Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Handheld Ally, optimization, and joining our community of tinkerers.

Still need help, fellow tinkerer?

Can't find what you're looking for? Our community of passionate tinkerers and support team are here to help you optimize like a pro.

Contact Support

Direct line to our technical support team

Get Expert Help →

For business inquiries, partnership opportunities, or press contact, please email business@handheldally.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Handheld Ally, optimization, and joining our community of tinkerers.

Still need help, fellow tinkerer?

Can't find what you're looking for? Our community of passionate tinkerers and support team are here to help you optimize like a pro.

Contact Support

Direct line to our technical support team

Get Expert Help →

For business inquiries, partnership opportunities, or press contact, please email business@handheldally.com

Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions

What is Handheld Ally?

Is Handheld Ally completely free?

Do I need an account to start tinkering?

How do I sign up and connect my Steam library?

How do I find the perfect settings for my game?

What do the optimization targets mean?

How do I apply settings to my game?

Can I share my own optimization discoveries?

How accurate are FPS/battery numbers?

Which handhelds are supported?

My device is not listed-will settings work?

How do you handle TDP and power limits?

Do you support Windows and Linux?

How does reputation work?

How do community challenges and events work?

What is Premium vs Founder?

Why does Handheld Ally require Steam to sign in?

How do you verify performance data?

Do you support mods and unofficial patches?

How do you protect my data?

What browsers are supported?

Does Handheld Ally work on mobile devices?

Why am I seeing 'Steam authentication failed'?

What does "rate limit exceeded" mean?

Why can't I upload screenshots or images?

How do I clear cache if I see odd behavior?

Is there an offline mode?

What internet speed do I need?

Why are some features unavailable on my device?

How do I report a bug or technical issue?

The settings didn't improve my performance. Now what?

My game isn't in the database-how do I request it?

How often do you add new features and games?

Do you plan to support mobile gaming or other platforms?

How can I contribute beyond sharing settings?

What makes Handheld Ally different?

What is the Band⚡ system and why use it?

Which Band⚡ tier is my device?

How do Band⚡ performance ratings work?

Can I see settings optimized for my Band⚡ tier?

What does "120% baseline" mean for Band⚡⚡⚡?

Will you add Band⚡⚡⚡⚡ for next-gen handhelds?

What are performance baselines and how are they calculated?

How accurate are baselines for games I haven't played yet?

Do baselines account for my device's TDP settings?

Can I see baseline predictions before buying a game?

What's the difference between baselines and community-shared settings?

How often are baselines updated when games get patched?

Why does a baseline say "Good" but community settings show "Excellent"?

What are challenges and how do they work?

What's the difference between onboarding and weekly challenges?

When do weekly challenges reset?

How do I track my challenge progress?

Do challenges expire if I don't complete them?

Can I complete onboarding challenges after my first week?

How much XP can I earn from challenges monthly/yearly?

What happens when I finish all onboarding challenges?

How does the XP and leveling system work?

What's the XP formula for higher levels?

How much XP do I earn from different actions?

What are XP multipliers and how do I get them?

Does Premium membership give me more XP?

What happens when I level up?

How many achievement types are there?

Can I see my lifetime XP and progress?

What's the highest level reached so far?

Do I lose XP if I delete content I created?

What is the Game Pioneer system?

How do I become a pioneer for a game?

Do I get extra XP for being first?

How can I find games that need pioneers?

What achievements unlock from pioneering?

Can I pioneer the same game twice (settings vs threads)?

Does pioneer status show on my profile?

What are educational setting explanations?

How detailed are the explanations?

Do explanations include handheld-specific advice?

Can I learn what each graphics setting actually does?

Do you provide FPS benchmarks for setting changes?

Frequently Asked Questions