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There is no single graphics preset that guarantees smooth play and clear visibility on every PC. Start with your display’s native resolution, keep view distance and textures as high as your system can handle, and use the in-game performance overlay to identify what is limiting frame rate before lowering settings. If native resolution cannot hold your target, try an available upscaler at Quality first.
Start with a target that fits your PC
Embark Studios’ PC requirements, last updated October 1, 2025, are useful reference points—not guarantees for every match or system. The publisher associates these hardware tiers with the following settings and frame-rate targets:
| Tier | CPU | Memory | Example GPUs | Publisher target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Intel Core i5-6600K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 | 12 GB RAM | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, AMD Radeon RX 580, or Intel Arc A380 | Low settings, 1080p, 60 fps |
| Recommended | Intel Core i5-9600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | 16 GB RAM | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, or Intel Arc B570 | High settings, 1440p, 60 fps |
| Epic | Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X | 16 GB RAM | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti or RTX 5070, or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX | Epic settings with resolution scaling quality, 1440p, 90 fps |
Embark’s published PC requirements describe targets, not measured results on every configuration. Steam’s ARC Raiders listing also specifies DirectX 12 and broadband internet; it lists minimum and recommended requirements but not the Epic tier or frame-rate targets.
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- Record your baseline. Note your display’s native resolution and refresh rate, your GPU and CPU, and the frame-rate target you want to sustain. Pick a repeatable route or scene for comparisons.
- Begin at native resolution. If performance is stable, keep the display’s native resolution. If it is not, test an available upscaler at Quality before trying a more aggressive scaling mode; lower internal resolutions can soften distant detail. The available options depend on your hardware and the current game build.
- Check the in-game performance overlay. Use it to assess whether the apparent limit is GPU work, CPU render work, or CPU game work. iTechGuides’ settings guidance recommends diagnosing the bottleneck rather than lowering every option at once.
- Change one setting at a time. Compare the same location or route after each adjustment, where practical. This makes it easier to see whether a change helped without treating an anecdotal before-and-after as a general benchmark.
- Recheck after changes to the game or driver. A patch or driver update can alter performance. Reassess settings on your PC and consult the current driver channel for your GPU vendor.
Prioritize clarity, then test costly effects
If the overlay suggests a GPU limit, third-party guides identify ray-traced lighting, shadows, post-processing, effects, fog, and foliage as options to test at lower settings. These are candidates, not developer-certified recommendations or guaranteed performance wins. Reduce one at a time and judge both frame delivery and how readable the scene remains.
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For distant recognition and detail, keep view distance high and retain textures at the highest level your system can handle. Texture settings should fit available video memory (VRAM); if they exceed what the GPU can comfortably manage, lower them and compare. CloudsPress’ August 8, 2026, guidance likewise recommends native resolution where stable, Quality scaling when needed, high view distance, and lower shadows, post-processing, and effects. It discusses DLSS, FSR 3, and XeSS as hardware-dependent options, not universal features or a controlled best-settings result. Read the CloudsPress settings guide.
Visibility suggestions need the same caution. ArcStatus recommends reducing fog and foliage and suggests an FOV of 80, but those are third-party settings to try—not verified advantages or proof that opponents will be easier to spot. Test the effect in the current build and choose the view that is clearest and comfortable for you. See ArcStatus’ settings guide.
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Understand upscaling and hardware-specific features
Native resolution generally preserves the display’s full image detail when your PC can sustain the desired frame rate. Upscaling renders internally below the output resolution and reconstructs the image, which can improve performance but may soften distant detail—especially at more aggressive settings. Start with Quality if it is available, then compare both motion smoothness and clarity in a repeatable scene.
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When to consider a GPU upgrade
Tune the PC you have before shopping. If it still cannot meet your chosen resolution and frame-rate goal, compare your GPU with Embark’s published tiers as a reference—not as a promise that a particular model will deliver a fixed frame rate in every match. The publisher’s Epic examples are the RTX 4070 Ti, RTX 5070, and Radeon RX 7900 XTX for Epic settings with resolution scaling quality at 1440p/90 fps; actual results also depend on the rest of the system and the conditions of play.
There is no comprehensive controlled, current-build comparison establishing the FPS gain from each individual setting. Treat preset recommendations as starting points, and make the final choice based on repeatable comparisons on your own PC.
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