Alan Wake 2 Eclipse Mod Steam Deck and Steam Machine: Best Settings for 60 FPS

If there's one thing I've learned from owning a Steam Deck, it's that we love a challenge. When Remedy launched Alan Wake 2 exclusively on the Epic Games Store, with its incredibly demanding Northlight engine, everyone said it would be impossible to play on a portable, especially outside of Steam. And, natively, they weren't wrong: the game struggles to maintain 30 FPS.

But the community doesn't accept "impossible" as an answer. Even running via Epic (using the Heroic Games Launcher), it is possible to transform this game's performance.

After hours testing files, configuring Wine prefixes, and adjusting every slider, I finally reached the "holy grail": the Alan Wake 2 Eclipse Mod. Today, I will share with you my journey and the exact step-by-step guide to run this graphical monster at a smooth (and simulated) 60 FPS rate on your Steam Deck or Steam Machine.

What is the Alan Wake 2 Eclipse Mod?

Before we get our hands dirty, it's important to understand what we are doing. The "Eclipse Mod" is a set of optimizations affectionately nicknamed by the community. It combines:

1. renderer.ini Adjustments: Disables heavy effects that we barely see on the Deck's small screen.
2. FSR 3 Frame Generation: The game locks DLSS Frame Gen for Nvidia RTX 40 series cards. We use a mod that translates these commands to AMD's FSR 3, allowing the Steam Deck's APU to generate extra frames.

The result? The game internally renders at about 30-35 frames, but your eyes see a fluidity of 60 FPS.

Prerequisites: Preparing the Ground

Do not skip this part. For the Alan Wake 2 Eclipse Mod to work without freezing your console, you need to prepare the Deck's BIOS.

• Increase VRAM (UMA Buffer): Turn off the Deck. Hold Volume + and press Power. In the BIOS, go to Setup Utility > Advanced > UMA Frame Buffer Size and change it from 1GB to 4GB.
  • Why did I do this? The game consumes a lot of video memory. With 4GB dedicated, I drastically reduced stutters in the Cauldron Lake forest.
• Heroic Games Launcher: Since the game is from Epic, I strongly recommend using Heroic (download it from the Discover store in Desktop mode). It makes accessing Wine files and configurations much easier.

Installation Guide: The Step-by-Step (Epic / Heroic Version)

Here the process is different from native Steam. We will need to access the folder where Heroic installed the game.

1. Downloading the Mod Files

You will need the package containing dlssg_to_fsr3_amd_is_better.dll and the registry file EnableSignatureOverride.reg. Usually, you can find this in modding communities (search for "Alan Wake 2 FSR 3 Mod LukeFZ or Nukem9").

2. Locating the Installation (Desktop Mode)

1. Open the Heroic Games Launcher.
2. Go to the Alan Wake 2 page.
3. Click the folder icon (next to the play/configure buttons). This will open the file manager directly where the game is installed.
4. Copy the .dll and .reg files you downloaded into this folder (the same one where AlanWake2.exe is located).

3. The Registry Trick (Facilitated by Heroic)

For the game to think your Steam Deck is an Nvidia card capable of Frame Gen, we need to edit the registry of the "prefix" (the simulated Windows environment) that Heroic created.

1. In Heroic, on the game page, click Settings.
2. Scroll down until you find an option called "Run EXE on Prefix".
3. A window will open. Navigate to the game folder (where you pasted the files) and select the EnableSignatureOverride.reg file.
4. The system will ask if you want to add it to the registry. Confirm.
   • Tip: If the .reg file doesn't open, use the method of opening regedit.exe via the same "Run EXE on Prefix" option and import the file manually.

4. Configuring the Launch

Now we need to tell Heroic (or Steam, if you added the shortcut there) to load our modified DLL.

If you play by launching the shortcut in Steam (Add Non-Steam Game):

1. In Gaming Mode or Desktop, right-click the Alan Wake 2 shortcut.
2. In Properties > Launch Options, put:

codeText

WINEDLLOVERRIDES="winmm=n,b" %command%

If you play by launching directly through Heroic:

1. Go to the game settings in Heroic.
2. Look for the section "Environment Variables".
3. Add a new variable:
   • Key: WINEDLLOVERRIDES
   • Value: winmm=n,b

The Best Graphics Settings (The Eclipse Standard)

With the mod installed, the game menu will change. The secret to the Alan Wake 2 Eclipse Mod is balance. Here are the settings that gave me the best stability:

• Display Resolution: 1280x800
• V-Sync: OFF (Mandatory for Frame Gen to work well).
• DLSS Frame Generation: ON (If you did the registry step correctly, this option will be active, even using AMD hardware).
• Render Resolution (DLSS): Balanced.
  • Note: The game shows "DLSS", but it is using the modified FSR.

Quality Adjustments (Optimized for Deck):

• Post-Processing: Low (Removes excessive grain).
• Texture Resolution: Medium (High causes freezes due to lack of VRAM).
• Texture Filtering: High.
• Volumetric Lighting: Low (Essential for gaining FPS).
• Shadow Quality: Medium.
• Global Reflections: Low (The "Watery" chapter becomes unplayable if set to High).
• Ray Tracing: OFF (Seriously, don't even try).

Real Performance vs. Sensation: What to Expect?

It is important to align expectations. The FPS counter (Steam Overlay or MangoHud) will show between 55 and 70 FPS. However, the latency (input lag) will be equivalent to a game running at 30 FPS, as the extra frames are generated artificially.

When using the Alan Wake 2 Eclipse Mod, I noticed some "ghosting" on the interface (HUD) and subtitles when I turn the camera quickly. But, considering it's a measured Survival Horror, the trade-off is worth it. The visual fluidity transforms the experience and makes it feel like you are running on a High-End PC.

Extra Tip: Lossless Scaling

If you found the mod installation via Heroic too complex, there is a paid alternative on Steam called Lossless Scaling.

1. Open Alan Wake 2 in Windowed mode.
2. Open Lossless Scaling.
3. Activate the LSFG 2.1 mode.
   This also works, but the native "Eclipse Mod" version (via DLL files) usually has fewer artifacts in the main character's image.

Conclusion

Configuring the Alan Wake 2 Eclipse Mod on the Steam Deck for an Epic Games title takes a bit more work than usual. But seeing one of the most beautiful games of the generation run smoothly in the palm of your hand is an incredible technical reward.

If you follow this step-by-step guide using Heroic, you will be able to squeeze water from a stone from the Deck's APU. Now, prepare your flashlight, check your batteries, and good luck in the Darkness!

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