 right now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch. And if you’re into immersive gaming experiences, wait until Spring when it arrives on VR. But among all these options, the Steam Deck might just be the best way to experience Civ 7!

Civilization 7 Feels Right At Home on The Steam Deck

Civilization 7 Runs Very Well on The Steam Deck

Firaxis Developers revealed that Civilization 7 was confirmed as compatible with Steam Deck well before the game’s official release, and this rating is truly fitting. In other words, Civilization 7 can be played smoothly on the Steam Deck straight away, without requiring any adjustments to settings for optimal performance on the handheld device.

If players desire a bit more frames, they can effortlessly achieve this by navigating to the game’s visual settings and enabling AMD FSR 3. On occasion, while exploring densely populated urban areas or towns, some fluctuations in frame rate may occur; however, these instances should not significantly diminish the overall gaming experience.

Civilization 7 has its own layout for the Steam Deck controller, which performs impressively given the game’s intricate mechanics. A user-friendly radial menu provides access to diplomatic options within the game. Meanwhile, the “A” button takes care of most tasks, with the “Y” button serving to cycle through all the choices available during a player’s turn, including unit commands and technology selection for research. Players also have the option to utilize the Steam Deck’s touch screen and trackpads for more precise control if they prefer.

Civilization 7’s Gameplay Loop Fits Perfectly With The Steam Deck

For quite some time, the guiding principle of the “Civilization” series has been “one more turn,” and the Steam Deck shares this mindset. Although a single game of “Civilization 7” might last for hours, the portable and casual play style of the Steam Deck allows players to dive in for just a few turns during their spare moments, thus dividing that significant time commitment into smaller, manageable sessions.

The Steam Deck Flips One of Civilization 7’s Biggest Complaints On its Head

As a gamer diving into the world of Civilization 7, I can’t help but notice that one area where it falls short, at least from my perspective as a PC player, is the game’s user interface (UI). It seems like the developers went a bit overboard with the size of the icons, nameplates, and text boxes. This design choice often shrinks the map’s visible space on the screen quite significantly.

However, I found that this very critique works to my advantage when playing Civilization 7 on the Steam Deck. The larger icons and text boxes are a godsend for its compact screen, making gameplay more comfortable and intuitive.

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2025-02-15 19:34