When it comes to One Move Away Steam Deck performance, the implicit question isn't whether the game runs—it's whether it runs well enough to keep the physics engine from ruining your perfectly packed moving van. Out of the box, Ramage Games’ cozy packing puzzler is officially Steam Deck Verified, offering a highly stable experience. However, the default settings drain the battery faster than necessary and leave handheld optimization on the table. By capping the refresh rate to 40Hz, lowering the TDP limit to 8 Watts, and utilizing the right trackpad for object rotation, players can achieve a flawless 40 FPS while extending battery life to over three hours. Here is the definitive, ownership-grade guide to optimizing your handheld move.
Why One Move Away Steam Deck Performance Matters
It is tempting to look at a cozy game and assume it requires zero hardware optimization. But unlike the flat, 2D pixel art of genre contemporaries like Unpacking, Ramage Games has built a fully 3D, first-person physics sandbox. Every lamp, cardboard box, and stack of vinyl records you place in the back of the moving van possesses a physical hitbox and weight value calculated in real-time.
This means frame pacing is critical. If the frame rate dips during a complex physics calculation—say, when fifty items are stacked precariously in the back of a hatchback—the input latency spikes. A sudden stutter can cause you to accidentally drop a heavy oak table onto a fragile box of dishes. Because the game demands spatial awareness and precise placement, an unstable frame rate directly impacts your ability to play.
Furthermore, the game's emotional resonance relies on a frictionless experience. You are unpacking the lives of characters across decades, reading environmental storytelling through the objects they keep and discard. If the console's fans are screaming like a jet engine because the APU is drawing maximum power for unnecessary shadows, it shatters the cozy atmosphere. Proper One Move Away Steam Deck performance tuning ensures the hardware gets out of the way of the storytelling.
Best Settings for One Move Away Steam Deck Performance
Do not rely on the default configuration. Out of the box, the game targets 60 FPS with high shadows and Temporal Anti-Aliasing (TAA). On a 7-inch screen, these settings provide diminishing visual returns while heavily taxing the battery.
To achieve these Optimized Settings For Handheld, you need to adjust a few specific in-game toggles. First, drop Shadow Quality: Medium to Low; the visual difference inside a dark moving van is negligible, but the GPU overhead saved is massive. Next, switch Anti-Aliasing: TAA to FXAA. TAA is notorious for creating a ghosting effect on the Steam Deck's screen when quickly panning the camera across text-heavy boxes, whereas FXAA keeps edges crisp without the blur.
Crucially, keep the Resolution: 800p Native. Do not be tempted to use FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) here. FSR upscaling makes the handwritten labels on the moving boxes blurry and difficult to read. Ensure you have V-Sync: Disabled in the game menu, allowing SteamOS to handle the frame pacing at a system level. Finally, adjust the Framerate: 60fps to 40fps in the SteamOS quick access menu. Maximizing Battery While Preserving Visuals is the ultimate goal here, and this combination delivers exactly that.
Settings Comparison Table
| Setting | Default | Optimized for Steam Deck | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 800p | 800p Native | FSR upscaling makes text labels blurry. |
| Anti-Aliasing | TAA | FXAA | Reduces ghosting on moving objects. |
| Shadows | High | Low | Saves GPU overhead; visually similar in dark vans. |
| V-Sync | On | Disabled | SteamOS handles frame pacing better natively. |
| Framerate | 60 FPS | 40 FPS | Massive battery savings, stable physics engine. |
Battery Life and Thermal Draw: Taming the Unity Engine
By diving into the SteamOS performance menu, you can establish dedicated STEAM DECK PROFILES tailored specifically for this title. The most critical tweak is the TDP Limit, which you should Set to 8 Watts.
Because Ramage Games built the title using the Unity Burst SDK, the Engine is highly optimized for multi-threading but will aggressively draw power if left unchecked. At a capped 8W, the system strikes a perfect thermal balance, showing GPU Usage 65% / CPU Usage 35%. This prevents the APU from overheating and keeps the fan noise to a whisper.
Pair this power limit with a Refresh Rate Locked at 40Hz, and you'll achieve a Battery Life of Up to 3.5 Hours on the LCD model (and closer to 5 hours on the OLED variant). This specific Performance Metrics & Battery optimization is precisely why the game earned its Deck Verified Status from Valve. Ultimately, Smooth frame pacing ensures physics stability. It transforms a demanding 3D environment into a Cozy, Portable experience driven by Physics and Optimization.
Controls and Physics: Packing on the Go
The first-person perspective requires dual-stick navigation, but precision is key when fitting a toaster next to a stack of books. The default controller layout is serviceable, but customizing your inputs transforms the experience from frustrating to deeply satisfying.
You will naturally Use the left stick to navigate the first-person view. However, the analog sticks lack the finesse needed for tight spatial puzzles. Instead, The right trackpad offers precision for rotating objects along multiple axes. Swiping your thumb across the trackpad allows for millimeter-perfect rotations that a joystick simply cannot match.
When you have the perfect angle, the Right trigger gently places the item into the vehicle. If you misjudge the space or trigger a collision, the Left trigger pulls items back out of the stack instantly. For the ultimate control hack, Map gyro controls for micro-adjustments during tight fits—physically tilting the Steam Deck to slide a vinyl record between two heavy crates feels incredibly intuitive and completely eliminates the clunkiness of gamepad puzzle-solving.
Sylvie, Cam, and Frame Rates: A Level-by-Level Breakdown
One Move Away spans multiple eras and characters, and the performance demands scale significantly as you progress through their lives.
During the 1973 tutorial, you are simply a baby stacking wooden blocks. The geometry is incredibly simple, and the Steam Deck barely breaks a sweat. But skip ahead to the 2007 level, and you are helping Cam load heavy furniture into a massive commercial moving truck. The golden rule of moving—Start with the heavy items.—is strictly enforced by the game's physics engine.
If you carelessly toss a bowling ball onto a cardboard box marked Fragile, the box will dynamically crush. Stack items too haphazardly, and you'll trigger a massive domino effect as your meticulously organized belongings tumble into the street. Once the Physics engine engaged!, you realize this isn't just a spatial puzzle; it's a brutal test of structural integrity. Maintaining a locked 40 FPS during these late-game stages is essential for beating the 12:00 timer on the HUD without the game stuttering under the weight of its own collision meshes.
OLED vs LCD: Visual Fidelity in the Back of a Van
While performance metrics are largely identical across both Steam Deck hardware revisions, the visual experience of One Move Away differs dramatically depending on your screen. The game relies heavily on environmental lighting—streetlamps casting long shadows into the back of a moving van at midnight, or the golden hour sun baking a driveway.
On the LCD model, the dark interiors of the moving vehicles can sometimes wash out into a muddy gray, making it slightly difficult to judge depth when placing dark-colored objects in the back corners of a truck.
The OLED model, however, fundamentally changes the legibility of the puzzle space. The perfect black levels mean the depth of the van is accurately represented, allowing you to gauge exactly how much space is left behind a sofa. Furthermore, the OLED's 90Hz screen allows players to lock the game at 45 FPS (setting the refresh rate to 90Hz) instead of 40 FPS, offering a slightly smoother camera pan while maintaining excellent battery life.
FAQ: One Move Away Steam Deck Performance
Is One Move Away Steam Deck Verified? Yes. Playstack and Valve confirmed the game is fully Verified as of May 30, 2026. Legible text, default controller support, and solid performance are guaranteed out of the box.
Does the game support cloud saves between PC and Steam Deck? Absolutely. Steam Cloud saves are seamlessly integrated, allowing you to pack half a van on your desktop PC and finish the job on your commute without losing any progress.
Why does the game stutter when items fall over? The Unity Burst SDK calculates the collision of every object simultaneously. If you leave the frame rate uncapped, the APU chokes trying to render the sudden burst of physics data during a domino effect. Capping the frame rate to 40 FPS provides the CPU enough overhead to prevent stuttering.
Can I play One Move Away offline? Yes. As a single-player, story-rich puzzle game, it requires no permanent internet connection, making it an ideal travel companion for long flights or road trips.
Is the text too small to read on the handheld screen? No. The developers have optimized the UI for handhelds. However, as noted in the settings guide, avoid using FSR, as upscaling algorithms tend to blur the handwritten labels on the moving boxes.