Does Age of Mythology: Retold play well on Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and other gaming handhelds?

Does Age of Mythology: Retold play well on Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and other gaming handhelds?

As a seasoned gamer who has battled gods and mortals alike across various realms, let me tell you, Age of Mythology: Retold is an absolute delight to play on gaming handhelds!


Since my childhood, I’ve been engrossed in real-time strategy (RTS) games, and to my delight, many of the timeless classics still shine brightly today. Remastered versions of iconic Age of Empires titles have performed exceptionally well and maintain a dedicated following. Who would have thought that these games predominantly controlled by a mouse could also be enjoyed on Xbox, in addition to PC? This has been made possible through the innovative wheel system specifically designed for controllers.

As a researcher delving into the world of portable gaming, I was eager to explore the performance of Age of Mythology: Retold on devices like the ROG Ally, Steam Deck, and Legion Go. After dedicating hours to gameplay on all three platforms, here’s my take.

Best Age of Mythology settings for gaming handhelds

Does Age of Mythology: Retold play well on Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and other gaming handhelds?

Whenever I start a new game on portable gaming systems, I frequently tinker with the settings menu to find an optimal setup. Yet, I’m delighted to share that Age of Mythology: Retold runs flawlessly on all these devices without any need for graphics adjustments from the beginning. This is because Retold has more reasonable PC system requirements compared to many contemporary games.

My only advice for handheld players is to consider adjusting the user interface (UI) and selection settings. For instance, you might want to increase text size to make it easier to read or adjust the Marquee Speed Scale/Camera Pan Speed if you find these speeds too fast or too sluggish. You can also zoom in or out by pushing up or down on the left joystick, which makes it easier to select specific units. 

Best Age of Mythology: Retold settings for gaming handhelds

Does Age of Mythology: Retold play well on Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and other gaming handhelds?

In most cases, these settings are simply a matter of personal choice, but here’s what I discovered worked best for me. For those using the Steam Deck, keep in mind that pressing the Steam button and X simultaneously opens the on-screen keyboard for text input. To hide the on-screen keyboard again, repeat the same key combination.

  • Run Age of Mythology: Retold → ☰ (hamburger button) → Settings → Accessibility
    • Font Size: Standard works, but put it up to Extra Large if needed
  • Run Age of Mythology: Retold → ☰ (hamburger button) → Settings → Graphics
    • Display Mode: Borderless
    • Resolution: 1280 x 720
    • Frame Rate Limit: 60
    • Texture Quality: Low
    • Texture Filter Quality: Low (Bilinear)
    • Terrain Quality: Low
    • Water Quality: Low
    • Foliage Quality: Low
    • Shadow Quality: Low
    • Dynamic Reflections: None
    • Ambient Occlusion Quality: Off
    • Effect Quality: Low
    • Building Weather Effects: Toggled on
    • Dynamic Lights: Toggled off
    • Enable Height Gradient: Toggled off
    • Obscured Unit Alpha: 60%
    • Anti-Aliasing: None
    • Enable Bloom: Toggled off
  • Run Age of Mythology: Retold → ☰ (hamburger button) → Settings → UI
    (There are a lot of preference options; I just address ones that affect performance)
    • Enable Ultra HD AI Assets: Toggled off
    • Enable Alternative HUD Layout: Toggled off
    • HUD Scale: 100%
    • Full Tooltip Help: Whatever you want
    • Threshold Snap to Unit: 200
  • Run Age of Mythology: Retold → ☰ (hamburger button) → Settings → Controller
    • Pan Speed: 25% worked for me; experiment and adjust as needed
    • Pan Inertia: 25% worked for me here as well, but you might want to adjust
    • Default Zoom Level: 60% felt good to me, but you can change as desired
    • Enable Camera Snap: Toggled on
    • Enable Camera Attraction: Toggled on
    • Attraction Strength: 20% worked better for me, but adjust as needed
    • Marquee Size Scale: 1.0, but if you find it hard to see the marquee, make it larger.
    • Marquee Speed Scale: 1.0 if it’s too sluggish or too fast, adjust as desired
    • Quick Find Snaps to Units: Toggled on
    • Quick Find Press / Hold Behavior: Press: select single, hold: select all (global)
    • Hover Highlights: Toggled on
    • Selection Highlights: Toggled on
    • Press or Hold Menus: Press
    • Y or B Cancel: B Cancel 
    • RS Press Opens VPS Menu: Toggled off
    • Swapping to Controller Hides Mouse: Toggled on

Age of Mythology: Retold gaming handheld FAQ

Does Age of Mythology: Retold play well on Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and other gaming handhelds?

This part aims to address any further queries you may have concerning the Age of Mythology: Retold version on portable gaming devices.

Can I play Age of Mythology: Retold on Steam Deck?

Is Age of Mythology: Retold Steam Deck Verified?

On Steam, Age of Mythology: Retold is tagged as compatible with the Steam Deck. The standard graphics settings function well on the Steam Deck, and the game displays appropriate controller icons. Nevertheless, you may need to manually activate the on-screen keyboard for data input, and some text might appear small initially.

Steam Deck Compatibility ⚠️

According to Valve’s tests, Age of Mythology: Retold can be successfully played on the Steam Deck. However, users may need to put in some additional work to optimize interactions or settings for an optimal gaming experience.

  • ⚠️ Entering some text requires manually evoking the on-screen keyboard.
  • ⚠️ Some in-game text is small and may be difficult to read.
  • ✅ All functionality is accessible when using the default controller configuration. 
  • ✅ This game shows Steam Deck controller icons.
  • ✅ This game’s default graphics configuration performs well on Steam Deck.

Can I play Age of Mythology: Retold on ROG Ally?

Absolutely! Age of Mythology: Retold is designed for smooth gameplay on ROG Ally and ROG Ally X due to its less demanding graphics. It’s also optimized for controller usage and correctly displays button icons. However, some users might find the text a bit small and hard to read, but you can adjust the text size in the settings menu for better visibility.

Can I play Age of Mythology: Retold on Legion Go?

Does Age of Mythology: Retold have controller support?

Absolutely! Similar to several contemporary Age of Empires titles, Age of Mythology: Retold is controller-friendly. Players using a gamepad can navigate wheel menus for issuing commands to units or interacting with structures.

Battle with the power of the gods on gaming handheld

As a devoted fan, I’m thrilled that Age of Mythology: Retold doesn’t demand high-end graphics, making it a seamless experience across all major PC gaming handhelds right out of the box! You can tinker with the visuals to suit your preference, but the game typically performs well even on initial startup. The cherry on top? The wheel menus have made this series, historically mouse-dependent, more controller-friendly. To add to that delight, the appropriate controller icons are displayed on-screen, eliminating any guesswork or awkward fumbling during gameplay.

Instead of immediately tinkering with graphics options when you launch Retold, I advise modifying UI and selection settings first. This allows you to control the speed of the camera according to your preference. Moreover, it enables you to magnify the text to prevent eye strain during gameplay. In summary, Retold is incredibly enjoyable on gaming handhelds.

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2024-08-29 15:09