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The safest low-end starting point for The Outlast Trials is the publisher’s Low target: 1280×720 resolution, a 30-FPS cap, DirectX 11, and ray tracing disabled. If that is stable, improve image quality one setting at a time. Do not begin by chasing 60 FPS or enabling ray tracing; the official 60-FPS target assumes a much faster recommended CPU and graphics card.
Official targets: the baseline your PC should be measured against
Red Barrels’ current PC requirements describe two performance tiers. The Low tier is a 720p, 30-FPS target with DirectX 11 and ray tracing off. The High tier is a 1080p, 60-FPS target with DirectX 12 and ray tracing still off. These are target specifications, not a guarantee for every computer that contains the listed parts.
| Target | Resolution and frame rate | Graphics API | Ray tracing | Processor | Memory | Graphics card class | Platform details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 1280×720 at 30 FPS | DirectX 11 | Off | Intel Core i7-3770 or AMD Ryzen 5 1400 | 8GB RAM | NVIDIA GTX 650 Ti, AMD Radeon R7 360, or Intel Arc A310 class | Windows 10 64-bit; 40GB storage |
| High | 1920×1080 at 60 FPS | DirectX 12 | Off | Intel Core i7-6700K or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X | 16GB RAM | NVIDIA GTX 1660, AMD RX Vega 56, or Intel Arc A580 class | Windows 10 64-bit; 40GB storage |
The minimum memory requirement is 8GB, while 16GB is the recommended capacity. A computer can meet the minimum GPU requirement and still stutter if Windows, a browser, voice chat, or recording software consumes most of its available memory.
The recommended low-end settings profile
Apply these settings before experimenting with individual effects:
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- Preset: Low.
- Resolution: 1280×720.
- Frame-rate limit: 30 FPS if the system cannot sustain a higher limit.
- Graphics API: DirectX 11 when the game or launcher offers an API choice.
- Ray tracing: Disabled.
- Upscaling or render scale: Use the least expensive option exposed by your current game build if native 720p still drops below the target.
This profile follows the publisher’s stated minimum target. It is a sensible baseline rather than a machine-specific benchmark: the available evidence does not establish an average FPS figure for any particular low-end computer.
Why start at 720p?
Rendering fewer pixels reduces the work sent to the GPU. Starting at 1280×720 also gives you a clear reference point: if the game cannot maintain its target at Low and 720p, raising effects or resolution will not solve the underlying limit. Once frame delivery is stable, you can increase image quality in controlled steps.
Why cap at 30 FPS?
A stable cap is preferable to a frame rate that repeatedly jumps between a higher number and severe dips. Use the highest cap the machine can sustain consistently. For a system near the official minimum, 30 FPS is the publisher’s stated target; a 60-FPS cap is intended for the recommended hardware tier and should not be treated as a requirement for playability.
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Choose DX11 for the minimum-spec path
The official Low target pairs DirectX 11 with 720p and 30 FPS. Select DX11 when you are trying to reproduce that baseline, especially on an older graphics card or an older processor. The API choice does not replace the need for the Low preset, a lower resolution, or a frame cap.
Use DX12 only when your system has the headroom
The official High target pairs DirectX 12 with 1080p and 60 FPS. That combination is associated with the faster recommended CPU and GPU classes, not with the minimum tier. If your current build exposes both APIs and DX12 produces crashes or inconsistent frame times on your machine, test DX11 as a troubleshooting comparison. Change only the API, keep the rest of the profile unchanged, and compare stability in the same area.
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API behavior can vary with the graphics driver and the particular build of the game, so there is no universal rule that DX12 is faster on every low-end PC. Judge the result by sustained frame time, hitching, input response, and stability rather than by the API name.
Ray tracing should remain off
Both official target tiers specify ray tracing off. On a low-end system, enabling it adds a substantial rendering cost without addressing the more basic need for a stable frame rate. Leave every ray-tracing option disabled while you establish a playable baseline. Only consider testing it after you have hardware well above the minimum and a stable frame rate at your chosen resolution; it is not part of the recommended 60-FPS specification.
Resolution, render scale, anti-aliasing and upscaling
Lower internal resolution before raising effects
If Low at 1280×720 is still unstable, reduce the internal render resolution or render scale if the current build exposes that control. This generally gives the GPU the largest immediate reduction in pixel workload. The trade-off is a softer image, especially when the output resolution remains fixed.
Use an available temporal upscaler
Unreal Engine documentation lists temporal upscaling methods including TAAU, TSR, NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS. The exact choices shown in The Outlast Trials depend on the game build, your GPU, and your driver. If one is available, begin with its performance-oriented or lowest-cost mode, then raise the quality level only after the frame-rate target is stable.
Upscalers render internally at a lower resolution and reconstruct the final image. They can improve performance while retaining more detail than simply lowering the display resolution, but aggressive modes can introduce blur, shimmering, or ghosting. Compare moving scenes and dark areas, not just a static menu.
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Where FXAA fits
Unreal’s documentation describes FXAA as fast to render and suitable for low-end devices and desktops. FXAA is an anti-aliasing method, not a replacement for a lower internal resolution. If the game provides FXAA as a separate anti-aliasing choice, it is a reasonable low-cost option. It may look less temporally stable or less sharp than a heavier method, so use the setting that keeps edges acceptable without causing frame-time spikes.
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A stronger performance upscaler or lower render scale can raise headroom but reduce clarity. A heavier anti-aliasing method or higher resolution can look cleaner while leaving less room for sudden effects. When comparing two profiles, check four things together: sustained frame time, image clarity, input latency, and remaining hardware headroom. A profile that looks excellent in a quiet room but stutters during a chase is not the better low-end configuration.
A one-change-at-a-time tuning procedure
- Record the starting point. Set Low, 1280×720, DX11, and ray tracing off. Apply a 30-FPS cap if higher rates are not sustained.
- Use a repeatable test area. Walk through the same room, corridor, or encounter after each change. Do not compare a quiet menu scene with a busy gameplay scene.
- Check stability before quality. Let the frame rate settle during movement and combat. A consistent cap is more useful than a short burst at a higher number.
- Reduce pixel cost next. Lower internal resolution or enable the least expensive available upscaler before changing several individual effects.
- Test anti-aliasing. If FXAA is available, compare it with the current option for sharpness and frame pacing. Keep the option that gives acceptable edges without destabilizing the game.
- Raise one setting only after stability. Increase an effect or upscaler quality level, test the same area again, and revert if frame times become inconsistent.
- Keep a working profile. Save or note the last stable combination so a later experiment can be undone quickly.
This process prevents a common mistake: changing resolution, API, ray tracing, and several effects at once, then having no way to identify which change caused a drop or a crash.
What to upgrade when settings are not enough
When 16GB of RAM is the sensible first upgrade
If the computer has 8GB and also runs a browser, voice chat, capture software, or other background programs, a compatible 16GB DDR4 kit is the clearest capacity upgrade. It moves the system toward the game’s recommended memory tier and reduces the chance that background activity forces memory pressure.
More capacity does not guarantee more FPS. If the GPU or CPU is already the limiting component, adding RAM alone will not turn a minimum-tier system into a 60-FPS machine. Check whether the existing system uses DDR4, whether there is an unused slot, and whether the motherboard supports the intended capacity and speed before buying.
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- Do not mix memory kits. Memory kits are sold in matched kits that are designed to run together as a set. Mixing memory kits will result in stability issues or system failure.
When a GPU replacement matters more
If the graphics card is below the GTX 650 Ti, Radeon R7 360, or Arc A310 class, a replacement is the larger performance step because the machine is below the published minimum graphics tier. A GTX 1660-class card is a reference point for the recommended tier, but it is not necessary for a PC that already meets the minimum and is satisfied with 720p and 30 FPS.
Before installing any replacement card, verify the power supply’s connectors and capacity, the case’s physical clearance, motherboard compatibility, and the monitor’s output connection. A card that fits the performance target but cannot be powered or installed is not a practical upgrade.
When the CPU is the likely limit
The Low requirement names a Core i7-3770 or Ryzen 5 1400, while the High target names a Core i7-6700K or Ryzen 5 2600X. If your GPU meets the target but frame times remain poor in scenes with substantial game or player activity, the processor may be the constraint. Compare behavior at the same resolution and preset; lowering resolution helps a GPU-bound system much more than a CPU-bound one.
Storage and operating-system requirements
The PC requirements list 40GB of storage and Windows 10 64-bit. Keep that space available before installation and leave additional free space for updates and normal operating-system use. The listed operating-system requirement is not a performance setting, but meeting it removes a basic compatibility variable while troubleshooting.
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The game cannot hold 30 FPS
- Confirm the Low preset, 1280×720 output, DX11, and ray tracing off.
- Set a 30-FPS cap instead of allowing a fluctuating higher target.
- Lower internal resolution or enable the least expensive available upscaler.
- Close unnecessary browser tabs, recording tools, and other background programs, particularly on an 8GB system.
- If the result is still unstable, compare your CPU and GPU with the published minimum classes. Settings cannot compensate indefinitely for hardware below the minimum.
The image is too blurry
- Check whether an aggressive upscaler mode or very low internal resolution is active.
- Move to a higher-quality upscaler mode before raising several effects.
- Compare FXAA with the other available anti-aliasing method; FXAA is inexpensive but may not provide the same edge stability or sharpness.
- Raise output or internal resolution only after confirming that the system can still sustain its chosen cap.
Frame rate looks acceptable but motion stutters
- Use the same test route and watch for uneven frame delivery rather than relying on a brief peak FPS number.
- Keep the frame-rate cap at a level the system can sustain continuously.
- Test DX11 against DX12 without changing the rest of the profile if both are available.
- Reduce background memory use and retest, especially with 8GB installed.
- Undo the last graphics change if the hitching began immediately after it.
The game crashes after changing the API or graphics options
Return to the last known stable profile, then change only one variable. If DX12 is the trigger on your machine, test DX11 with ray tracing disabled and the Low preset. If an upscaler causes visual or stability problems, disable it and compare native 720p before trying a different available method. The purpose of this sequence is to isolate the setting; it does not imply that one API or upscaler fails universally.
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Practical profiles for common low-end situations
System close to the published minimum
Use Low, 1280×720, DX11, ray tracing off, and a 30-FPS cap. Add an inexpensive upscaler or reduce internal resolution only if necessary. Keep background applications to a minimum and avoid spending performance on effects before the baseline is stable.
Minimum-class GPU with 16GB RAM
Keep the same graphics profile initially. The extra memory can reduce pressure from multitasking, but it does not change the GPU’s rendering capacity. If performance is already stable, test a modest increase in upscaler quality or internal resolution, one change at a time.
Recommended-class GPU but only 8GB RAM
The graphics card may have enough capacity for more than the Low profile, yet 8GB can become the limiting factor when other software is open. Upgrade toward 16GB or close background programs before judging whether the GPU can approach the High target.
Hardware below the minimum GPU tier
Start with Low, 720p, DX11, and ray tracing off, but expect that settings may not produce a stable result. A GPU replacement is the primary hardware decision; verify power, space, and motherboard compatibility before selecting a card.
How to decide whether a change is worthwhile
Keep a setting only when it improves the result you care about without creating a new problem. A lower render scale that holds 30 FPS may be preferable to a sharper profile with repeated dips. Conversely, if the game is already stable, an unnecessarily aggressive performance mode only sacrifices clarity. Make decisions using the same scene, the same cap, and the same API so each comparison has a consistent basis.
The official requirements establish the boundaries: Low is 720p at 30 FPS with DX11 and ray tracing off; High is 1080p at 60 FPS with DX12 and ray tracing off. Within those boundaries, your best profile is the one that delivers steady frame pacing and readable image quality on your particular CPU, GPU, memory configuration, and driver.
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