Ever considered revisiting the nostalgic days of Call of Duty Black Ops on your Steam Deck? If you’ve tried, you likely encountered a series of frustrating performance issues that may have led you to abandon the idea. However, recent developments suggest that older titles in the Call of Duty franchise could soon experience a significant performance enhancement, thanks to the latest SteamOS beta build. This improvement isn’t just limited to the iconic FPS series; it holds promise for other classic games as well.
Unpacking the Nsync Update
The renewed interest in reviving Captain Price’s adventures can be attributed to a feature known as ntsync. This key addition in the January 8 SteamOS beta update introduces kernel-level support for a driver that has demonstrated the ability to enhance Windows game performance on Linux systems. This is particularly relevant for the Steam Deck, as well as the anticipated Steam Machine and Steam Frame hardware.
While the excitement surrounding this update is palpable, it’s essential to temper expectations. Although ntsync has shown potential for substantial performance improvements in certain Linux versions, SteamOS already incorporates fsync, a driver that provides similar benefits. However, ntsync may still offer modest enhancements, especially for older games that struggle with fsync compatibility. While much of the online chatter has focused on the Call of Duty series, there’s no reason to believe that ntsync won’t benefit other PC games from the same era.
In an effort to explore these advancements, I decided to put my Steam Deck to the test. As someone who enjoys revisiting the original Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for some classic multiplayer action, I was eager to see how the campaign would perform. Although I didn’t have the time to delve into the multiplayer aspect, I played through a portion of the campaign to gauge any noticeable differences. The results were not groundbreaking, but they were promising.
Call of Duty 4 already runs adequately on the Steam Deck. With the refresh rate of the Steam Deck OLED, I unlocked the frame rate and observed some minor improvements when utilizing Proton GE (ntsync). This distinction is crucial, given the beta nature of the update. During my testing, I loaded into the catwalk checkpoint of the Crew Expendable mission, where the Gamescope overlay FPS fluctuated between 130-140 on the current fsync build. In contrast, switching to the ntsync-enabled Proton-GE fork allowed the frame rate to stabilize around 135-144.
While these results don’t signify a complete triumph over the performance issues previously reported by other players, they do hint at potential improvements. For those who enjoy connecting their Deck to a 144Hz display for a smoother gaming experience, these minor enhancements could be worthwhile.
In discussions on the Steam Deck subreddit, user ‘Sjknight413’ noted that the previously experienced “horrendous framerate drops” and “glitchy or pitch black” objects in Call of Duty Black Ops have been resolved with the new Proton-GE/ntsync combination. If you’ve faced challenges running older Windows games on your Steam Deck, it might be worth dedicating a leisurely Sunday to explore this new solution. Simply opt into the SteamOS 3.7.20 beta branch and install the latest Proton-GE version via the Proton Up-Qt app in the Discover store—it’s a straightforward process.
If you’re not inclined to dive in just yet, keep an eye out for benchmarks that will likely emerge once the beta branch becomes widely available. As for me, I’m looking forward to honing my skills in fruit-slicing action on the go. They say it takes 10,000 hours to master anything, and I’m eager to see just how remarkable I can become.
