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Start with the Low quality preset, use a supported upscaler, turn off ray tracing, and lower shadows and effects before sacrificing texture quality. Then cap the frame rate and change one control at a time in the same scene. This is a cautious starting point, not a guaranteed preset: the current Steam requirements target specific hardware, and no controlled benchmark establishes how a particular below-minimum PC will perform.
What the current PC targets actually mean
“Low-end” is not a technical specification. A machine that runs older games well may still be below Valor Mortis’s published minimum. The current Steam listing from One More Level/Lyrical Games specifies the hardware and performance targets below. They are publisher-listed targets, not independent measurements.
| Tier | CPU | GPU | Memory | Storage and API | Stated target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i5-10600K | AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti | 16 GB RAM | 60 GB available; SSD required; DirectX 12 | 30 FPS at 1080p on Low with upscaling |
| Recommended | AMD Ryzen 7 5800X or Intel Core i5-13400 | AMD Radeon RX 6800 or Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 | 16 GB RAM | SSD required; DirectX 12 | 60 FPS at 1440p on Medium with upscaling |
These figures describe the hardware classes the publisher used for its targets. They do not promise that every system with the listed parts will achieve the stated rate, and they do not establish a frame rate for a PC below the minimum.
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The storefront snapshot associated with the 2026 listing showed an October 13, 2026 release date while also saying the game was not yet available and displaying an approximately 14-hour countdown. Requirements and menu behavior can therefore change around launch or between builds. Check the requirements shown for the build you install rather than relying on an old screenshot.
#1 Best Overall
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Use this cautious starting profile
The detailed control names below come from an unofficial reference describing the demo’s in-game menu. The installed release can add, remove or rename options. Treat the profile as a way to begin tuning, not as a verified low-end benchmark.
- Choose Quality Preset: Low. Apply it first so hidden settings are not left at a more expensive level.
- Set a sensible output resolution. Begin at your monitor’s normal resolution if the image is readable. If the frame rate is too low, reduce Resolution Scale or the rendered resolution before making every individual option minimum.
- Enable an available upscaler. The demo reference lists DLSS, FSR, TSR and XeSS. Select only an option supported by your GPU and driver. Upscaling renders internally at a lower resolution and enlarges the result, trading some image detail for lower rendering work.
- Disable Ray Tracing. If the current build exposes the control, leave it off when performance is the priority. The reference says ray tracing requires supported hardware and DirectX 12.
- Lower Shadow Quality. Shadows are described in the reference as a large GPU cost, so they are an early quality control when the Low preset is not enough.
- Lower Effects Quality. Effects can become heavier during large fights. Reduce this after shadows if combat scenes are where performance falls.
- Adjust View Distance, anti-aliasing, post-processing and material quality only as needed. These controls can affect clarity or scene detail, so change them after the major GPU-cost settings above.
- Keep Textures Quality as high as available VRAM allows. Lower textures when you see texture-streaming problems, hitching associated with memory pressure or warnings about VRAM; reducing them does not replace lowering the settings that are actually limiting your GPU.
- Set Frame Rate Limit. A cap can make delivery more even on an individual PC. Choose a limit the system can sustain rather than one it reaches only in quiet areas.
- Apply, then test one change at a time. Use the same level, room or encounter for each comparison. No controlled low-end PC test was available to assign a universal FPS gain to any option.
How to choose an upscaler and resolution
Use the highest-quality render the PC can sustain
Resolution Scale and the upscaler determine how many pixels the GPU renders before the final image is displayed. Lowering either generally reduces rendering work, but the image becomes softer or shows more reconstruction artifacts. Start with the game’s normal output resolution and a quality-oriented upscaler mode if one is available. Move toward a lower scale only when the frame rate remains below your practical target.
DLSS, FSR, TSR and XeSS are not interchangeable on every PC
The demo inventory lists all four names, but availability depends on the graphics card and the build. Use the option that the menu enables for your hardware; do not assume that a control shown in a guide will appear in your installation. Compare image stability in motion, not only a still screenshot. Fine geometry, fences, foliage and fast camera movement are useful places to look for shimmering or ghosting.
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Frame generation needs a separate judgment
The reference lists FSR frame generation as a possible control. Frame generation can display additional synthesized frames, but it does not remove the work required to produce the underlying game frames and can alter input response or artifact behavior. If the base game feels uneven, first improve the native rendering rate with the preset, scale, shadows and effects. Use frame generation only if the build exposes it, the hardware supports it and the resulting controls feel responsive to you.
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- Supported Multi-Platform:Switch/Switch 2 (NO support wake-up function)/iOS/Android/Windows PC (Notice:Not compatible with Xbox, PlayStation or GeForce Now, For game platforms not mentioned, please consult customer service before buying）
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Which graphics controls to lower first
Shadows
Shadow maps and their filtering can require substantial GPU time, especially across large scenes. Lower Shadow Quality before immediately dropping textures. Watch dark interiors and character outlines after the change; the goal is a stable, readable image, not the lowest possible slider position.
Effects
Particles, lighting effects and impact effects can create short slowdowns during large fights even when a quiet corridor looks smooth. If ordinary exploration is acceptable but battles stutter, Effects Quality is a logical next test. Compare the same type of encounter rather than judging from the menu or a static view.
View distance and materials
View Distance controls how far objects remain detailed or visible. Reducing it can help a GPU or CPU that is overloaded by a complex scene, but it can also make objects appear late. Material quality changes surface shading and can affect both visual fidelity and memory use. Adjust these after shadows and effects so you can identify which trade-off solves the actual problem.
Anti-aliasing and post-processing
Anti-aliasing smooths edges; post-processing commonly includes effects such as bloom, depth of field or motion blur. Lowering them can improve clarity or reduce some work, but the performance difference is build- and hardware-dependent. Disable motion blur if it makes a low-resolution image harder to read, even when it is not the largest performance control.
Rank #3
- Tri-mode Connectivity: Wired for Xbox, 2.4G & Wired for PC, and Bluetooth for Android. The G7 Pro supports seamless connectivity across Xbox, PC, and Android. Effortlessly switch between modes using the convenient physical mode switch.
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Textures
Texture quality primarily consumes video memory and storage bandwidth. A setting that fits in VRAM can look better without being the cause of a GPU-bound frame rate. Lower it when you see missing or constantly reloading textures, severe hitching as you turn the camera, or an in-game memory warning. Keep enough headroom for the operating system and other applications.
Set a practical frame-rate goal
The official minimum target is 30 FPS at 1080p Low with upscaling. That is a reference point for the specified minimum hardware, not a promise for every “low-end” computer. If your machine cannot sustain 30 FPS after Low, upscaling and the priority reductions above, lowering output resolution or Resolution Scale is the remaining settings-only option.
Use Frame Rate Limit to match what your PC can hold in demanding scenes. A lower, steady cap can feel better than an uncapped rate that repeatedly falls during combat. Test the cap with the same encounter you used for graphics changes. Do not infer a fixed improvement from a cap without observing frame pacing on your own system.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsCheck the non-graphics requirements before tuning
- Operating system: The current listing specifies Windows 10 or Windows 11.
- Graphics API: DirectX 12 is listed as required.
- Memory: The current minimum lists 16 GB RAM. Close browsers, recording tools and launchers that consume substantial memory before starting the game, but do not treat background-app cleanup as a substitute for meeting the requirement.
- Storage: The listing requires 60 GB available and an SSD. An SSD is a storage requirement; the evidence does not establish that replacing one SSD with another increases FPS.
- Drivers and updates: Install a driver that supports your GPU and the game’s API. If a new driver introduces a problem, record the version so you can make a controlled change rather than changing several variables at once.
Troubleshoot by symptom
Low performance everywhere
Confirm that the game is using the intended discrete GPU rather than an integrated adapter. Recheck Low, the upscaler, Resolution Scale and Ray Tracing. Then reduce shadows and effects. If the system remains below the 30-FPS minimum target, it may simply be below the current hardware baseline; settings cannot guarantee the publisher’s result on that machine.
Rank #4
- Multi-Platform PC Gaming Controller: Working with Switch, PC, Android, and iOS devices via Bluetooth, wired, and wireless dongle connections.
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Slowdowns only in fights
Repeat the same encounter after lowering Effects Quality and Shadow Quality. A frame cap can reduce abrupt swings, but it cannot make an overloaded scene render faster. Keep a note of each change so you can restore visual quality after identifying the limiting control.
Stutter, hitching or texture problems
Check available VRAM and system memory, then test a lower Textures Quality setting. Make sure the game is installed on the required SSD and that the drive has free space for the installation and updates. These steps address storage and memory pressure; they are not a measured FPS upgrade.
The first launch performs badly
A 2025 official pre-alpha announcement warned that shader compilation or PSO behavior could cause poor performance on first boot. That was a dated issue report, not confirmation that the current release behaves the same way. If a new build compiles shaders, allow that process to finish and compare later launches before changing every setting.
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The same pre-alpha announcement listed a problem in which the Low visual-quality preset could be darker than intended. It may not describe the current build. After applying Low, check dark rooms and combat readability; if the image is impaired, raise the relevant lighting or post-processing control rather than assuming the visual change is normal.
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Settings seem to reset or choose the wrong preset
The pre-alpha developer announcement also warned that hardware was not automatically detected, so graphical presets might need manual adjustment. This is historical guidance. In the installed build, verify every important control manually after a driver update, reset or graphics-menu change.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When the PC is below the minimum GPU
The current minimum GPU comparison point is a Radeon RX 5600 XT or GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. If your card is materially below that tier, Low, upscaling and a reduced render scale may still produce a playable result, but the available evidence cannot say what frame rate to expect. CPU model, cooling, power limits, driver version, memory configuration and the game build all matter.
Buying one of the listed minimum-class GPUs is therefore a compatibility comparison, not a guarantee. Confirm that a potential card fits the case, has suitable power connectors, works with the power supply and is paired with a CPU that can feed it. The publisher’s 30-FPS target applies to its stated minimum configuration, not automatically to a replacement card installed in any older system.
Do not use the old pre-alpha profile as a current specification
A 2025 official pre-alpha playtest profile listed lower CPU and RAM figures, required an RTX 2070 or RX 5700 XT, used an SSD, and targeted Low at 1080p with an expected 60-FPS average. The announcement explicitly described performance and optimization as known improvement areas. Its exact wording was: “The game won’t be releasing until next year and we admit that the performance and optimization isn’t that great right now.”
That profile belongs to the pre-alpha test and should not be combined with the current storefront table. For present-day planning, use the current Steam minimum and recommended tiers; use the older announcement only to understand why early settings behavior or first-launch issues may differ from the final build.
A repeatable tuning workflow
- Record the baseline. Note resolution, Resolution Scale, upscaler, cap and the main quality settings. Observe the same scene for long enough to include traversal and combat.
- Apply Low. Confirm that the preset changed the individual controls rather than assuming it did.
- Choose the supported upscaler. Start with a quality-oriented mode, then lower scale only if necessary.
- Turn off ray tracing. Verify that the option remains off after restarting or changing presets.
- Reduce shadows, then effects. Test each separately in a repeatable scene.
- Address memory symptoms. Lower textures only when VRAM or texture streaming is the problem.
- Set a sustainable cap. Pick a rate that survives the busiest scene you can reproduce.
- Stop when the result is stable and readable. Further reductions are worthwhile only if they solve a problem you can observe.
This process keeps the trade-off visible: every change either reduces image quality, reduces detail or changes responsiveness. Because the released menu and performance below minimum remain build-dependent, a personal comparison in an identical scene is more reliable than a universal “best” preset.
Quick Recap
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