Sword Art Online developer Dimps released a playable demo for Echoes of Aincrad during the Steam Next Fest event. The preview allows players to test the action role-playing game before its full launch on July 9th. Early testing reveals significant performance hurdles for users planning to play the title on portable hardware.
Demo struggles to maintain stable frame rates on handheld hardware
The demo runs on Valve's Steam Deck handheld console, exposing substantial frame rate issues even with graphics settings minimized. Players navigating the open-world environment struggle to maintain a stable visual experience due to heavy engine demands. The game targets a standard 30 frames per second target but consistently fails to reach that threshold in real-time scenarios.
- Demo FPS (Low Settings): <30 FPS, often low 20s
- Demo FPS (Combat/Effects): ~15-20 FPS
- Release Date: July 9th
- Price: $69.99
Performance metrics from the demo show frame rates frequently dropping into the low 20s on the lowest graphical settings. Intense combat sequences with numerous particle effects cause further instability, pushing performance down to approximately 15 frames per second. These drops occur repeatedly during standard gameplay loops rather than in isolated benchmark segments.
Echoes of Aincrad is scheduled for release on July 9th at a price point of $69.99. The current demo serves as an indicator that the final game may face similar optimization challenges on handheld devices. Players should expect potential performance differences once the full title launches compared to this early preview build.
We looked at the last echoes of aincrad update when reviewing previous stability themes in the franchise. The upcoming release continues to test the limits of portable gaming hardware with its demanding visual requirements.
Source: SteamDeckHQ
