Performance Settings Guide — Startup Crash & Graphics Fixes

Read every recommendation by evidence state

• Official Fix: a NerveLabs patch note says the underlying bug was repaired; do not assume it still affects every current player.
• Current Setting: an option you can safely test on Update 7, such as shadows off, saturation, Skip Intro, or Windows High performance GPU selection.
• Community Report: a symptom players may still describe, but not proof that one cause or workaround applies to every PC.

Startup crash: check patch, driver, then intro

• Install the current Steam build before testing an old workaround.
• On Nvidia hardware, update the graphics driver if it is below version 600; Update 6 identifies older drivers as the source of most launch-logo crashes.
• Launch again with overlays or injectors disabled so the test has one variable.
• If the game reaches the menu, enable Update 7’s Skip Intro setting for later launches.

Confirm the dedicated GPU is actually being used

Hotfix 1 attempted to stop laptops selecting the iGPU; Hotfix 4 says improper iGPU selection on some laptops was fixed. A current failure is still possible on a specific system, so verify rather than assume.

• Check the active GPU for the game in Windows Task Manager or your GPU control panel.
• On a dual-GPU laptop, assign the game to the High performance graphics option, then relaunch.
• Do not treat a historical iGPU bug as present if the dedicated GPU is already active.

Use the Update 7 settings in a controlled order

• Turn shadows fully off first; this is the only setting the Update 7 note explicitly links to significantly improved performance.
• Use the saturation slider for color preference, not as an FPS fix.
• If VRAM is constrained, lower texture quality and retest the same area after relaunching.
• Change one setting at a time and compare the same scene; no universal best preset or FPS target is verified.

Blurry, missing, or textureless graphics

Hotfix 4 fixed texture problems on some GPUs and improper iGPU selection. Hotfix 5 fixed a VRAM leak that caused ugly textures. Update 6 fixed an SM5 textureless-landscape bug, corrected texture settings, and attempted a streaming fix for GPUs with 4 or 6 GB of VRAM.

• Official fix: confirm the game includes Hotfix 4, Hotfix 5, and Update 6 or newer.
• Current setting: verify the dedicated GPU, then reduce texture pressure if VRAM is limited.
• Community report boundary: a texture problem that persists on Update 7 is not automatically the same historical bug.

FPS drops, stutter, and memory symptoms

Update 7 fixed an inventory-menu memory leak and added the shadow-off option. Earlier hotfixes also list performance improvements. For stutter that grows over a session, compare a fresh launch with the same route and note whether opening inventory or changing areas triggers the drop.

When to stop local troubleshooting

• The game still crashes on the current build with a current driver and overlays disabled.
• The wrong GPU remains active after an explicit High performance assignment.
• Textures degrade on Update 7 after a reproducible action or time interval.
• A save-specific problem survives a clean new-game test.
• Report the patch, Windows version, GPU, VRAM, driver, settings, exact symptom, and reproduction steps to the Steam discussion board.