The zombies have invaded Midtown Manhattan, and the battle for survival isn’t confined to your desktop anymore. Marvel Rivals has unleashed its first-ever PvE experience with the chaotic and addictive Zombies Mode, and the fight doesn’t end when you’re on the move.
For Steam Deck players, that means one thrilling question: can you really survive the undead horde on a handheld?
The answer: absolutely—if you have the right settings.
This guide will help you transform your Deck into a zombie-slaying powerhouse, giving you smooth performance, smart graphics tweaks, and pro-level strategies to survive every wave—from Normal to the brutal Nightmare IV.
Let’s dive in and optimize your portable apocalypse.
๐ A New Dawn for PvE: What Is Marvel Rivals Zombies?
Launched on October 23, 2025, as a limited-time event, Marvel Rivals Zombies is a 4-player cooperative survival mode that marks the game’s bold entry into PvE. But this isn’t just another horde mode—it’s a roguelike experience with progression that rewards strategy and skill.
๐งฉ How It Works:
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Collect Moon Power during each run to buy temporary “Blessings.”
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Unlock permanent Traits to grow stronger over time.
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Fight escalating waves of infected enemies and face off against bosses like Zombie Namor and Scarlet Witch: Queen of the Dead.
The mode features a hand-picked lineup of five enhanced heroes, all supercharged for PvE combat:
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Thor, Blade, Magik, The Punisher, and the surprisingly deadly Jeff the Land Shark.
๐ป Steam Deck Verdict: Perfectly Playable & Surprisingly Smooth
Marvel Rivals holds an official “Playable” status on the Steam Deck and ranks among the top-played games on the platform.
There’s just one small caveat: the initial launcher doesn’t fully support controllers. You’ll need to use the trackpad or touchscreen to log in once—but after that, gameplay is flawless with full controller support.
๐ฏ Goal: Maintain a stable, responsive framerate for hectic team fights and massive zombie swarms.
With a few smart tweaks, you can achieve 50–60 FPS of buttery-smooth performance.
⚙️ Optimizing Your Deck: Best Settings for Survival
A smooth framerate matters far more than fancy visuals when you’re surrounded by the undead.
Here are community-tested settings for the best balance between clarity and performance.
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Display Mode | Fullscreen |
| Resolution | 1280x800 (Native) |
| VSync | Off |
| Frame Rate Limit | 60 FPS (responsiveness) or 40 FPS (battery) |
| Graphics Quality | Custom |
| Anti-Aliasing | Low or FXAA |
| Super Resolution | AMD FSR (Performance Mode) |
| Sharpening | 80 |
| Model/Shadow/Effects Detail | Low |
| Texture Quality | Medium or Low |
| Global Illumination | Off or SSGI - Low |
๐ Why FSR Is a Game-Changer
AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) lets you render at a lower resolution and upscale intelligently—boosting FPS with minimal quality loss. Use Performance Mode for the best results.
๐ฎ Performance Expectations
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FPS Range: ~50–60 FPS in most battles, dipping slightly during ultimate-heavy chaos.
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Battery Life:
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40 FPS cap → up to 2 hours of playtime
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60 FPS cap → around 1.5 hours for the smoothest response
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๐ง Slaying the Undead: Pro Tips for Steam Deck Survivors
Tuning your settings is only half the battle—strategy wins the war.
Here’s how to dominate Marvel Rivals Zombies Mode from the palm of your hand.
๐ฆธ Master Your Hero
Each of the five heroes is buffed for PvE dominance:
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Magik: Maintain “Darkchylde” form indefinitely for tanky melee power.
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Thor: Enjoy an extended “Awakened State” for endless lightning carnage.
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Blade, Punisher, and Jeff: Offer balance between damage, crowd control, and mobility.
๐ Use Khonshu’s Blessings Wisely
The Blessing system defines your run. Between waves, spend Moon Power on stackable buffs—especially hero-specific blessings that can completely rework your abilities.
๐ง♂️ Boss Strategies
Zombie Namor: Sub-Mariner’s Wrath
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Destroy Monstro Spawns first to break his shield.
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Dodge Giganto’s shockwave when summoned.
Scarlet Witch: Queen of the Dead
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Eliminate red crystals instantly to prevent her “Reality Erasure” ultimate.
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Watch out for her Chaos Control, which drains team HP over time.
๐ซ General Survival Tips
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Never Stop Moving: Staying still guarantees death—keep rotating.
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Train the Zombies: Assign one player to kite the horde.
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Focus Fire: Prioritize elite and boss enemies over basic mobs.
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Coordinate Roles: Tanks up front, supports revive, DPS cleans house.
๐ Final Verdict: A Must-Play Portable Apocalypse
The Marvel Rivals Zombies Mode is a standout addition—deep, replayable, and thrillingly chaotic.
On the Steam Deck, it shines as a perfect portable PvE experience, proving that survival isn’t limited to your PC setup.
By applying these performance optimizations and tactical tips, you’re ready to conquer every wave and boss.
So power up your Deck, choose your hero, and prepare for the apocalypse.
The battlefield is truly anywhere now. Can you survive the undead invasion?
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