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Short answer: THE FINALS should be approached with Embark’s recommended tier—an Intel Core i5-9600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB of RAM, and an Nvidia RTX 2070 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT—if you are buying or upgrading a PC for consistently smooth co-op. The minimum tier can run the game, but it leaves less headroom for high resolution, high refresh rates, background recording, and large destruction scenes. Start in Fullscreen with current Windows and graphics drivers, let shader preloading reach 100 percent, and use the Detailed performance overlay before changing settings.
The practical answer for a smooth co-op PC
Embark’s published requirements give you two useful boundaries rather than a guaranteed frame-rate chart. The minimum specification is a Windows 10 64-bit-or-later system with a Core i5-6600K or Ryzen 5 1600, 12 GB of RAM, and a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or Radeon RX 580. The recommended specification moves to a Core i5-9600K or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB of RAM, and an RTX 2070 or Radeon RX 5700 XT. Both tiers require DirectX 12.
Use the recommended tier as the sensible starting point for a new build or major upgrade. It is not an official promise of a particular FPS number, resolution, or refresh-rate target; Embark does not publish a current, reproducible FPS table by GPU, resolution, or graphics preset in the cited support material. Your result will also depend on resolution, monitor refresh rate, thermals, background applications, storage, and network conditions.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →For a PC you already own, compare its processor, graphics card, and memory with the table below, then identify whether a problem is a rendering bottleneck, shader preparation, or the connection. Lowering graphics settings cannot repair packet loss or a high ping.
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Official PC requirements
| Component | Minimum tier | Recommended tier | What the difference means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 64-bit or later | Windows 10 64-bit or later | Use a supported 64-bit Windows installation and keep it updated. |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-6600K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 | Intel Core i5-9600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | The recommended processors provide more headroom for a busy match and background tasks. |
| Memory | 12 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM | More memory reduces the chance that the game competes with browsers, launchers, recording tools, or voice software. |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 580 | Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT | The recommended graphics class gives substantially more rendering headroom, but no official FPS figure is attached to it. |
| Graphics API | DirectX 12 | DirectX 12 | Your driver and Windows installation must support the required API. |
These figures are Embark Studios Help Center requirements published for 2026. They are specification tiers, not a guarantee that every machine at that level behaves identically. A laptop with a similarly named mobile GPU, for example, may perform differently from a desktop card because of power and cooling limits.
How to set up the game before tuning
- Update Windows. Install pending Windows updates, restart, and then launch the game again. Embark lists a current operating system as part of its performance troubleshooting guidance.
- Update the graphics driver. Install the current driver for your Nvidia or AMD card. A driver change can trigger shader preparation again, so allow that process to finish before judging performance.
- Close heavy background work. Exit CPU- or GPU-intensive applications, including unneeded browser windows, video exports, game captures, virtual machines, and other games. If you use recording software, test once with recording disabled so it is not hiding the actual game bottleneck.
- Choose Fullscreen. In the game’s video settings, set Display Mode to Fullscreen where your setup allows it. This is Embark’s recommended starting point for client performance.
- Finish shader preloading. After first launch, a game update, a driver update, or a graphics-setting change, wait for “Preloading Shaders 0–100%” to complete before joining a match.
- Turn on the diagnostic overlay. Open the Advanced video settings and enable the Detailed performance overlay. Keep it visible while testing one change at a time; it helps separate a rendering problem from a connection or server warning.
This baseline is a starting configuration, not a guaranteed preset. Make a short test in the same type of match after each meaningful change so you can tell which adjustment helped.
Best graphics settings when the client reports low performance
When the overlay or in-game icon indicates low client performance, reduce the settings that Embark specifically identifies first. Do not immediately lower everything: changing one group at a time preserves image quality and shows whether the GPU or another component is limiting you.
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1. Lower shadows
Set Shadow Quality lower before touching less influential options. Dynamic lighting and destruction can make shadow work expensive, particularly during crowded scenes. If the game becomes more stable after this change, the graphics card was likely carrying a large part of the load.
2. Lower texture quality only as needed
Reduce Texture Quality when the card has limited memory or when heavy scenes produce hitching alongside low client performance. Textures affect image detail and memory use; lowering them is a useful trade when the minimum-tier GPU is struggling. The official guidance names texture quality as one of the first settings to reduce, but it does not prescribe a single universal level.
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3. Lower effects
Reduce Effects Quality for problems that appear during explosions, particles, lighting changes, or destruction. This can improve the busiest moments without requiring a low setting everywhere else.
4. Recheck the overlay
After changing shadows, textures, or effects, play long enough to reproduce the original problem. Watch for the client-performance indicator and any change in the overlay. If the indicator remains while the GPU load falls, investigate the CPU, temperatures, drivers, or background processes instead of lowering image quality indefinitely.
5. Match the settings to your monitor
Resolution and refresh rate are decisions about your own display, not values supplied by Embark’s requirement table. A higher resolution asks the GPU to render more pixels; a high-refresh monitor makes uneven frame delivery easier to notice. Start at your monitor’s native resolution, then choose the highest stable refresh experience your hardware can sustain. Because no official FPS-by-GPU table is published, treat any target as your own test criterion rather than an advertised result.
Understanding shader stutter and the preload process
THE FINALS prepares shaders locally for lighting, shadows, particles, and destruction effects. Embark says, “Preloading shaders helps ensure smoother performance during all matches in THE FINALS.” The preparation can occur after first launch, game updates, driver changes, or graphics-setting changes.
What to do when preloading appears
- Remain at the preload screen and let “Preloading Shaders 0–100%” complete.
- Avoid repeatedly closing the game during the process; interrupting it can leave you waiting through another preparation cycle.
- Only enter a match after the progress reaches 100 percent, then check whether the hitching has stopped.
- If a new driver or graphics change starts another preload, treat that as expected and wait again rather than assuming the update failed.
Installing the game and its shader cache on an SSD, especially an NVMe drive, can shorten shader-loading delays. Embark’s guidance does not promise a specific FPS increase from faster storage. Storage can make the waiting and loading phase shorter, but it is not a substitute for a stronger CPU or GPU.
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When shader stutter keeps returning
- Confirm that the latest Windows and graphics-driver updates are installed.
- Allow every visible preload to finish before testing another change.
- Note whether the recurrence follows a driver update, a game update, or a graphics-setting change.
- If the overlay instead shows low client performance during the match, follow the graphics and background-task steps; that is a different problem from shader preparation.
Use the Detailed performance overlay to find the real bottleneck
The overlay is more useful than guessing from how the game feels. Embark distinguishes client-performance warnings from packet loss, latency, jitter, and server-performance conditions. Each category requires a different response.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| What you observe | Likely category | Actions that address it | What will not fix it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low FPS or a client-performance icon | Your PC is struggling to render or process the scene. | Close intensive background tasks, lower shadows, texture quality, and effects, verify drivers, check temperatures, and compare your hardware with the official tiers. | Changing router settings alone will not raise rendering performance. |
| Packet-loss warning | Data is being dropped between your system and the game service. | Investigate the connection, Wi-Fi reliability, local network load, and service conditions. | Lowering texture or shadow quality does not repair dropped packets. |
| High ping or latency | Round-trip communication is taking too long. | Check the network path and competing downloads or uploads; test again when the connection is clear. | A faster GPU does not reduce network delay. |
| Jitter warning | Latency is fluctuating rather than remaining steady. | Look for unstable Wi-Fi, congestion, or other traffic that causes inconsistent timing. | Changing Fullscreen or texture quality cannot stabilize an erratic connection. |
| Server-performance icon | The problem is associated with the game service or match server. | Wait and retest; record when it occurs if you need to report the issue. | Replacing PC hardware is not a direct fix for a server-side condition. |
| Shader-stutter icon or repeated preload | Local shader preparation is incomplete or has restarted. | Let the 0–100% process finish, keep drivers current, and avoid closing the game during preload. | Lowering network settings does not complete shader compilation. |
Temperature checks matter because a system that starts fast and slows as it heats can look like an inconsistent graphics setting. Make sure fans and vents are unobstructed, then compare the overlay before and after a long session. This check does not establish a particular safe temperature; it simply helps identify thermal throttling as a variable.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choosing between a minimum-tier PC, a recommended-tier PC, and an upgrade
Use the following decision process instead of shopping by a single component name.
If your PC is below minimum
Expect support and performance problems to be more likely. The first question is whether the operating system is 64-bit Windows 10 or later and whether the machine has at least 12 GB of RAM. If the CPU and GPU are both below the listed minimum, a single-part upgrade may leave the other bottleneck untouched; compare the total platform cost with a newer system.
If your PC meets minimum but not recommended
It may be adequate for a lower-demand configuration, but there is less room for high resolution, high refresh, background recording, or scenes with extensive destruction. Start with Fullscreen, current drivers, completed shader preload, and lower shadows, textures, and effects. If the overlay consistently identifies client performance as the problem, prioritize the component that is limiting the workload rather than buying storage solely for FPS.
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If your PC meets the recommended tier
You have Embark’s stated target for a new build or upgrade, but you still need to tune for your monitor and software environment. Keep the overlay available during the first sessions, especially after updates. A recommended-tier PC can still stutter because of shader preparation, thermal throttling, a recording workload, or a poor connection.
How to compare two possible upgrades
| Comparison axis | Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Official tier | Does the CPU, GPU, and RAM meet minimum or recommended values? | This establishes a documented baseline before you consider marketing claims. |
| Display target | What resolution and refresh rate does your monitor use? | A higher pixel count increases GPU work, while a high refresh rate makes uneven delivery more visible. |
| Observed bottleneck | Does the overlay point to client performance, shaders, or the network? | The correct fix depends on the category; a GPU upgrade cannot cure packet loss. |
| Storage | Is the game on an SSD or NVMe drive? | Faster storage can shorten shader-loading delays, but no FPS gain is promised. |
| Co-op communication | Will you coordinate with players on other platforms? | A microphone headset is useful when voice communication is more practical than text. |
Co-op, crossplay, and communication
PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S support crossplay in THE FINALS. Embark says crossplay is enabled by default, so a PC player can team up with friends on those console platforms without treating platform ownership as a hardware requirement for the group.
Embark describes voice chat as ideal for communicating with friends because text chat may vary by platform. For a coordinated co-op squad, a gaming headset with a working microphone is therefore a practical accessory. It does not improve FPS, but it can make callouts during destruction-heavy fights faster and clearer.
A troubleshooting sequence that avoids wasted changes
- Classify the symptom. Decide whether you see low client performance, shader preparation, packet loss, high ping, jitter, or a server-performance indicator.
- Stabilize the software baseline. Update Windows and the GPU driver, restart, close CPU- and GPU-heavy background programs, and select Fullscreen.
- Complete shader preparation. Wait for “Preloading Shaders 0–100%” after first launch or any update, driver change, or graphics-setting change.
- Measure before changing more. Enable the Detailed performance overlay under Advanced video settings and reproduce the problem.
- Reduce the documented load settings. For a client-performance warning, lower shadows first, then texture quality and effects, testing after each adjustment.
- Check heat and hardware. Inspect temperatures and compare the system with Embark’s minimum and recommended CPU, GPU, and RAM tiers.
- Check the connection separately. If the warning concerns packet loss, latency, jitter, or server performance, troubleshoot the network or wait for service conditions rather than continuing to lower graphics quality.
- Retest after updates. A patch or driver change can restart shader preparation, so repeat the preload step before deciding that the new software caused permanent stutter.
What the official requirements do—and do not—tell you
The requirements establish supported component classes and a sensible recommended baseline. They do not establish a universal FPS result for a particular card, a guaranteed preset, or a fixed resolution and refresh-rate combination. Performance varies with the rest of the system and with the condition you are measuring.
That distinction is especially important when comparing a PC purchase. Use the official tiers to reject clearly underpowered options, then use your display target and the Detailed performance overlay to decide whether an upgrade addresses the actual bottleneck. For shader delays, prioritize completed preloading and faster storage for shorter waits; for rendering limits, prioritize the component identified by the overlay; for network warnings, investigate the connection.
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