Dread Protocol is working toward Steam Deck Verified status, and this update is the biggest step yet. Nearly every screen has been reviewed and adjusted for handheld play. Here's what changed:
Auto Graphics Configuration Steam Deck is now automatically detected on first launch and defaults to Medium quality settings. No manual setup required.
HUD The ammo counter, grenade indicator, and weapon drawer have been updated with larger, cleaner icons. Grenade and ammo counters now show icon + number only, with type labels removed. They were adding visual noise at small sizes and eating up attention mid-combat.
Decorative numbers on the Health HUD and Star Map HUD have also been removed. They were rendering at a micro scale and were more likely to confuse than inform.
UI Scaling The following screens have been reviewed and scaled for the 7" display and 1280x800 resolution:
Settings Menu - both on PC and Steam deck elements have been scaled up. On Steam deck the menu is also 25% larger.
Dialogue, encounter choices, and character names
Pause Menu
Inventory tabs, trait descriptions, and character select
Star Map, including station names, warp energy, credits, and map labels
Score Screen
Tutorial popups and prompts
Shop item text and boon descriptions
Interaction UI "Hack", "Loot" - 30% larger on steam deck
Hacking UI - 40% larger on steam deck
New Warnings Two new flashing on-screen alerts have been added. An Out of Fuel warning triggers when your tank runs dry, and an Ambush Detected alert warns you're about to walk into an ambush. A lot of players were skimming encounter dialogue and missing the ambush warnings, then running straight into a group of enemies waiting at the airlock. This alert is designed to catch your attention before that happens.
Enemy Performance Optimisation Enemies far from the player now enter a dormant state, pausing their AI, animations, and navigation until you get close. Mid-range enemies also tick at a reduced rate. This significantly improves framerate on larger stations and has a useful side effect for gameplay: a gunfight in one room won't bring the whole station down on you at once.
Fast Forward Button A gradient has been added to the fast forward button so it reads more clearly as an interactive element at a glance.