The Steam Deck + UI Update! (Plus more)

This is another big one - especially if you like to play on the go!

I’ve optimised and resized everything especially for steam deck, and added controller support for PC + deck! There’s something to check out if you’re a solid desktop fan - I’ve added in a new Unlockables system, rewritten a bunch of shaders and given planets a nice fresh coat of paint.

Major added features:

Steam Deck Optimization

I’ve optimized the game to run much, much better on Deck. Previously, it was sitting at 99% GPU usage at 45fps during normal play - obviously not good. Now in my testing it’s running at around 50% GPU at 60fps!

I’ve also updated the UI thoroughly to make everything readable on the smaller screen. When you launch the game on the deck, it’ll automatically set itself up for the scaled resolution.

Not only that, but I’ve added…

Controller Support

You can now play the game fully with a controller. Button prompts are scattered around the game to help you figure out the controls, and input remapping will be coming in a future update!

Use the left joystick as a mouse, or the D-Pad to move around bit by bit. Feedback is welcome - do you think the d-pad works or would it be better suited to other controls?

Unlockables

There’s a new Unlockables system in the game to sit alongside the permanent upgrades. Now you’ll unlock items, crew, modulation gems and more as you play!

I’ve moved the unlocks for the engine modules over to the new unlockables system - you can now unlock all of the engine modules in one playthrough rather than needing to unlock them between runs!

Smaller features:

UI rework

I’ve reworked the UI to make things clearer to new players. Now, instead of buttons to the sides, you can choose which engine screen to view from the top of the screen at all times. I’ve also swapped the crew and workshop screens, and have given the shop screen it’s own panel so you can access it from wherever you are in the game!

Shader updates

I’ve updated a lot of the shaders for the backgrounds of the game. There are now clouds to follow you around (very realistic) and a much prettier atmosphere system for planets.

Item placement animations

I’ve added animations for both hovering over items and for the nudge panel - now you can see which segments or rings items will affect just by hovering, and get a preview of which way you’re going to be spinning a ring when nudging!

And of course… a million bugs have been squashed and probably spawned a few more. Join the discord to let me know how you’re finding the game!