Hollow Knight: Silksong's Brutality Meets its Match on the Steam Deck (My Thumbs Are Not Invited)
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
According to Rock Paper Shotgun's James Archer, *Hollow Knight: Silksong* is a delightfully brutal challenge that also happens to be a near-perfect fit for the Steam Deck, boasting native resolution support, 90Hz options, and impressive battery life for a truly portable (and painful) adventure.
Right, so you know that feeling when you're hyped for a game, you finally get your hands on it, and it immediately starts kicking your arse with the enthusiastic glee of a brawler-bot? Yeah, fair dinkum, that’s precisely the vibe James Archer, the Hardware Editor over at Rock Paper Shotgun, got from *Hollow Knight: Silksong*. And bless his cotton socks, he’s been through the wringer – and then some – all in the name of telling us whether this long-awaited sequel plays nice with our beloved Steam Deck.
Now, before we dive into the portable magic, let’s set the scene: *Silksong* is apparently not mucking about. Archer confesses it’s ‘kicking my teeth in’ with a ferocity that makes the original *Hollow Knight*’s early stages feel like a gentle stroll through a field of buttercups. We're talking platforming sections so diabolical they take 'the same amount of time to clear' as a whole two hours of gameplay. And the bosses? Oh, the bosses are apparently so savage they might just be sending you personalised insults via sword slashes. Sounds utterly brutal, doesn't it? Honestly, it sounds like my kind of chaotic fun, but also the kind that might result in a few controller-shaped holes in the wall.
But here's where things get interesting, mate. While *Silksong* might be designed by sadists (affectionately, of course), it seems Team Cherry has a soft spot for Valve's portable powerhouse. According to Archer’s report, published on Rock Paper Shotgun on Sept. 5, 2025, *Silksong* is ‘a very, very good match for the Steam Deck’, bringing some small but seriously welcome compatibility improvements that even outshine the original game’s already respectable performance.
First up, let’s talk visuals – because who doesn't love a pretty picture, especially when you're about to plummet into a spike pit? The big news is native 1280x800 resolution support. Remember those annoying black bars on the original *Hollow Knight* because it was locked to 16:9? Gone! *Silksong* fully fills out the Steam Deck’s 16:10 aspect ratio, giving you a proper visual feast. And if you've got the fancy Steam Deck OLED, you’re in for an extra treat: a 90Hz refresh option that looks suspiciously like it was tailor-made just for that glorious screen. It’s like Team Cherry cast a ‘perfect fit’ spell just for the Deck, and honestly, I'm here for it.
Then there's the HUD. Those little bits of UI that tell you how many threads you've got or how many masks remain? *Silksong* now lets you resize them. Archer admits he stuck with the default, largest size for readability – which, fair play, when you’re mid-boss fight and your health is dwindling faster than my patience with corporate buzzwords, you need those numbers to pop. But the option to shrink it or even disable it entirely is a neat little bit of customisation that shows a genuine understanding of handheld play.
Beyond these outright enhancements, *Silksong* inherits all the goodness that made its predecessor a beloved Steam Deck title. We're talking about glorious 2D side-scrolling action – a natural fit for the Deck's physical gamepad controls. Its stunning yet technically modest visuals mean it 'runs like water on max settings', which is precisely what you want when you're trying to dodge a flurry of spectral attacks. Plus, at a dinky 7.58GB, it won't eat up your SSD or microSD card like some bloated AAA behemoth. Seriously, that's an install size that would make a wizard's spellbook blush with envy.
And battery life, you ask? Ah, the eternal quest! Archer’s preliminary tests are looking pretty damn promising. He saw his freshly charged Steam Deck OLED drop to 50% after a solid 3 hours and 16 minutes, even with screen brightness and speaker volume cranked to 50%. So, if you're a bit thrifty with your settings, you're potentially looking at upwards of six hours of Hornet-related pain-and-pleasure. That’s a good few hours on the original LCD Deck too, mind you. Now, that’s what I call portable gaming, mate! Imagine getting a good chunk of a Metroidvania marathon in on a long journey, without desperately hunting for a power outlet.
Of course, all this portable perfection comes with a tiny caveat – as Archer wisely points out, there’s a 'significant risk of your precious handheld being flung into the nearest wall' after one too many encounters with 'sadistically overlong platforming sections' that send you 'collapsing onto a spike bed for the 112th successive time.' Honestly, I’ve been there. My wizarding staff nearly went through the wall once after a particularly glitchy teleport spell. Diagonal pogo, indeed. We’d all have words with that mechanic.
So, what's the takeaway here, beyond the fact that James Archer is a gaming masochist (again, affectionately!)? It seems *Hollow Knight: Silksong* is not just a highly anticipated sequel; it's also shaping up to be a prime candidate for your portable gaming library, especially if you're rocking a Steam Deck. Brutal, beautiful, and perfectly poised for handheld play. Just remember to brace yourself for the difficulty, and maybe invest in a good, soft cushion for your Deck… just in case.
Tags: Hollow Knight Silksong, Steam Deck, Indie Games, Metroidvania, Gaming Hardware
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun