Steam Deck Life
undisputed steam deck boxing

First Look At Undisputed On The Steam Deck

Steam Deck Performance Settings

The boxing game Undisputed has finally released for $29.99 as an early access game on Steam so I decided to take a look at how it runs on the Steam Deck. This is the first official boxing game to release since Fight Night Champion in 2011 on consoles.

Day one of early access launches with:

Innovative & Authentic Boxing Gameplay

– Revolutionary footwork mechanics, including a Loose Movement modifier to help you get around the ring with ease.
– More than 60 individual punches. Punch from multiple angles and directions. Feint to set up a trap and counter.
– All the tools needed to be a defensive wizard. Slip punches, weave, dodge, and block.
– Physics driven interactions, so punches can sometimes go around or even through the guard.
– Up close and personal inside fighting like never before.
– Manage stamina over the course of a fight with the Adrenaline system.
– The little details that matter. Taking a knee, intentional fouls, clinching, and referee interactions.
– 50 Attributes & Traits to differentiate styles and capabilities of fighters.
– Multiple AI styles and difficulty settings for everyone from amateurs to pound-for-pound masters.

The World of Boxing

– 50+ licensed fighters at the start of Early Access, with more to come. From legendary names like Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson to boxing’s modern champions, including Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, and Tyson Fury.
– An exciting Women’s Division with stars like Katie Taylor, Jessica McCaskill, Natasha Jonas and Ebanie Bridges.
– The WBC, British Boxing Board of Control, and other real-life boxing organizations.
– Boxing equipment and apparel brands steam such as Empire Pro Tape, & Adams.
– Punch stats and presentation featuring CompuBox.
– Fighter introductions by the legendary Jimmy Lennon Jr.
– Distinguished referee Kenny Bayless.

Immersive Sights & Sounds

– Incredibly detailed boxer models, utilizing the latest scanning technology.
– 6 unique fight locations, including a large arena, Coldwell’s Gym, & an outdoor venue.
– Realistic damage, progressive sweat, and facial deformation.
– Broadcast presentation with expert commentary by Todd Grisham and Johnny Nelson, as well as ring walks, and referee instructions.

Undisputed Early Access Day 1 Performance

I played the technical test version of the game on the Steam Deck a few months ago and it didn’t run well. Testing out day one of early access and it seems like the performance is still far away from a stable playable experience but I managed to get something respectable if you really can’t wait for the game to be optimized for the Steam Deck.

From my testing it seems like the performance changes depending on the venue you’re fighting at.


Steam Deck Tweaks

Here are the custom tweaks that I applied to get the results below.

The first thing I did was increase the UMA buffer size from 1GB to 4GB, you can learn how to do that here. I then installed CryoUtilities with a swap size of 16gb and swapiness of 1. I also installed the Decky Plugin System Toolbox and enabled Linux Huge Pages and I installed the plugin Power Tools and disabled SMT.

The rest of my in game settings could be found on our side bar to the right of this article (if you’re on desktop) or at the bottom of this article (if you’re on mobile).


Undisputed Performance at each Venue

Turners Gym will give you the best experience on the Steam Deck averaging 40-55 FPS with my tweaks and in game settings.

Brooklyn Hall will give you 34-45 FPS with my tweaks and in game settings.

Coldwell Gym will give you 24-42 FPS with my tweaks and in game settings.

Empire Pro will give you 27-37 FPS with my tweaks and in game settings.

Compubox Academy will give you 34-47 FPS with my tweaks and in game settings.

WBC Arena will give you 25-43 FPS with my tweaks and in game settings.

If you thought about getting a Steam Deck primarily for Undisputed, I would stay away for now until or if they optimize the game for it.