2023 was a particularly amazing year for remakes and remasters. From Metroid Prime Remastered and Dead Space Remake to Resident Evil 4 Remake to Advance Wars 1+2: Re-boot Camp, last year was simply too good. And among these was also Nightdive Studios remake of the 1994 sci-fi classic – System Shock. Released on May 30, 2023, for Windows, System Shock (titled the same as the original) had a particularly rocky development. The game had to go through a number of delays but finally got released last year to quite positive reviews from critics and fans alike. System Shock is also set to make its console debut this year, on May 21, 2024. Although a ton of fans are already having a great time with it on their Steam Decks. But a few are encountering crashes.
At the time of publishing this, System Shock isn’t verified for the Steam Deck. Despite that, it seems to run without much issues on it. Unfortunately, crashing issues aren’t new to Steam Deck users, who have encountered them while playing other games too. To be honest, there could be a plethora of causes behind this, ranging from missing game files to the game version being old. So, is there any fix for this? Well, let’s go ahead and find out.
System Shock crashing on Steam Deck: How to fix it?
Since System Shock isn’t officially supported for the Steam Deck, players will have to make use of the following workarounds. Try these and see if any of them are able to help you bypass this issue.
Update –
Before you try out other workarounds, we highly suggest that you use this update method. Essentially, what you need to do is check if there’s an update available for the game and SteamOS. If there’s one, simply download and install that update. Once that’s done, launch the game and see if it crashes again. If everything’s updated from the get-go and you are still experiencing this issue, then you will need to make use of another workaround.
Use Proton compatibility –
You can also make use of the Deck’s Proton compatibility feature and check out if that works. To do this, you can start by selecting System Shock from your Library and then press the Options button on the Deck. Next, select Properties and then switch to the Compatibility tab. Now, check the Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool checkbox. After that, simply select a Proton version from the drop-down menu located below. Try Proton Experimental first and if it doesn’t help, try another one.
Repair game files –
As stated before, this issue could also be the result of System Shock having either corrupted or missing game files. This can be fixed by simply verifying and repairing the game. To do that, you will need to select System Shock and then press the three-line button located on the right side of your Deck. Following that, select Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files. Once the process is over, restart your Steam Deck and then launch the game.
Switch to Desktop Mode –
For those having crashing issues while in Game Mode, we recommend you switch to Desktop Mode and then play the game in that. If you don’t know how to switch to Desktop Mode, just press the Steam button on your Deck and then select Power. Next, click on Switch to Desktop. You are now in the Deck’s Desktop Mode.
Reinstall –
If none of the above workarounds are of help, then all you can do is reinstall the game. At times, the reinstall method has worked for other games facing similar issues, so we suggest you give it a try.
And that’s all the workarounds we have for this issue right now. Additionally, you can also take a quick look here if System Shock is not working properly on your PC. Lastly, keep following DigiStatement for more such interesting content. Also read: Best System Shock Remake Steam Deck Settings for high FPS & performance
