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Short answer: For a low-end PC, begin with the lowest graphics preset at 1280×720 (or 1280×800 on a 16:10 display), leave textures at low or medium if your video memory permits, reduce shadows and other lighting effects first, disable motion blur and depth of field when available, and cap the frame rate at the most stable level your system can maintain. These are cautious starting points inferred from the published GTX 560 minimum requirement, not measured benchmarks. Steam currently lists Hope in the City as “Steam Deck Compatibility Unknown,” so Deck performance remains unconfirmed until release or an official update.
What is known about Hope in the City
Hope in the City is a non-linear narrative mystery from Lofty Sky Entertainment Inc., with NAGA Games also listed as publisher on Steam. The investigation takes place in Shenyang, China, and follows Hope Song as she uses sketches and a notebook to connect clues. The developer describes the presentation as a “Creative and Unique Triangulated Art Style.”
The Steam listing gives November 11, 2026 as the planned release date and lists Windows and Steam as the PC platform. That timing matters: graphics options, drivers, shader compilation behavior, and Steam Deck compatibility can still change before launch. The settings below therefore separate published requirements from practical starting advice.
Official PC requirements
These are the requirements currently shown on the Steam store listing. They are the only authoritative hardware targets available before release.
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| Tier | Operating system | Processor | Memory | Graphics | API | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Windows 7 64-bit | Intel Core i7-2600K | 4 GB RAM | GeForce GTX 560 | DirectX 9 | 3 GB available |
| Recommended | Windows 10 64-bit | Intel Core i5-10400F | 8 GB RAM | GeForce GTX 1060 | DirectX 12 | 10 GB available |
A minimum specification is a compatibility floor, not a promise of a particular resolution, quality level, or frame rate. The GTX 560 and 4 GB RAM are especially old by current standards. A machine that technically matches them may still need conservative settings, current drivers, and a clean background workload. The recommended GTX 1060 and 8 GB RAM indicate a more comfortable target, but the listing does not state a target frame rate.
Best starting settings for a low-end PC
No developer-tested low-end preset or benchmark has been published. Use this configuration as a repeatable first experiment rather than as an official profile.
1. Start with the lowest preset
Choose the lowest available graphics or quality preset before changing individual controls. A preset establishes a known baseline and prevents a high-cost option from being overlooked. If the game presents separate quality profiles for rendering, lighting, effects, or post-processing, set each to its lowest value initially.
2. Choose a sensible resolution
- Use 1280×720 on a conventional 16:9 monitor.
- Use 1280×800 on a 16:10 panel, including the native shape used by many handheld displays.
Lowering resolution reduces the number of pixels the graphics processor must draw. It can improve performance substantially, but it also makes text and the game’s distinctive triangulated artwork softer. Keep the display at its native aspect ratio when possible so the image is not stretched.
3. Keep textures low or medium when video memory is limited
Texture quality primarily affects video-memory use and image detail. On a GTX 560-class card, start at low. If the game runs without stuttering and the card has enough available video memory, try medium textures before raising more expensive effects. A texture increase is often a better visual trade than increasing shadows or reflections, but the game’s final menu labels and memory behavior will determine the result.
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4. Reduce the settings that usually cost the most GPU time
After the preset and resolution, lower these options in order if they are present:
- Shadows: use the lowest quality, shortest distance, or disable them if the menu allows it.
- Reflections: choose low or off; reflective surfaces can require additional scene rendering.
- Effects: lower particles, volumetric effects, and similar post-processing controls.
- Ambient occlusion: disable it or select its lowest mode.
- View distance: reduce it only as far as needed, because it can remove visual context in an investigation game.
This order is a general starting heuristic, not a measurement of Hope in the City. If a particular option does not exist, skip it. Do not assume that a control with a familiar name has the same cost in every engine.
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5. Turn off blur-heavy effects when available
Disable motion blur and depth of field if those switches appear. They do not necessarily produce the largest frame-rate gain, but removing them can make a low frame rate feel clearer, improve readability of notebook details, and simplify troubleshooting. Film grain, chromatic aberration, and similar effects can also be disabled when available if you prefer a cleaner image; treat those as comfort choices rather than guaranteed performance fixes.
6. Cap the frame rate at a stable value
Use the game’s frame-rate limiter, or the platform’s limiter if the game has none. Pick the highest cap the system can sustain during the busiest scene, not the highest number shown for a few seconds in an empty room. A stable lower cap generally produces more consistent camera movement and reduces sudden power and temperature spikes. Because no measured frame-rate result has been published, this article does not promise 30, 60, or any other FPS figure.
7. Change one option at a time
Once the baseline is playable, raise only one setting, test the same demanding scene, and record the result. If performance worsens, return that option to its previous value before testing another. This method identifies the actual bottleneck instead of leaving you with an attractive but unstable combination.
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A practical low-end tuning sequence
Use this sequence whenever you install a new build, update a driver, or change hardware. It keeps visual comparisons meaningful.
- Close browsers, launchers, recording tools, and overlays that are not needed for the test.
- Start the game at the lowest preset and 1280×720 or 1280×800, matching the display’s aspect ratio.
- Load the same area or repeat the same investigation sequence each time. A busy street, transition, or effects-heavy scene is more useful than an empty menu.
- Observe frame pacing for several minutes rather than reacting to a single peak or dip.
- If motion is inconsistent, lower shadows, reflections, effects, ambient occlusion, and view distance in that order.
- If motion is stable but the image is too soft, raise textures first, then test other visual options individually.
- Set a frame-rate cap below the lowest sustained result you observed.
- Write down the game version, display resolution, preset, individual changes, and cap so you can restore the profile after an update.
The sequence deliberately avoids promising a universal FPS target. It produces a configuration based on your processor, graphics card, cooling, drivers, and the final release build.
What to expect from a GTX 560 or similar card
The GeForce GTX 560 is the published minimum GPU. A card in that class should be treated as an entry point for experimentation at reduced settings, not as evidence that high quality or high-resolution play will be comfortable. The minimum CPU is also an Intel Core i7-2600K, so a newer graphics card paired with a much weaker processor may still encounter frame-time spikes in scenes with substantial simulation or streaming.
| Hardware position | Starting approach | What is established | What is not established |
|---|---|---|---|
| At or near GTX 560 and 4 GB RAM | Lowest preset, 1280×720, low textures, reduced lighting and effects, conservative frame-rate cap | This is at or near the published minimum specification | No official FPS, preset, or resolution guarantee |
| Older than the listed minimum | Try only after confirming the game launches; begin below the minimum profile if the menu permits | The hardware falls outside the published target | Compatibility and performance are unknown |
| Between GTX 560 and GTX 1060 | Begin with the low profile, then raise textures and selected effects one at a time | The card sits between the listed minimum and recommended GPU classes | Exact quality or FPS headroom is not documented |
| At or above GTX 1060 and 8 GB RAM | Use the recommended profile as a starting point, then tune for your display and frame-rate goal | This matches the published recommended GPU and memory target | The listing does not define a guaranteed frame rate |
Integrated graphics, mobile GPUs, and cards with less memory cannot be judged from the GTX 560 label alone. Architecture, driver support, shared memory, and thermal limits all matter. If your machine is below the minimum, treat launch success and stability as open questions rather than assuming that a lower resolution will make it work.
Steam Deck: compatibility is currently unknown
Steam’s exact status for the game is “Steam Deck Compatibility Unknown.” The official pages reviewed do not publish a Deck benchmark, a Proton configuration, or a device-specific graphics preset. There is therefore no verified answer to “How many FPS does it get on Steam Deck?” and no responsible way to promise a locked frame rate.
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The Windows requirements also do not translate directly into Deck performance. Steam Deck uses a Linux-based operating system and Proton compatibility for many Windows games, while its APU combines CPU and GPU resources and operates within a portable power and thermal envelope. A game that meets the listed Windows minimum can still require a different shader, controller, fullscreen, or power configuration on Deck.
If you test a demo or release build
Use a controlled profile so your result can be compared with future updates:
- Record the exact game version and whether you are using a demo or the full release.
- Start at the Deck’s 1280×800 display resolution and the lowest in-game preset.
- Disable motion blur and depth of field when those controls exist.
- Lower shadows, reflections, effects, ambient occlusion, and view distance before sacrificing resolution.
- Choose a frame-rate cap that remains stable in the busiest scene you can find.
- Record the cap, TDP setting if changed, refresh rate, preset, and whether the game is running through the default Proton version or another selected version.
- Note shader-compilation stutter, crashes, missing text, controller problems, suspend/resume behavior, and battery or temperature concerns separately from average FPS.
These steps are testing guidance, not a claim that the game currently works on Deck. Wait for the Steam compatibility label, a developer statement, or reproducible post-release results before treating any Deck profile as settled.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting low performance
The game is slow immediately after changing resolution
Confirm that the resolution actually changed and that the game is not rendering at a higher internal scale. If an internal-resolution or render-scale option exists, set it to 100% first so you know what the selected display resolution means. Then retest with shadows and reflections reduced.
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Use a lower frame-rate cap and check frame pacing rather than the peak FPS counter. Disable overlays and recording software, switch between fullscreen and borderless modes if both are offered, and retest the same scene. A stable cap is more useful than a fluctuating maximum.
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Stutter appears when entering new areas
Allow the game to finish any shader compilation or asset streaming activity, then repeat the route. Keep textures at low or medium and close background applications that consume RAM. With only 4 GB system memory, Windows and background services leave little headroom, so reducing those competing workloads is particularly important.
The image is blurry after lowering settings
Raise textures before raising shadows or reflections. Check that motion blur and depth of field are disabled, and verify that the display is using a correctly scaled 16:9 or 16:10 resolution. If the game offers a sharpening control, test it only after establishing a stable baseline; the presence and cost of such a control are not documented in the current listing.
The game will not launch
Compare your system with the published operating-system, CPU, RAM, graphics, API, and storage requirements. Update the graphics driver, verify the installation through Steam, and remove unsupported launch options or overlays. A system below the minimum may fail for reasons that graphics settings cannot fix. On Deck, a launch failure should be recorded with the game version and Proton version rather than treated as proof that every Deck installation behaves the same way.
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Performance changes after an update
Restore the documented baseline first, then test again. Record the new version, preset, resolution, and cap. Upcoming games can change shader behavior, default settings, and compatibility status between builds, so an older configuration should not be assumed to remain optimal.
Recommended profiles by goal
| Goal | Resolution | Preset and textures | First options to reduce | Frame-rate approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum chance of running near the minimum | 1280×720 | Lowest preset; low textures | Shadows, reflections, effects, ambient occlusion, view distance | Cap at the most stable level observed |
| Sharper image on a 16:10 panel | 1280×800 | Lowest preset; low textures initially | Same order as the minimum profile | Use a conservative cap and watch frame pacing |
| Better detail after gaining headroom | Native 16:9 or 16:10 resolution that remains stable | Raise textures to medium first if VRAM allows | Keep shadows and reflections low until tested | Change one setting at a time |
| Steam Deck experiment | 1280×800 starting point | Lowest preset; texture increase only after a stable baseline | Shadows, reflections, effects, ambient occlusion, view distance | Use a cap appropriate to the measured build; no verified target exists |
The table describes starting choices, not guaranteed outcomes. The final game may expose different names, ranges, or scaling behavior.
How the release date affects this advice
The planned November 11, 2026 Steam release means the current information is pre-release. The developer may add or revise graphics options, and Steam may change the Deck compatibility label after testing. Check the in-game menu and the current Steam listing on the day you install rather than relying on an old screenshot or preset.
Until an official benchmark exists, the most defensible expectation is qualitative: a GTX 560-class PC should begin at reduced settings and 720p, while a GTX 1060-class PC is the published recommended target. Steam Deck play should be considered experimental until compatibility is confirmed.
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Use 1280×720 on a 16:9 monitor or 1280×800 on a 16:10 screen, start with the lowest preset, keep textures low or medium according to available video memory, and lower shadows, reflections, effects, ambient occlusion, and view distance before raising visual quality. Disable blur effects when available and cap the frame rate to a level your system sustains consistently. The GTX 560/4 GB combination is the official minimum, the GTX 1060/8 GB combination is the official recommendation, and neither listing supplies an FPS guarantee. Steam Deck compatibility remains explicitly unknown, so any Deck result should be treated as a build-specific experiment until the game ships or the developer updates its status.
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