Assassin’s Creed Shadows drops you into a stunning open-world Japan, but even the best games come with frustrations. If your Steam Deck keeps crashing mid-assassination, the on-screen HUD feels like a mess, or you’re utterly lost in the Twisted Tree quest, you’re not alone. These issues have tripped up plenty of shinobi, but they’re all fixable. This guide cuts through the noise with practical, step-by-step solutions so you can get back to the shadows without the headache.
Below, we’ll walk through stabilizing your game on Steam Deck, mastering the Objective Module and compass resize, and delivering a clean walkthrough for the Twisted Tree quest. No fluff, no guesswork—just fixes that work.
Fixing Steam Deck Crashes in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Crashes on Valve’s handheld often boil down to Proton compatibility and the game’s demanding graphics. Shadows pushes the Steam Deck hard, but with a few tweaks you can achieve a stable experience. Start with the easiest fixes and work your way up.
Switch to Proton Experimental or GE-Proton
ProtonExperimental is the go-to for many modern titles. To switch, open your Steam Library, right-click Assassin’s Creed Shadows, select Properties, then Compatibility. Check “Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool” and pick ProtonExperimental from the dropdown. If crashes persist, install ProtonGE via ProtonUp-Qt (available in the Discover store) and select it instead. Many players report that GE-Proton9-10 or later eliminates startup crashes.
Lower Graphics Settings
Shadows’ default settings can overwhelm the Steam Deck’s APU. From the main menu, go to Options > Video and apply these changes:
- Display Mode: Fullscreen
- Resolution: 1280×800
- V-Sync: Off
- Graphics Quality Preset: Low, then manually set Texture Quality to Medium (to avoid muddy textures) and Shadow Quality to Low
- Volumetric Clouds: Off
- Ambient Occlusion: Off
- Depth of Field: Off
Also, in the Steam Deck’s Performance overlay (the … button), set the frame limiter to 40 FPS and enable Half Rate Shading. These steps dramatically reduce GPU load.
Increase VRAM and Verify Integrity
Enter the Steam Deck’s BIOS by holding Volume Up + Power, then go to Setup Utility > Advanced > UMA Frame Buffer Size and set it to 4 GB. This gives the GPU more memory headroom. Back in Steam, verify game files by right-clicking the game > Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files. Corrupted files are a common crash trigger.
Additional Crash Fixes
- Launch the game in Desktop Mode once to let it create necessary configuration files.
- Disable the Steam Overlay (Properties > General > Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game).
- If you still encounter crashes, add
PROTON_LOG=1 %command%to launch options to create a log file and search online for specific error codes.
Customizing the UI: Objective Module and Compass Resize
Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers deep HUD customization, but the menus aren’t always obvious. The Objective Module—that floating quest tracker—and the compass can both be moved, resized, or hidden entirely. Here’s how to dial in your perfect layout.
Entering HUD Customization Mode
Press the Options button (Start on most controllers) to open the pause menu. Navigate to the System tab, then select HUD. From here, you can toggle individual elements, but for resizing and repositioning you need to go deeper. Select “Customize HUD” to enter edit mode. Your screen now shows all HUD widgets with a white border.
Managing the Objective Module
The Objective Module lists your active quests and waypoints. While in HUD edit mode, highlight the module by moving the cursor over it and press A (or X on PlayStation) to select. You can now drag it anywhere on screen with the left stick. To resize, use the right stick up/down or the designated slider prompt. For a minimalist look, set its opacity to 0% from the same menu, and the text will only appear when you hold the Eagle Vision button.
Resizing the Compass
The compass bar at the top of the screen can be obtrusive. In HUD edit mode, select the compass. You’ll see options to scale it larger or smaller, adjust vertical position, and even switch between a full bar or a compact dot indicator. Many players prefer shrinking it to 70% and pulling it slightly lower to avoid screen edge curvature. All changes save automatically when you back out.
Controller Shortcuts
If you’re in a hurry, you can also cycle through HUD presets by holding up on the D-pad for a few seconds. Past games have used this to toggle between Full, Light, and Off, but Shadows includes a customizable preset slot. Set up your favorite layout once in the menu, and then assign it to the quick cycle for on-the-fly switching.
Untangling the Twisted Tree Quest
The Twisted Tree quest leaves many players scratching their heads because its objectives aren’t clearly marked. You’ll need to rely on investigation, Eagle Vision, and a bit of climbing. This walkthrough assumes you’ve already accepted the quest from the old woman in the Yamato farming village; if not, look for the quest marker in the southeastern settlement.
Step 1: Find the Winding Path
Make your way to the search area northeast of the village, where a lone, gnarled pine tree stands atop a rocky hill. Don’t rush straight to the trunk. Instead, cast Eagle Vision and walk in a slow circle around the base. You’ll spot a faint golden footprint trail that leads away from the path, snaking through a bamboo grove. Follow those footprints. They’ll guide you to a crumbling stone lantern half-buried in leaves.
Step 2: Interact with the Lantern
Approach the lantern and press the interact button. Naoe will brush away debris to reveal a hidden scroll. Reading it triggers a new quest marker pointing to a cave entrance west of the hill. Before leaving, use Eagle Vision again—the scroll emits a faint purple clue highlighting a key phrase: “under the twisted root.” This is your next hint.
Step 3: Navigate the Cavern
Travel to the cave marker, which lies at the base of a waterfall. Inside, you’ll face low light and narrow passages. Light an oil lantern at the entrance (or use a torch) to see better. The cave splits three ways; take the leftmost tunnel that slopes downward. You’ll hear water dripping. At the end, you’ll find a twisted root system breaking through the ceiling, with a small wooden chest tangled in the roots. This is the “twisted root” from the scroll.
Step 4: Retrieve the Heirloom
Climb the roots to reach the chest. Be careful—the wet surface makes grip unstable. Once near, press the interact button to open the chest and obtain the Family Heirloom. Immediately afterward, a trio of ronin will ambush you from the entrance tunnel. Use the narrow space to your advantage, picking them off with shurikens or quick assassinations if you’re undetected.
Step 5: Complete the Quest
With the heirloom in hand, fast travel back to the village and speak to the old woman. She’ll reward you with a unique engraving and experience points. If the quest marker doesn’t update after looting the chest, manually talk to her—it’s a known minor bug, but the interaction still triggers the reward.
Pro tip: If you’ve already cleared the cave earlier in the game, the chest may not respawn. In that case, reload a save from before you explored it, or check your inventory—the heirloom might already be there, and you can speak to the NPC to finish the quest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does AC Shadows crash on my Steam Deck?
Crashes typically happen because of Proton compatibility or excessive graphics demands. Force ProtonExperimental or GE-Proton in Compatibility settings, reduce graphics quality to Low/Medium, set the VRAM buffer to 4 GB in BIOS, and verify game files. These steps resolve most crash issues.
How do I resize the compass in AC Shadows?
You can resize the compass through the HUD customization menu. Pause the game, go to System > HUD > Customize HUD, then select the compass. Use the on-screen prompts to scale it up or down, and adjust its position if needed.
Can I move or remove the Objective Module?
Absolutely. Enter HUD edit mode as described above, pick the Objective Module, and drag it anywhere on screen. You can also lower its opacity to 0% to hide it permanently, or set it to appear only while Eagle Vision is active.
What should I do if the Twisted Tree quest marker disappears?
If the quest marker vanishes, open your quest log and re-select Twisted Tree to make it active again. If you’re still stuck, the objective is to examine the stone lantern near the twisted pine tree with Eagle Vision, then follow the footprints to the cave. The cave entrance is west of the hill, behind the waterfall.
Are there other performance tweaks for AC Shadows on Steam Deck?
Yes. In addition to the graphics settings above, use the Steam Deck’s Performance overlay to cap the frame rate at 40 FPS and enable Half Rate Shading. Running the game from the internal SSD rather than an SD card also reduces stutter. Finally, add WINEDLLOVERRIDES=“dxgi=n,b” %command% to launch options if you encounter DirectX errors.
With these fixes and tweaks, Assassin’s Creed Shadows should run smoothly on your Steam Deck, your HUD will finally feel out of the way, and that stubborn Twisted Tree quest will be ancient history. If you run into other snags, don’t hesitate to revisit the settings—Ubisoft often posts patches that may introduce new optimization profiles. Good luck, shinobi.
