why cant Steam Deck detect display resolution?

Every PC I’ve ever used automatically detects and adjusts resolution to the display you connect to it. Even Nintendo Switch will detect when it’s docked and automatically adjust the display resolution. But on Steam Deck you literally have to adjust the display resolution for every game, every time you switch displays.

Since getting the SD I have shoved my PC into another room to displace the heat (until I get a mini-split) and I just stream from it to the Deck, whether docked at my desk or on the couch or on the big screen. But this really complicates that process unnecessarily.

This has also not been fixed in Nobara or Chimera.

What’s the limitation there?

OmegaMouse,
@OmegaMouse@feddit.uk avatar

Yes this is annoying. I like to play games docked, and in order to get them working correctly I have to manually tell Steam to use 1080p resolution for every game. This then gives you more options within the game settings (rather than maxing out at 1200x800) whilst docked. But in most cases I have to then change the in-game setting each time I go from docked to portable.

It does feel like docking is an afterthought with the Steam Deck. I was expecting something more akin to the Switch which has a flawless docking experience. I hope SteamOS improves on this in future.

Nibodhika,

Consoles don’t do that, they have a set resolution and try to use that even if the monitor supports higher res, the reason is that a console has a limited hardware and knows its limitations, that way they can ensure the best user experience. The Steam Deck works primarily as a console, but without the usual closed off limitations so you can change the resolution if you know that the specific game you’re trying to play will support it, but as a general the deck plays it safe and uses the same resolution it would use for the integrated screen.

Also you need to think on the cluster fuck it would be if you’re playing the game in 4k then unplug your deck and now you have a 4k game downscaled to fit a 1280x800 screen.

skullgiver, (edited )
@skullgiver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nl avatar

deleted_by_author

    •
    helenslunch,

    Games go real funky on Linux when it comes to running two monitors, in my experience.

    Never been my experience…

    In my experience, games decide to store the resolution in their own config files

    Based on what?

    The Deck should set the default game resolution to “native”

    It doesn’t. The default is always 800p.

    You should be able to change the external monitor resolution in Settings -> Display -> External Display Scaling

    This setting no longer exists.

    skullgiver, (edited )
    @skullgiver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nl avatar

    deleted_by_author

    •
    histic,

    also gog isnt drm free any more sadly cyberpunk being a big example

    helenslunch,

    Uhhhh I’m pretty sure it is. Otherwise they are destroying the only thing they have going for them and lying in their marketing.

    histic,

    just because YOU have never had problems doesn’t mean they don’t exist most games do store there res and other user settings s in their own config file just cause it normally follows monitor resolution doesn’t mean it’s not stored and I’ve had many problems with games opening on the wrong display or just flat up refusing to display one one screen and unless it’s changed in the past few days I just used the external display scaling were you docked?

    helenslunch,

    just because YOU have never had problems doesn’t mean they don’t exist

    No one said that.

    most games do store there res and other user settings s in their own config file

    Again, based on what? What resolution are the choosing and why? Every PC game I have ever played has its’ settings automatically adjusted to the native resolution.

    Max_P,
    @Max_P@lemmy.max-p.me avatar

    Some games will also save the resolution when it generates the default graphical settings and then save that and reuse that. So if you then plug in an external display, the game doesn’t even look for that. It loads the last settings which would be 720p.

    Also the Deck runs games under gamescope which has its own upscaling. So it probably sets the virtual screen to be the deck’s native resolution regardless of what’s plugged in, and hope FSR is good enough and minimize the need to also have to switch other graphical settings for the game to run properly at higher resolution.

    Not sure why it would do that for streamed games though. How’s the game on the PC even aware of the resolution of the Deck?

    narshee,
    @narshee@iusearchlinux.fyi avatar

    Do you mean in games or in the steam os itself? If steam os has the right resolution you can set the per game resolution option to native.

    helenslunch,

    Looking at some older videos, it looks like this is how it used to work but they actually removed the option at some point 🤦

    kebabslob,

    The limitation isn’t there, it’s deliberate. If you look when you connect to a monitor, the resolutions you can select for a game are resolutions detected by the Deck to be supported by the monitor. The Deck deliberately doesn’t go for the highest supported resolution by Default, I imagine this is because the Deck’s hardware is optimized for lower-resolution play, which is why it usually just stops at 1280x720p cuz the deck itself is 1280x800p which is pretty close.

    helenslunch, (edited )

    That’s dumb. What if I’m playing a 2D game like Hollow Knight? It can easily run this game at 4k/60. Or what if I’m streaming from the desktop? Or cloud gaming?

    They could at least have it as an option…

    E: If anyone wants to actually answer the question instead of downvoting and disappearing, I’d be grateful.

    eclipse,

    Shoot Steam Support a email

    Nawor3565,

    I mean, what’s the point in rendering a game in 4K if the display is only 1080p? It seems like it would mostly be a waste of computing resources.

    helenslunch,

    What’s the point in rendering a game in 4K if the display is only 1080p?

    That would be stupid and I never suggested anything of the sort.

    bananaw,

    So based on arbitrary categorization of specific games it should know when to display in max resolution when plugged in to an external monitor?

    That’s tough to manage and not worth the headache

    helenslunch,

    So it should be left up to the user, like every other graphics settings on every other device…

    bananaw,

    Sorry, what are you suggesting?

    helenslunch,

    I detailed my suggestion clearly several times at this point. The Deck should operate like every other piece of hardware that automatically detects and switches to the resolution of whatever display you connect to it, unless and until you specify otherwise.

    bananaw,

    It’s Linux though, that’s typically not what happens unless you configure it to do so

    helenslunch,

    …yes? It is.

    Fisch,
    @Fisch@lemmy.ml avatar

    Correct, normally Linux uses the highest resolution a display has but, as someone else already commented, the Steam Deck probably doesn’t do that because it’s made to run at about 720p and setting the resolution to something higher might cause the game to run very poorly by default or softlock.

    garrett,

    This actually is an option!

    I’ve used it to play games from the Deck at native 1080p on my TV.

    I’m not at my Steam Deck right now, but I remember it’s in the settings. I think if you go to the game’s settings, look for something like “native” display. You have to go into the settings for each game you want at a larger resolution on an external monitor in game mode and select “native”.

    I don’t remember if it needs to first be enabled on the system settings in the display area. (I think it does the right thing for system settings by default in most cases.)

    IIRC, desktop mode also automatically supports the native resolution, but game mode is nice and console-like. Desktop mode might be a bit clunkier than what you’d want for couch gaming. Setting the option in game mode for the game is likely your best option.

    helenslunch,

    Yes I mentioned that in my OP. The problem is I have to do that for each game individually, instead of just a global setting…

    Sethayy, (edited )

    Its linux. Then either get in the config yourself and change the value or quit bitching.

    Can’t always expect everyone to hand solve all of your problems for you, no matter how hard you complain

    Edit to explain myself a bit, what I have an issue with is that this is a problem with a solution (not in the config), BUT that solution just isn’t easy enough for OP.

    They want steam to test and maintain ANOTHER database of all their games for which ones most likely won’t lag in higher resolutions than the one they designed the entire system around.

    This ain’t no linux elitism, its just that steam is focusing its efforts on making much more important things usable than simplifying this one specific workflow, which I 100% believe is justified (look how far proton has come solely thanks to steam)

    helenslunch, (edited )

    Hey fuckass. I’m not a software engineer and I don’t have time to learn a library of fucking Linux commands. I already have a job.

    I absolutely can expect someone else to solve problems for me when I pay them to do so. The Steam Deck was invented and sold to solve problems.

    No one asked you for anything. If you don’t have anything helpful to contribute to the conversation then just fuck off.

    vinnymac,

    Just wanted to say, I am a software engineer, and your concerns are valid.

    The user experience is surely something Steam wants to improve, and I expect they will iterate both on the current software and future hardware revisions.

    I don’t think anyone other than Valve will know why they don’t have the desired functionality. The answers are usually long and boring for this type of problem.

    helenslunch,

    Thank you.

    Sethayy,

    And then again you’d know better than anyone that hardware has its limitations for a reason, so maintaining ANOTHER database like proton just for lightweight games that can run 4k sounds pretty excessive when they’re mostly focused on common issues like booting games. Can’t solve all github issues no matter how hard one wants to try, things take time

    Sethayy,

    Just saying the problem is very fixable and steamos is insanely user friendly, but they can’t be expected to solve every problem ever, again no matter how hard you whine

    helenslunch,

    I’m not “whining” shitstain. I asked a question. If you’d like to provide a fix, feel free. If you’re gonna keep being a dick you can save yourself the time and stop replying to me because I’m just going to block you.

    worsedoughnut,
    @worsedoughnut@lemdro.id avatar

    The SteamDeck is intended to be a normal, non-Linux expert, platform first and foremost. Also please don’t be a shithead for no reason.

    skullgiver, (edited )
    @skullgiver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nl avatar

    deleted_by_author

    •
    Sethayy,

    For sure but even windows has the registry and macos its terminal, its not uncommon for non-common usage cases to not have a nice pretty setting on the home screen.

    I’d say it’d make a lot more people hate the deck if every time they tried to use it on a tv it lagged to ass cause it defaults to the 4k of the television when it struggles at 720 normally.

    100% support where steams efforts are going, and I don’t think it should be on menial issues like this

    garrett,

    Oh, sorry. I missed that detail. ☹️ Apologies.

    Yeah, I agree that it’s a bother to do it with every game. You’re absolutely right.

    This should be some global setting, especially as they even officially sell a dock.

    phx,

    Because if it defaults to the highest level on some games it might lock up the hardware, whereas if you start low you can bump it up until you find the optimal setting

    helenslunch,

    You can change the display settings in Steam before you launch the game, or in the game menu, before you launch the game.

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