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Order of the Sinking Star requires a 64-bit Windows 10-or-newer PC, DirectX 12, 8 GB of RAM, 14 GB of available storage, and at least an Intel Core i5-6600K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 paired with a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, Radeon RX 580, or Intel Arc A380. The recommended tier raises memory to 16 GB and lists an Intel Core i5-9600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 with a GeForce GTX 2070 Ti, Radeon RX 5700, or Intel Arc B570.
Those are Steam’s published hardware thresholds, not a promise of a particular resolution or frame rate. Steam does not state an FPS or resolution target. If performance is poor, start by lowering the game’s graphics preset or display resolution, then test one change at a time. Steam Deck evidence supports starting with low settings and a 60 FPS limit, while allowing for heavier overworld scenes and occasional stutter.
Official PC system requirements
The current Steam store listing requires a 64-bit processor and operating system. Its Windows requirement is Windows 10 or later, 64-bit, with the latest update installed. The listing also specifies DirectX 12 and 14 GB of available storage.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 or later, 64-bit (latest update) | Windows 10 or later, 64-bit (latest update) |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-6600K or AMD Ryzen R5 1600 | Intel Core i5-9600K or AMD Ryzen R5 3600 |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, AMD Radeon RX 580, or Intel Arc A380 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 2070 Ti, AMD Radeon RX 5700, or Intel Arc B570 |
| Graphics API | DirectX 12 | DirectX 12 |
| Available storage | 14 GB | 14 GB |
The recommended NVIDIA entry is reproduced exactly as Steam currently displays it: GeForce GTX 2070 Ti. That label is unusual, and no correction was established in the available publisher or store information, so it should not be silently changed to another model.
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What the requirement list does—and does not—promise
Meeting the minimum specification means that your PC matches the publisher’s stated baseline for the processor, graphics adapter, memory, operating system, API, and storage. It does not establish that every scene will be smooth, nor does it define a preset, resolution, refresh rate, or frame-rate target.
The same caution applies to the recommended tier. A computer with the recommended parts is not guaranteed to deliver a particular number of frames per second because Steam publishes no benchmark conditions alongside the list. Results can change with the scene, graphics settings, display resolution, driver version, background workloads, cooling, and the game build.
The graphics choices are alternatives, not a tested equivalence table. The listing does not show that the GTX 1050 Ti, RX 580, and Arc A380 produce identical results, and the available evidence does not provide controlled comparisons between them.
How to check whether your PC qualifies
Compare the complete computer with the requirements instead of judging it by the GPU name alone. Use these Windows checks before changing settings or buying hardware.
- Check the processor and installed memory. Press
Ctrl+Shift+Escto open Task Manager, select Performance, and inspect CPU and Memory. Record the processor model and total RAM, not just the current percentage in use. - Check the graphics adapter. In Task Manager, open Performance and select each listed GPU. On systems with integrated and discrete graphics, note which adapter is connected to the display and which one the game is configured to use. A name that looks close to a listed card is not proof of equivalent performance.
- Confirm the Windows edition and architecture. Open Settings > System > About. Check that Windows is 64-bit and that the installed version is Windows 10 or newer. Install the latest available Windows updates because the Steam listing specifies the latest update.
- Confirm DirectX. Press
Windows+R, enterdxdiag, and press Enter. The System tab shows the DirectX version; the Display tabs show the active graphics hardware and driver information. DirectX 12 support is part of the listed requirement. - Check free space on the installation drive. Open Settings > System > Storage or File Explorer > This PC. Keep more free space than the stated 14 GB so Windows, shader data, updates, and other applications are not competing for a nearly full drive.
- Classify the result. If any required category is below the minimum, treat the PC as below the published baseline. If every category meets the minimum but performance is unstable, troubleshoot settings and operating conditions. If the computer reaches the recommended tier, use it as a higher starting point rather than as an FPS guarantee.
What is documented about real-world performance
Release and platform context
An official game news result says the game released on October 8, 2026 for PC through Steam and Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch 2, and PlayStation 5. It describes the handheld experience as having optimized controls, performance, and interfaces. That statement covers the platform experience broadly; it is not a Windows graphics guide or a measured PC benchmark. See the official release news.
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Steam Deck review evidence
A Steam Deck HQ review by Noah Kupetsky, dated October 7, 2026, tested the game with a 60 FPS limit and the default low in-game settings. The reviewer reported that most areas reached 60 FPS, while the overworld could be more demanding and mirror interactions could produce occasional stutter. This is a dated result from one device and one test configuration, not a universal Steam Deck or PC benchmark.
Individual PC reports
Community posts illustrate how much results can vary by scene and settings, but they are uncontrolled observations. One player reported about 30 FPS in some zoomed-out areas with a GTX 1660 Super at 1440p using the Auto (Balanced) preset, and around 60 FPS in the overworld at 1080p with Performance mode while still seeing lower results in zoomed-out areas. Another user reported a GTX 1050 Ti changing from 22 to 27 FPS in an overworld situation. The reports appear in a Steam Community performance discussion.
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| Evidence | Configuration or condition | Reported result | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Deck HQ review, October 7, 2026 | Steam Deck; 60 FPS limit; default low settings | Most areas reached 60 FPS; overworld was more demanding and mirror interactions sometimes stuttered | A practical low-settings starting point for Steam Deck, not a guarantee for every scene |
| Steam Community player report | GTX 1660 Super; 1440p; Auto (Balanced) | About 30 FPS in some zoomed-out areas | Shows that a specific GPU name does not determine performance without scene and settings context |
| Steam Community player report | GTX 1660 Super; 1080p; Performance mode | About 60 FPS in the overworld, with lower results in zoomed-out areas | An anecdotal comparison of resolution and preset changes |
| Steam Community player report | GTX 1050 Ti; overworld situation | 22 to 27 FPS | An uncontrolled example of lower-end performance variability |
Historical demo-beta optimization notes
The only official technical update located for this topic is a July 10, 2026 note for the demo’s public-testing beta branch. It described faster frame rates, particularly on lower-end devices; a new low-profile graphics setting called Very Performance; broader compatibility with older GPUs and systems with less RAM; and graphics-menu controls for VSync, a frame-rate cap, and antialiasing. The note said, “Optimizations for faster frame rate, especially on lower-end devices! (60fps on most levels on Steam Deck).” It is reproduced in the technical-update record.
Those details are specifically about the demo beta branch. The available information does not confirm that the Very Performance option, those exact controls, or those optimizations are present in the current full-release build. If your retail copy does not show them, do not assume that a menu is missing because of a driver problem.
How to improve performance on a Windows PC
The steps below are general PC troubleshooting, not a developer-published full-release tuning sequence. Apply one change at a time and test the same demanding scene after each change so you can identify what helped.
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- Record a baseline. Note the display resolution, graphics preset, frame-rate cap, and whether the problem occurs everywhere or only in a particular area. Test for several minutes in the same location. A result that changes only in the overworld or during zoomed-out views points to scene-specific load rather than a simple launch failure.
- Lower the graphics preset. Move from the current preset to a lower one and retest. If the game’s full-release menu uses different labels, choose the next lower option rather than assuming that the demo’s historical Very Performance label exists.
- Lower display resolution when the preset change is not enough. Reduce resolution in the game’s display settings, or temporarily test a lower desktop resolution if the game does not expose an in-game choice. This is a diagnostic step: it can reduce GPU workload, but it does not prove that the system meets a particular FPS target.
- Use a frame-rate limit if your build exposes one. A cap can reduce large swings in frame time and prevent the GPU from rendering frames the display cannot show. The beta update mentioned a frame-rate-cap control, but its presence in the retail build is unconfirmed. Use the limiter available in your current game or driver, and choose a value your system can sustain rather than an aspirational number.
- Test synchronization and antialiasing carefully. If the current graphics menu includes VSync or antialiasing controls, change only one and retest. VSync can reduce tearing but may add latency or produce a lower synchronized rate when the system cannot hold the display refresh. The beta update documented these controls historically; it did not establish the correct retail setting for every PC.
- Close competing workloads. Exit browsers with many tabs, recording or streaming applications, launchers downloading updates, and overlays you do not need. In Task Manager, sort the Processes tab by CPU, memory, and GPU to find an application consuming resources while the game is running. Do not terminate Windows processes you do not recognize.
- Check power and temperature behavior. On a laptop, connect AC power and select the manufacturer’s performance profile. Watch CPU and GPU temperatures and clock speeds with a monitoring tool you already trust. If clocks repeatedly fall during a test, clean blocked vents, improve airflow, or remove an aggressive power-saving mode before judging the game’s graphics settings.
- Update the operating system and graphics driver. Install pending Windows updates and the current driver supplied for your GPU. Restart afterward. If a problem began immediately after a driver change, use the driver installer’s rollback option or reinstall the previous known-good version rather than repeatedly changing game settings.
- Verify the installation. In Steam, open Library, right-click the game, choose Properties, select Installed Files, and choose Verify integrity of game files. This can repair missing or damaged files; it will not make hardware faster.
- Change only one variable per test. Keep a short note of the preset, resolution, cap, and observed behavior. If lowering resolution helps substantially, the graphics adapter is likely the immediate limit. If it changes little but closing background applications helps, investigate CPU, memory, or background load instead.
Steam Deck settings and expectations
For a Steam Deck, the dated review provides a sensible starting point: use the default low in-game settings and a 60 FPS limit, then check the areas where you actually play. Most areas reached 60 FPS in that review, but the overworld and mirror interactions were more prone to demanding behavior or stutter.
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Do not turn the beta update’s “60fps on most levels on Steam Deck” wording into a retail promise. It came from a demo public-testing branch. Likewise, do not assume that the Very Performance profile or beta-specific VSync, frame-cap, and antialiasing controls are available in the released game unless you can see them in your current installation.
If the Deck behaves inconsistently, apply the same controlled approach used on PC: keep the low preset, set a sustainable cap, test the overworld separately from interior areas, and change one setting at a time. Confirm that the device is not in a battery-saving profile and that the game has finished installing or updating before evaluating a long session.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The game will not launch
- Confirm Windows is 64-bit and updated, and that the graphics adapter supports DirectX 12.
- Use
dxdiagto check the reported DirectX version and display driver. - Verify the Steam installation through Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files.
- If the PC is below the listed CPU, GPU, or memory baseline, treat compatibility as unresolved rather than expecting a settings tweak to compensate.
Frame rate is low everywhere
- Lower the preset and resolution, then retest the same scene.
- Check whether another application is using substantial CPU, memory, or GPU resources.
- Check laptop power mode, temperatures, and clock speeds.
- Compare the full system with the minimum specification; a GPU that sounds newer or faster is not enough if the CPU or RAM is below the baseline.
Only the overworld or zoomed-out views slow down
- Use the demanding area as your benchmark rather than an interior scene that runs smoothly.
- Try a lower preset or resolution and, if available, a sustainable frame-rate cap.
- Interpret isolated community reports cautiously: both the GTX 1660 Super and GTX 1050 Ti examples show scene-dependent results, not a universal threshold.
Stutter occurs during mirror interactions
- On Steam Deck, this behavior is consistent with the dated review’s observation that mirror interactions could stutter occasionally.
- Test whether a lower preset, lower resolution, or a stable cap reduces the spikes.
- If the problem remains while average frame rate is otherwise acceptable, record the scene, settings, and build number before reporting it to the developer; do not diagnose it solely from the published GPU requirement.
Should you upgrade?
Use the published tiers to identify a shortfall, not to select a guaranteed FPS target.
- Below 8 GB RAM: memory is below the minimum listing. Moving to at least 8 GB addresses the stated baseline; 16 GB matches the recommended memory tier and leaves more room for Windows and background applications.
- Below the minimum CPU: compare the actual model with the Core i5-6600K or Ryzen R5 1600 threshold. A graphics upgrade alone may not resolve CPU-limited scenes.
- Below the minimum GPU: compare the complete adapter specification with the listed GTX 1050 Ti, RX 580, or Arc A380 options. Do not infer equivalence from a model number or from an anecdotal FPS report.
- Storage near capacity: free more than the required 14 GB before installing so updates and operating-system activity do not run against a full drive.
- Already at the recommended tier: troubleshoot drivers, temperatures, background load, settings, and scene-specific behavior before assuming that replacing a component will produce a known frame rate. Steam publishes no such target.
How to interpret the evidence
There are four different kinds of information available for this game: Steam’s official requirement thresholds, an official release description, one dated Steam Deck review, and individual community reports. They answer different questions. The requirements tell you what hardware the publisher lists; the release news confirms platforms and a broad handheld-optimization claim; the review gives one tested Deck configuration; and the community posts show variability without controlled testing.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11None of those sources supplies a full-release PC benchmark covering multiple GPUs, resolutions, presets, and scenes. As a result, the most defensible process is to compare your complete system with the published minimum, use the recommended tier as a higher headroom target, and tune your own demanding scenes with controlled changes. Update the assessment if the publisher corrects the unusual recommended NVIDIA label or publishes a full-release graphics guide.
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