Tag: Smart Profiles

  • How to apply a Smart Profile

    How to apply a Smart Profile

    Before you start, you’ll need either ZenDeck 0.1.6.5 or higher or the standalone Smart Profiles app v1.0.14 or higher installed on your device.

    You can download them from:

    zendeck.app

    💡 Recommended experience

    For the best console-like experience, we recommend using ZenDeck. ZenDeck can apply Smart Profiles and also manage supported device-side settings when launching your games, such as resolution, GPU options, and other device configuration automatically.

    Apply a Smart Profile from the website

    This is the recommended and easiest way to apply a Smart Profile.

    After installing ZenDeck or the standalone Smart Profiles app, you can visit the page of any available Smart Profile and click the Apply Profile button.

    ZenDeck Smart Profile page for Cyberpunk 2077 showing the Apply Profile button and profile details for a 720p Balanced configuration.
    Click Apply Profile on any Smart Profile page to automatically apply optimized settings using ZenDeck or the standalone Smart Profiles app.

    Your browser will ask if you want to open the link with an executable called ZDProtocolHandler.exe. Confirm that you want to open it.

    Browser prompt asking permission to open ZDProtocolHandler.exe from a ZenDeck Smart Profile page.
    When prompted, click Open to allow ZenDeck or the standalone Smart Profiles app to apply the selected Smart Profile automatically.

    The selected Smart Profile will then be applied automatically.

    If you are using ZenDeck

    Run ZenDeck at least once after installing it. This allows ZenDeck to scan your games and generate the required Windows configuration so Smart Profile links can be detected correctly.

    If ZenDeck is already running when you click Apply Profile, ZenDeck will show that a Smart Profile is being applied and then confirm it with a toast notification.

    ZenDeck showing a toast notification confirming that a Smart Profile was applied for Cyberpunk 2077.
    ZenDeck shows a toast notification when a Smart Profile has been applied successfully for your device.

    If ZenDeck is not running, a ZenDeck instance will start automatically, apply the profile, and save the configuration.

    When using ZenDeck, Smart Profiles can apply both:

    • In-game settings
    • Device-side configuration, such as resolution, GPU options, and other supported device settings

    The next time you launch that game through ZenDeck, the device-side configuration will be applied automatically.

    If you are using the standalone Smart Profiles app

    ⚠️ Important note about the standalone Smart Profiles app

    The standalone Smart Profiles app only applies the in-game settings included in a Smart Profile. It does not manage device-side settings such as resolution, TDP, GPU options, or any other device configuration handled by ZenDeck.

    Click Apply Profile on the Smart Profile page.

    Allow the browser to open the link with ZDProtocolHandler.exe.

    The profile will be applied automatically, and you will receive a toast notification confirming that the Smart Profile was applied.

    FeatureZenDeckSmart Profiles app
    Apply in-game settings
    Launch games
    Device-side configuration
    Resolution management
    GPU options
    Console-like experiencePartial

    ZenDeck is recommended for the full console-like experience
    The standalone Smart Profiles app can apply in-game settings, while ZenDeck can also handle supported device-side configuration when launching your games.

    Apply a Smart Profile manually from ZenDeck

    You can also apply a Smart Profile manually from inside ZenDeck.

    Once installed, open ZenDeck.

    To apply a Smart Profile:

    • 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
    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.
    • Select a profile and press A
    • Open the profile details and press Apply Profile

    ZenDeck will automatically apply the selected configuration. Go back to the game details (press B) and press Play.

    Happy gaming!

    Want to share your own settings with the community?

    → How to share a Smart Profile

  • What are Smart Profiles?

    What are Smart Profiles?

    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. 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.


    5. 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

    Get started:

    → How to apply a Smart Profile

    Want to contribute?

    → How to share a Smart Profile

    → How to contribute performance data for a Smart Profile

    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.