Thanks to the latest Proton Experimental update, "THE FINALS" is now playable on the Steam Deck. This is a massive change from a few days ago when the game was still marked as incompatible and rated "BORKED" on ProtonDB.
To get this up and running, all you need to do is switch the compatibility of the game to Proton Experimental in the game properties if you get stuck on a black screen after the Easy Anti-Cheat logo appears.
We also recommend the addition of cryo utilities and the 4 GB UMA buffer, which could be beneficial. If you're interested in how to set this up, you might want to follow the link here.
It's not all smooth sailing though. The game’s aim assist feature on PC has been toned down considerably, to the point of being almost non-existent. This makes aiming with a controller on the Steam Deck particularly challenging.
During gameplay, the inadequacy of the aim assist becomes apparent, especially when compared to the more effective aim assist on console versions which is apparent when watching replays.
Performance-wise, the game runs at its lowest settings, utilizing AMD FSR 2 (FidelityFX Super Resolution) for balancing performance and quality. Initially, using AMD FSR 2 on the quality setting yielded good results, but for a more stable experience, switching to FSR 2 balanced is recommended.
I also experimented with using a keyboard and mouse to improve gameplay, but this didn’t pan out as expected due to a minor input delay experienced while recording. This delay is particularly noticeable in FPS games, although it's less of an issue in other genres.
In terms of frame rates, you can expect around 50-60 frames per second with dips into the 30-40 FPS range with lots of destruction on some maps.
There's hope for future optimizations, particularly regarding the aim assist feature, which currently makes gameplay challenging and often leaves players reliant on their teammates for revival.