ID Software has pushed out a brand-new update for its newest shooter, Doom: The Dark Ages, and among its changes and bug fixes, handheld PCs have been given some special focus. Alongside optimizations for these devices, the studio confirmed that the title has now gained Verified status on Valve"s popular Steam Deck system.
There are handheld-specific Doom: The Dark Ages performance targets now as well, including the brand-new Asus ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X devices. Here"s the full list released today:
- Steam Deck: 720p @ ~30FPS
- Z1 Devices: 720p @ ~30FPS (such as ASUS ROG Ally)
- Z1E Devices: 1080p @ ~30FPS (such as ASUS ROG Ally X, Lenovo Legion Go)
- Z2A Devices: 720p @ ~30FPS (such as XBOX ROG Ally)
- Z2E Devices: 1080p @ ~60FPS (such as XBOX ROG Ally X)
The studio says that Doom: The Dark Ages will now autodetect optimal settings when launching the game on a handheld, but players can customize the experience if they wish following that. The update has also brought in optimizations, a new benchmark mode, and external controller detection when using a handheld gaming PC.
Moreover, the update also makes changes to the Brink of Death system, making it function more like the launch experience. This system would ignore some instances of damage when near death to enhance the comeback nature of the shooter.
"The Dark Ages (and Eternal) was designed from the start to allow players the chance to fight their way back from a near death experience - this system is known as the Brink of Death," explained the developer. "When your health is low, by design, you are at your most alert and engaged. We’ve re-tuned this system’s values to settings closer to launch, enhancing this aspect of the combat."
The complete patch notes for Doom: The Dark Ages Update 2.2 can be read here.