Tag: Autopilot Rating

  • ZenDeck: Community Smart Profiles & AutoPilot Rating for PC Handhelds

    ZenDeck: Community Smart Profiles & AutoPilot Rating for PC Handhelds

    1. The Problem

    If you’ve used a PC handheld, you already know the drill.

    You install a game… and then spend the next 20–30 minutes tweaking settings.

    Most of the time, that means:

    • Searching for “best settings” on websites or YouTube
    • Trying to copy those settings manually into the game
    • Realizing they don’t perform the same on your device

    What works on another handheld might not work for you.

    Different hardware, different performance targets, different TDP used, different expectations.

    So you tweak. Test. Adjust. Repeat.

    Every. Single. Time.


    2. The Solution

    ZenDeck introduces Smart Profiles with community sharing, bringing the idea of Steam’s controller profiles to game settings and device optimization.

    Instead of manually configuring every game, you can:

    • Apply a pre-configured profile tailored for performance or quality
    • Share your own optimized settings with others
    • Benefit from configurations tested on real devices

    The goal is simple:

    Spend less time tweaking, more time playing

    Download ZenDeck and start using Smart Profiles: https://zendeck.app

    ZenDeck Smart Profiles list showing recommended and community profiles for a game on a PC handheld
    Browse recommended and community Smart Profiles and instantly apply optimized settings for your game.

    3. AutoPilot Rating (The Key Piece)

    Sharing settings is useful.

    But knowing which settings are actually good is what really matters.

    That’s where AutoPilot Rating comes in.

    ZenDeck Smart Profile showing AutoPilot Rating 94 with FPS and stability on a PC handheld
    Example of a Smart Profile with AutoPilot Rating, showing real performance data including FPS and stability.

    What it measures

    AutoPilot Rating is based on real performance data, including:

    • Average FPS
    • Stability (%)
    • 1% low FPS

    This isn’t guesswork or opinion-based.

    It’s data-driven evaluation

    How the rating is calculated

    AutoPilot Rating combines two key factors:

    • Performance → how fast the game runs (FPS)
    • Stability → how smooth and consistent the experience feels

    Performance measures how fast the game runs, based on average FPS.
    Stability evaluates how smooth and consistent the experience feels, taking into account frame pacing, stutter, and 1% lows.

    These values are combined into a single score that represents the overall gameplay experience, where:

    • Performance defines the baseline
    • Stability adjusts the result based on how smooth the experience is

    Understanding the rating

    The final result is presented as a letter grade, making it easy to understand at a glance:

    • A → Very smooth experience
    • B → Good, with minor inconsistencies
    • C → Playable, but noticeable drops or instability
    • D → Poor performance, not recommended

    What a good score means

    A higher AutoPilot Rating generally means:

    • More stable gameplay
    • Better frame consistency
    • A smoother overall experience

    It helps you quickly understand:

    “Will this actually run well on my device?”

    Device-aware ratings

    AutoPilot Rating is not universal across all devices.

    It is calculated using performance data from devices similar to yours.

    This means:

    • A profile may have a different rating on a Steam Deck vs a ROG Ally
    • Ratings are more relevant to your specific hardware class

    You’re not seeing generic scores, you’re seeing results that actually apply to your device.

    How it helps you choose

    Instead of:

    • Guessing between multiple configs
    • Watching long comparison videos

    You can:

    • Compare profiles using real performance data
    • Pick the one that best fits your preference (performance vs quality)

    Why this matters

    This changes how optimization works.

    Instead of every user figuring things out on their own:

    Optimization becomes something shared, tested, and improved over time


    4. Sharing Profiles

    To share profiles or contribute performance data, you need to be logged into ZenDeck using your Steam account.

    You can create and upload your own configurations for supported games, making them available to other users.

    Profiles gain value over time as users contribute performance data.

    How to share a Smart Profile

    You can share profiles directly from the Smart Profiles widget in the Xbox Game Bar.

    Sign in with your Steam account

    Make sure you’re signed in with your Steam account.

    If you’re not logged in, the widget will prompt you and open an overlay in ZenDeck where you can scan a Steam QR code to continue.

    Start sharing your profile

    Press “Share Smart Profile”

    You’ll be taken to a screen where you can fill in the profile details.

    Configure your profile

    ZenDeck Smart Profiles creation screen showing in-game resolution, upscaling, frame generation and ray tracing settings
    Define your game settings and share your own Smart Profile with the community.

    You’ll be asked to provide the following:

    • Profile title
      It’s recommended to include details like the upscaler used (FSR, XeSS, etc.)
    • Resolution
      The in-game resolution you are using
    • Upscaling method
      • Select In-Game <Quality> if the game uses built-in upscaling (e.g. FSR Performance or XeSS Balanced)
      • Select Driver if you want Smart Profiles to enable RSR
    • Frame Generation
      Indicates whether frame generation is being used
      • Also allows Smart Profiles to enable AFMF when using driver-based frame generation
    • Ray Tracing
      Whether ray tracing is enabled in-game
    • Graphics intent
      Defines if the profile is focused on:
      • Performance
      • Visual quality
    • Device Compatibility
      • Universal Tier → works on most devices
      • Extended Tier → intended for high-performance devices only
      Devices limited to Universal Tier cannot create Extended Tier profiles

    Press Continue to proceed.

    (Optional) Submit a performance test

    You’ll have the option to run a performance validation.

    This step is optional, but highly recommended as it helps others identify the best-performing profiles.

    ⚠️ To submit performance data, ZenDeck must be properly configured to manage TDP.

    If you haven’t set it up yet, you can follow this guide:
    How to Install ZenDeck from Scratch (Beginner Friendly Guide)

    To start the test:

    • Press Start Validation
    • The test runs for 5 minutes

    ⚠️ It is recommended not to use Lossless Scaling during this test

    Once started:

    • You can close the Game Bar
    • Continue playing normally
    AutoPilot analyzing performance overlay during gameplay showing FPS and progress on a PC handheld
    AutoPilot analyzes real gameplay performance in the background while you play.

    Performance analysis

    During the test, an overlay will appear showing:

    “AutoPilot is analyzing performance…”

    Along with a progress percentage.

    When the test finishes, you’ll see:

    “Performance capture complete. Open Smart Profiles widget to continue.”

    Review results

    Reopen the Smart Profiles widget.

    ZenDeck AutoPilot Rating performance summary showing score, FPS and stability for a Smart Profile on a PC handheld
    Review your AutoPilot Rating with real performance data before publishing your Smart Profile.

    You’ll see:

    • The AutoPilot Rating for your device
    • Your captured performance data

    You can:

    • Adjust your game settings
    • Re-run the test as many times as you want

    ⚠️ If you change settings, make sure to update the profile details accordingly

    Publish your profile

    Once you’re ready:

    • Press “Publish Profile”
    • Or “Publish Anyway” if you skipped the performance test

    🎉 That’s it!

    Your Smart Profile will now be available for other players to use.


    5. Contributing Performance Data

    AutoPilot Rating is powered by user-submitted performance reports.

    That means:

    • The more people contribute
    • The more accurate and useful the ratings become

    How to submit a performance report

    You can submit performance data from the Smart Profiles widget in the Xbox Game Bar.

    Apply a Smart Profile first

    Before submitting a performance report, you need to have a Smart Profile applied to the game. This is done directly from the ZenDeck app.

    To apply one:

    • Select a supported game (look for the green SP badge)
    • Press A to open the game details
    • Select SMART PROFILES
    • Browse available profiles:
      • Recommended profiles are shown by default
      • Press the right bumper to switch to community profiles
    • Select a profile and press A
    • Open the profile details and press Apply Profile

    ZenDeck will automatically apply the selected configuration.

    Then:

    • Go back to the game details
    • Press Play

    Open the Smart Profiles widget

    Once in-game, open the Smart Profiles widget.

    Sign in with your Steam account

    Make sure you’re signed in with your Steam account.

    If not, the widget will prompt you and open an overlay where you can scan a QR code to continue.

    Start a performance report

    Press “Report Performance”

    You’ll see a screen explaining how the performance test works.

    ⚠️ To submit performance data, ZenDeck must be properly configured to manage TDP.

    If you haven’t set it up yet, you can follow this guide:
    How to Install ZenDeck from Scratch (Beginner Friendly Guide)

    To begin:

    • Press Start Performance Report
    • The test will run for 5 minutes

    ⚠️ It is recommended not to use Lossless Scaling during this test

    Once the test starts:

    • You can close the Game Bar
    • Continue playing normally

    Performance analysis

    During the test, an overlay will appear showing:

    “AutoPilot is analyzing performance…”

    Along with a progress percentage.

    When the test finishes, you’ll see:

    “Performance capture complete. Open Smart Profiles widget to continue.”

    Review and submit

    Reopen the Smart Profiles widget.

    You’ll see:

    • The AutoPilot Rating for your device

    To finish:

    • Press Submit Report

    What happens next?

    Your report will include:

    • Performance data
    • AutoPilot Rating

    This helps other players with similar devices understand how well a profile performs.


    6. What a Smart Profile Includes

    Each Smart Profile can define key performance-related settings, such as:

    • In-Game Resolution
    • Upscaling (In-Game or driver-based)
    • Frame Generation (in-game or driver-based)
    • Ray Tracing (On / Off)
    • Power / GPU behavior (managed automatically by AutoPilot)

    These settings are defined when a profile is created and allow ZenDeck to automatically apply performance optimizations at both the GPU and device level.


    7. A Console-Like Experience

    The long-term vision is simple:

    No more tweaking settings every time you install a game.

    With Smart Profiles and AutoPilot Rating:

    • Install your game
    • Apply a profile
    • Start playing

    Install → Apply → Play

    Ready to try it?
    Download ZenDeck and experience Smart Profiles and AutoPilot Rating: https://zendeck.app

    ZenDeck launcher showing console-like gaming experience with Smart Profiles on a PC handheld
    Install, apply a Smart Profile, and play, no manual tweaking required.