It’s here. It’s finally here. Supergiant Games, the iconic developers behind titles like Bastion, Transistor, and, of course – Hades, is back with their latest title. Announced in December 2022, Hades II, as the name suggests, is the sequel to the developer’s last title and one for which many fans have been eagerly waiting for quite some time. That wait came to an end on May 6, 2024, when Supergiant released Hades II as an early access title on both Steam and Epic Games Store. Moreover, Supergiant has even gone on to make sure that it is Verified for the Steam Deck, something that a lot of developers tend to avoid during the early access phase of their games. And while the game runs great on the Deck, just like its predecessor, some players have reported Hades II crashing or not working properly on it.
Supergiant has taken great care in making sure that Hades II runs flawlessly on the Deck and it shows. However, issues like this are unavoidable for better or worse. But this doesn’t mean that it can’t be dealt with. In fact, by the end of this guide, you should be able to enjoy Hades II without encountering any more of these issues. So, let’s go ahead and check out all the available workarounds.
Hades II Crashing/Not Working on Steam Deck: Is there any fix yet
Here are some workarounds that will help you fix this issue. Try them all, and see which ones are of use to you.
Restart –
The very first thing that we recommend you do is use this restart method. It’s pretty simple. Just force reboot the Deck itself. However, if this method doesn’t work, you can switch to another one.
Update the Deck –
Ensure that your Steam Deck is updated to the latest version available. If there is indeed an update available, download and install that update. Along with this, as suggested here, you can also reboot the Deck after updating and see if that works. To do so, follow these steps:
- First, press the Steam button on your Deck, and then go to Settings > System.
- Now, under Beta Participation, check whether the System Update Channel is set to Stable.
- Finally, select the Check For Updates option.
Use Proton Experimental –
This user suggested forcing Proton compatibility to deal with the issue, so we suggest giving this a try. Essentially, what you need to do is select Hades II from your Steam Library and press the Options button. Next, select Properties and switch to the Compatibility section. Now, checkmark the Force the use of a specific Steam Play configuration tool checkbox. After that, select Proton Experimental from the drop-down menu. And that should help you resolve this issue. By the way, if Experimental doesn’t work for you, try using other Proton versions. For instance, Supergiant themselves have suggested using Proton 8.0-5 along with the ones that come with the Steam Client, so try that too.
Switch to the Beta version of SteamOS –
Now, we know that Supergiant recommended switching to Stable, but there are cases where players had issues with that. And as you can see here, switching to the Beta version of SteamOS was what helped players deal with this issue. So, press the Steam button on the Deck and choose System. In Steam settings, switch to the System section, and under Beta Participation, you will find the System Update Channel option. If it’s Stable, select it and change it to Beta. Now, let the Deck restart and download a new update. Following this, try running Hades II with Proton 9.
Install the game on the Deck’s internal memory –
This is specifically for players who happen to have Hades II installed on a microSD card that’s connected to the Deck. If you happen to be one of them, we suggest deleting the game from there and installing it anew on the Deck’s internal memory. This is a pretty common method of dealing with this issue, so try it.
Repair game files –
Verifying and repairing the game files can also be of great help when it comes to this issue. Essentially, what you need to do is select Hades II from your Library and press the three-line button on your Steam Deck. Next, select Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files. Once the verification process is over, restart the Deck and then launch the game.
Turn off the fps counter –
Now, we know how strange this fix sounds, but at least one player has said that this helped them fix the crashing issue. We recommend giving it a try and if it works, then great. So, ensure that the FPS counter on your Deck is disabled, and then run the game.
Reinstall –
And at last, there’s the reinstall method. Just uninstall the game from your Steam Deck and start a new download. When the installation is complete, launch it and hopefully, the issue will be gone.
That’s all the workarounds we have for this issue right now. You can also take a quick look here if XDefiant is crashing on your Deck. And for more such content, keep following DigiStatement. Also, read: Shadows of Doubt crashing on Steam Deck: How to fix it
