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The most reliable starting point is 1080p or 1440p with a firm frame-rate cap, the upscaler that matches your GPU vendor, and the Quality or Balanced mode. Start with DLSS on a compatible NVIDIA card and FSR on an AMD card; move to Performance Mode or a lower upscaling mode only when frame pacing, VRAM, or system-memory pressure remains high. Install the game on an SSD and use the newest game build, because major patches have changed both the available upscalers and the engine’s performance.
These are hardware-aware starting points, not a universal benchmark. Your final choice depends on resolution, GPU VRAM, CPU, system RAM, monitor refresh rate, and the patch currently installed.
Quick-start settings that work as a baseline
Use the profile closest to your hardware, then tune one setting at a time. The frame caps below are targets to test, not guaranteed results for every scene.
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| Hardware situation | Resolution | Upscaler | Quality mode | Initial cap | Next step if pacing is poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended-class NVIDIA system | 1440p | DLSS | Quality | 60 or 90 FPS, whichever is consistently sustained | Use Balanced, then Performance Mode if memory pressure remains |
| Recommended-class AMD system | 1440p | FSR | Quality | 60 or 90 FPS, whichever is consistently sustained | Use Balanced, then Performance Mode if memory pressure remains |
| Minimum-class system | 1080p | DLSS on compatible NVIDIA hardware, otherwise FSR | Balanced | 30 or 60 FPS, depending on repeatable frame pacing | Use Performance Mode and a lower output resolution only if necessary |
| Any system showing texture or memory pressure | 1080p or 1440p | Keep the vendor-appropriate upscaler | Balanced or Performance | Choose the cap your worst areas can hold | Enable Performance Mode before reducing every other option |
Do not raise the cap simply because a counter briefly reaches it. A cap that the CPU and GPU can hold through traversal, combat, and crowded areas usually feels smoother than an uncapped rate that repeatedly falls.
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Check the requirements before changing graphics options
Steam’s current support listing gives the following baseline for the PC version:
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 | Windows 10 or Windows 11 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600 | Intel Core i7-11700K or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 32 GB RAM |
| Graphics | GeForce GTX 1080 or Radeon 5600 XT | GeForce RTX 2060 or Radeon RX 5700 XT |
| Storage | 46 GB, with an SSD required | 46 GB, with an SSD required |
Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics is not supported. Meeting the minimum list does not promise a particular frame rate; it establishes the hardware floor that the developer publishes. The 32 GB recommendation also matters when background applications, browser tabs, recording software, or an operating-system update compete with the game for memory.
Why the SSD requirement matters
An SSD is an explicit requirement, not merely an optional loading-time upgrade. If the game is on a hard disk, move it to an SSD before trying to diagnose traversal hitching or long asset-streaming pauses. A 1 TB NVMe SSD leaves room for the 46 GB installation, patches, and other free space needed by the operating system, but verify the drive’s interface and capacity against your motherboard or laptop before buying.
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Use a current build before judging performance
Older guides can describe a different renderer, memory budget, or upscaler implementation. Early Access Patch 2, dated May 23, 2024, added DLSS 3.7, FSR 2.2, and a Performance Mode. The same patch documented CPU optimizations, memory-leak fixes, fewer instantiation spikes, improved GPU culling, and lower CPU and GPU overhead. It also optimized Steam Deck texture and memory budgets.
The January 22, 2026 Together update preview lists AMD FSR v3.1.5 and further work on Unity physics integration, pooling, fluid simulation, map performance, fog of war, mesh trails, time-of-day transitions, garbage-collection allocations, clipping zones, shadow-casting lights, texture count, draw calls, and visual effects. If your menu identifies FSR 3.1.5, that is a newer implementation than the FSR 2.2 documented for Patch 2. Record the game build when comparing settings so you do not treat results from different patches as an apples-to-apples test.
Set up a stable baseline
- Update the game. Install the newest build available to you. Patch-level changes can alter frame pacing and the behavior of the upscalers.
- Confirm the installation is on an SSD. If it is on a hard disk, relocate it before making visual-quality decisions.
- Close avoidable background load. Shut down browsers with many tabs, launchers you do not need, recording jobs, and other applications that consume RAM or CPU time. Keep enough free memory for the operating system.
- Choose the monitor’s native resolution first. Begin at 1920×1080 or 2560×1440. Use 1440p when the GPU can sustain your target; use 1080p when the minimum-class hardware is closer to its limit.
- Apply a frame-rate cap. Pick a rate you can hold in demanding areas rather than the highest number seen in an empty room. Common test points are 30, 60, or 90 FPS, but the correct value is the one your system sustains without repeated drops.
- Select the vendor-appropriate upscaler. Start with DLSS on a compatible NVIDIA GPU and FSR on AMD hardware. Begin with Quality; change to Balanced only when the cap is not stable.
- Test a repeatable route. Walk through the same busy area, fight a similar encounter, and observe both average smoothness and hitching. Change one option between runs and write down the build, resolution, upscaler mode, cap, and whether Performance Mode was enabled.
Choose resolution and frame-rate targets together
Resolution determines how many pixels the game must produce; the upscaler then reconstructs the selected output from a lower internal render. A higher output resolution can look sharper, but it gives the GPU more work even when an upscaler is active. A lower cap can improve consistency when the processor or graphics card cannot sustain a faster rate.
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1080p
1080p is the safest starting point for a system near the minimum specification. Use Quality if the frame cap is stable. If the GPU still misses the cap or the game reports memory pressure, move to Balanced and then Performance Mode. Do not assume that an uncapped 70 FPS average will feel better than a locked 60 FPS; traversal drops and uneven frame times are often more noticeable than the peak number.
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1440p
1440p is a sensible target for hardware around the recommended graphics class. DLSS or FSR in Quality mode preserves more detail than Performance mode while reducing the internal workload. If 1440p Quality cannot hold the chosen cap, try Balanced before abandoning the resolution. Performance Mode is the next documented step when the problem involves texture or memory pressure rather than only raw GPU load.
Higher resolutions
The published requirements do not define a universal 4K preset or frame-rate target. Treat 4K as a separate experiment: establish a cap, test the heaviest areas, and be prepared to use a more aggressive upscaling mode. Do not call a 4K configuration “best” without identifying the GPU, VRAM, RAM, build, and cap used.
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DLSS versus FSR: which should you use?
Both technologies are supported, but they are not interchangeable labels for a guaranteed performance gain. DLSS is the logical first test on compatible NVIDIA hardware; FSR is the logical first test on AMD hardware. The game documentation records DLSS 3.7 and FSR 2.2 in Early Access Patch 2, while the 2026 Together preview identifies FSR v3.1.5 for a later build.
| Question | Start with | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Using a compatible NVIDIA GPU? | DLSS Quality | It is the vendor-matched option documented for the game; move to Balanced if the cap is missed. |
| Using an AMD GPU? | FSR Quality | It is the vendor-matched option; select the implementation exposed by your current build. |
| Using hardware where DLSS is unavailable? | FSR Quality or Balanced | FSR provides the supported alternative; choose the mode that holds your target. |
| Seeing shimmer, softness, or reconstruction artifacts? | Return to Quality or test the other supported upscaler | Lower modes render less internal detail and can make artifacts more visible. |
Quality and Balanced are starting points, not promises of a fixed internal resolution across every patch. If your build exposes different names or additional modes, use the exact labels shown in its menu and note them in your test log. There is no official universal FPS uplift for each mode, so any percentage quoted without a specified system and build is not a reliable expectation.
When to enable Performance Mode
Performance Mode is the first documented preset to try when frame pacing, VRAM use, or system-memory pressure is poor. Patch 2 describes it as lowering texture resolution. That trade-off can reduce visual detail, especially on surfaces and distant objects, but it may prevent memory-related hitching that a simple resolution change does not fix.
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Use Performance Mode when
- Frame time spikes coincide with texture streaming or entering a new area.
- The game is close to exhausting GPU VRAM or system RAM.
- Quality and Balanced upscaling still miss a stable cap.
- You are on minimum-class hardware and need a documented, broad reduction rather than chasing individual sliders.
Leave it off when
- Your target cap is already stable and memory use is comfortable.
- Texture clarity is more important than the last margin of frame-time consistency.
- The problem is clearly CPU-limited; lowering texture resolution cannot remove a processor bottleneck by itself.
Change Performance Mode before making several unrelated visual changes. That keeps the cause and effect clear and lets you restore image quality if the mode does not address the hitching.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Hardware-specific starting profiles
| System profile | Starting configuration | Adjustment order | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| GTX 1080 or Radeon 5600 XT, 16 GB RAM | 1080p, vendor-appropriate upscaler, Balanced, 30 or 60 FPS cap | Quality if stable; otherwise Performance Mode, then a lower output resolution | System-memory pressure and traversal frame-time spikes |
| RTX 2060 or RX 5700 XT, 32 GB RAM | 1440p, DLSS or FSR Quality, 60 FPS cap | Try 90 FPS only after demanding areas hold 60; use Balanced if needed | GPU utilization, VRAM headroom, and consistency during combat |
| Faster current GPU with 32 GB RAM | 1440p Quality at a cap matched to the display | Raise the cap only after a repeatable route is stable; use Performance Mode only for memory-related issues | CPU-limited scenes where lowering resolution changes little |
| Steam Deck-class handheld | Use the build’s handheld-oriented texture and memory behavior, then select a conservative cap | Prefer stability over a high cap; retest after major patches | Battery, thermals, memory budget, and the exact build |
The first two rows align with the published minimum and recommended GPU classes. The faster-GPU row is intentionally not a promise of a particular result: the official material does not publish a universal performance target for newer cards.
A repeatable tuning procedure
- Capture the baseline. Note resolution, upscaler and mode, frame cap, Performance Mode state, GPU model and VRAM, system RAM, storage type, and game build.
- Find the limiting component. If the GPU is heavily loaded and frame time rises with resolution, reduce the upscaler mode or output resolution. If GPU load is modest while the frame rate still falls, the limit may be CPU, memory, or streaming related.
- Test Quality first. Keep the cap fixed and run the same route. This gives you a visual reference before adding more aggressive reconstruction.
- Test Balanced second. If Quality cannot hold the cap, switch only the mode and repeat the route. Compare smoothness and image stability, not just the highest counter reading.
- Enable Performance Mode for memory problems. Repeat the route and check whether texture-streaming hitches or frame-time spikes improve.
- Lower output resolution last among the major changes. It can help a GPU-bound system, but it also changes the entire image and will not solve a CPU-bound scene.
- Choose the lowest stable cap. Once you find a configuration that holds through the heaviest repeatable section, set that cap and leave headroom instead of chasing transient peaks.
Troubleshoot stutter by symptom
Frequent hitching while moving into new areas
- Verify the game is installed on an SSD.
- Enable Performance Mode if texture or memory pressure accompanies the hitch.
- Close background applications that consume RAM or perform disk work.
- Retest on the latest build, because patch notes document changes to streaming, pooling, memory leaks, culling, draw calls, and other sources of overhead.
Low frame rate with high GPU utilization
- Keep the frame cap fixed and switch from Quality to Balanced.
- If the target is still missed, use Performance Mode.
- At 1440p, test 1080p to confirm whether pixel workload is the main limit.
Low frame rate with modest GPU utilization
- Do not expect a lower resolution alone to cure a CPU-bound scene.
- Use a lower, stable cap and close CPU-heavy background tasks.
- Retest after updates that include CPU, physics, garbage-collection, pooling, or map-performance changes.
Texture softness or reconstruction artifacts
- Move from Performance to Balanced or Quality.
- Keep the output resolution fixed while comparing DLSS and FSR so the visual difference is clear.
- Remember that a newer build may expose a different FSR version than an older guide describes.
Sudden stutter after a patch
- Record the new build number and restore the baseline profile.
- Retest the same route rather than assuming an old setting remains optimal.
- Check whether the patch changed the available upscaler implementation or memory behavior before judging the game by an older preset.
Steam Deck and handheld considerations
Patch 2 specifically mentions optimized Steam Deck texture and memory budgets, so handheld behavior may differ from desktop behavior even at the same nominal resolution. Use a conservative frame cap, favor consistent frame times over a short-lived peak, and retest after updates that change texture counts, draw calls, effects, physics, or memory allocation. A desktop profile should not be copied blindly to a handheld because thermal and memory limits are different.
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A setting can be GPU-friendly but CPU-neutral, or reduce texture memory without changing the processor workload. Two systems that meet the same published requirement can therefore produce different frame pacing. The official material does not provide a universal FPS increase for DLSS, FSR, Performance Mode, or each individual option. Any honest comparison must identify resolution, upscaler and quality mode, frame cap, GPU vendor and VRAM, system RAM, storage type, and the patch used.
Use the documented options as a decision tree: vendor-matched upscaling first, Quality before Balanced, Performance Mode for memory or pacing pressure, and a lower resolution only when the GPU remains the clear bottleneck. Keep a stable cap and compare repeatable scenes; that method gives you a useful result without pretending that one preset fits every PC.
Quick Recap
Final checklist
- Game installed on an SSD.
- Windows and the game updated to the current build.
- At least the published 16 GB RAM minimum, with 32 GB preferred for headroom.
- 1080p or 1440p selected as the initial output resolution.
- DLSS started on compatible NVIDIA hardware; FSR started on AMD hardware.
- Quality tested before Balanced, and Performance Mode reserved for memory or frame-pacing problems.
- A frame cap chosen from repeatable worst-case scenes rather than a peak counter reading.
- Each change tested separately and recorded with the game build.
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