Cronos: The New Dawn Native Steam Deck Build Delivers Significant Performance Improvements
Cronos: The New Dawn, the latest survival-horror title from Bloober Team, has received a native Steam Deck build that dramatically improves performance compared to running the game through the Proton Windows compatibility layer.
A new comparison video by Deck Wizard demonstrates how the native build consistently delivers smoother gameplay and higher frame rates, even in some of the game’s most demanding environments. In the notoriously heavy Apartment Complex section, the Windows Proton build often struggles to hold 30 frames per second, while the native version frequently runs above that threshold, providing a noticeably more stable experience.
Although the Steam Deck cannot achieve a steady 60 FPS with this title, the native Linux build allows Cronos: The New Dawn to run far closer to optimal performance for handheld play. Given the game’s deliberate pacing and emphasis on psychological atmosphere rather than twitch-based combat, a stable 30 FPS is more than adequate to deliver an immersive horror experience.
For Bloober Team, which has built its reputation on atmospheric titles like Layers of Fear and The Medium, the improvements are especially important for fans who prefer to experience survival horror on the go. By prioritizing a native Deck release, the studio has ensured that players can fully immerse themselves in its carefully crafted environments without being distracted by performance issues.
The update highlights once again the growing trend of developers releasing native Steam Deck builds rather than relying on Proton compatibility. With the handheld PC continuing to gain popularity, especially among indie and mid-tier studios, optimized builds like this may soon become an industry standard rather than an exception.
What do you think? should more developers invest in native Steam Deck builds, or is Proton support enough for most games?
