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For low FPS in Smalland: Survive the Wilds, first check whether your GPU is fully loaded. If it is, try DLSS or FSR in Quality mode, then lower resolution scale, shadows, effects, and foliage/view distance one at a time. If FPS looks healthy but the game still hitches, use a frame-time graph to distinguish streaming, CPU, or multiplayer stalls from a GPU performance problem. Some reported hitches may not be fixable through graphics settings alone.
Check your PC against the game’s stated target
The current Steam listing gives these requirements and targets for the PC version. The recommended specification’s 1080p/60 FPS target is for Ultra settings; the minimum specification does not promise a particular frame rate. Neither specification guarantees that every area, base, weather condition, or co-op session will hold the stated rate.
| Tier | CPU | GPU | RAM | Stated target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Intel i5-9400 at 2.90 GHz or equivalent | NVIDIA GTX 1650 or equivalent | 8 GB | No FPS target stated |
| Recommended | Intel i7-9700 at 3.00 GHz or equivalent | NVIDIA RTX 2070 or equivalent | 16 GB | 1080p, 60 FPS, Ultra |
The listing also calls for DirectX 12 and 20 GB of available storage. It contains dated operating-system information, including Windows 7, alongside a note that Steam Client support is Windows 10 and later from January 1, 2024. For troubleshooting, use a modern Windows version supported by Steam rather than treating Windows 7 as a practical target. See the Steam store listing.
These specifications are a starting point, not a complete performance diagnosis. Laptop and desktop GPUs with the same model name can differ, and dual-channel memory, background tasks, heat, power limits, and drive speed can affect results. A high-end GPU also does not rule out a CPU limit or game-side hitch.
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Try the low-risk fixes first
- Restart the PC. This clears temporary background load and gives you a clean test.
- Update or roll back the graphics driver. Use the official NVIDIA or AMD software or site. If the problem began immediately after an update, note the current driver version before changing it again.
- Temporarily disable overlays and capture tools. Test without Steam Overlay, Discord Overlay, NVIDIA or AMD overlays, Xbox Game Bar, and MSI Afterburner/RivaTuner overlay if you use them. Re-enable them individually afterward to identify a conflict.
- Verify the game files in Steam. In the Steam Library, right-click Smalland: Survive the Wilds, choose Properties, then Installed Files and Verify integrity of game files. This can repair incomplete or corrupted installation data; it will not fix an engine hitch, CPU bottleneck, or unstable driver. Steam also provides a technical-support page for the game.
- Make sure the game uses the dedicated GPU. On a laptop with integrated and dedicated graphics, check Windows graphics settings or your GPU vendor’s control panel to confirm the game is assigned to the high-performance GPU.
- Re-test in the same place. Use the same save, location, and activity for several minutes. Change one setting at a time, and restart the game after changing upscaling or major rendering options.
Choose settings based on the bottleneck
If GPU usage stays near 95–100%
The GPU is likely the constraint, so begin with rendering workload rather than changing every option to Low:
- Reduce resolution scale, or enable DLSS/FSR if the option is available.
- Start with an upscaler’s Quality mode. If it is not enough, compare Balanced and Performance. Lower modes can add blur, shimmer, or unstable fine detail.
- Lower shadows, then effects and foliage or view distance.
- Reduce anti-aliasing if needed. Compare the image as well as FPS.
- Lower reflections or ambient-occlusion-type settings if they are exposed in your current build.
Keep textures high if video memory allows; lowering them may help when VRAM is under pressure, but can reduce image quality without improving FPS when memory is not the constraint. Motion blur is mainly a comfort preference, not a reliable FPS fix.
Community reports describe better performance from resolution-scale changes and from DLSS Quality with adjusted anti-aliasing on particular systems. Other reports say an all-Low configuration did not help, or that a medium/high preset felt better. These are individual experiences, not controlled benchmarks or guarantees. One report discusses resolution scale and presets; another describes DLSS and anti-aliasing on a particular system.
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If GPU usage is low or fluctuates while FPS is poor
Reducing resolution may do little when the GPU is waiting on another part of the system. Check whether one or more CPU cores are heavily loaded, whether background applications are active, and whether temperatures or power limits are lowering CPU or GPU clock speeds. Also check for an FPS cap or synchronization setting and compare single-player with multiplayer. A low GPU reading during a pause can also point to a simulation or asset-loading hitch rather than a graphics setting.
Use a starting profile, not a promised optimum
For a 60-FPS attempt, begin at your monitor’s native resolution with DLSS or FSR Quality, a Medium or High preset, Medium shadows/effects/foliage, and textures at High if VRAM permits. Cap at 60 only if the system can sustain it in the situations you play. If it cannot, choose a lower cap that it can hold consistently.
For a steadier 30-FPS fallback, try Medium settings, Quality or Balanced upscaling, and Low or Medium shadows, effects, and foliage. A Steam community FAQ statement attributed to the developers recommends Medium or High for consistent 30-FPS performance; treat it as guidance reported in a community discussion, not a formal benchmark. Read the community FAQ statement.
Rank #3
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- Powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture and DLSS 4
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Tell stuttering apart from low FPS
- Low FPS: The game renders slowly much of the time.
- Stuttering: Average FPS may look acceptable, but a few long frames cause visible hitches or freezes.
- Streaming hitch: A brief pause occurs as new areas, creatures, effects, or other assets appear.
- CPU or simulation hitch: The GPU may be underused while the game briefly stalls.
- Network lag: Delayed actions or rubber-banding in multiplayer can feel like a performance problem but do not necessarily indicate rendering stutter.
- Turn on Steam’s FPS counter or use a trusted monitoring tool that can show frame time.
- While reproducing the issue, note GPU and CPU use, VRAM and RAM use, temperatures, and clock speeds.
- Repeat the test in the same location and record whether the hitch happens on entering an area, near a large base, around fire or weather effects, when meeting a creature, or when activating a special visual mode.
- Compare single-player and multiplayer, and note whether the issue began after a game or driver update.
Average FPS alone can hide a serious pause: one Steam user reported an average around 83.6 FPS while still experiencing freezes lasting one to two seconds. Other player reports describe hitching when new creatures or assets appear. These older community accounts identify possible patterns, not a diagnosis for every player. Read the high-average-FPS freeze report and the report about creature and asset hitches.
Test hitches around exploration, bases, or effects
When a hitch occurs in a specific situation, change the conditions as a diagnostic test rather than assuming one setting is responsible:
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- Compare a new world or a less elaborate base with the affected save. If only the established base stutters, record that location and test rather than deleting the save.
- Test single-player against multiplayer. In co-op, compare host and client roles, private and public sessions, and player counts where practical. Check frame-time behavior before calling rubber-banding an FPS problem.
- If the game is on a mechanical hard drive, moving it to an SSD is a reasonable asset-loading test, not a proven Smalland-specific stutter fix.
- Confirm that an upscaling mode remains selected after closing and reopening the graphics menu. Community reports describe both benefits and cases where FSR seemed to switch off or behave inconsistently.
A stable cap can make pacing feel more consistent when your system can hold the chosen rate, but it cannot remove a long asset-loading or simulation pause. Choose a cap based on what your PC sustains rather than selecting a number without testing.
Rank #4
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Recover from settings that broke launch or display
Do not delete configuration or save data as a routine FPS tweak. A community crash thread points to C:Users<USERNAME>AppDataLocalSMALLANDSaved, but that folder may contain saves, logs, and settings. The path can differ by installation, so confirm it on your PC.
- Exit the game and Steam.
- Copy the entire
Savedfolder to a safe location, such as your desktop. - Rename the original folder to
Saved-backuprather than deleting it. - Launch the game and test whether it recreates working defaults.
- If saves or settings are missing, close the game and restore the backup. Re-enable Steam Cloud only after confirming which local files are correct.
Another community response reports resetting settings by renaming relevant configuration data, but does not establish a dependable filename for every installation. Avoid guessing at a file name or changing unrelated engine configuration. See the configuration-reset discussion and the Saved-folder and Steam Cloud report.
Use -d3d11 only as a crash test
A single 2023 community bug-report thread says adding -d3d11 resolved a fatal error for that player. It is not an established FPS fix, and its effect on compatibility or visuals may differ by build. If the game is failing to launch, test it this way:
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- Factory Overclocked: Engine clock set at 2000 MHz out of the box, providing optimized performance for smooth gameplay and multimedia tasks.
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- In Steam Library, right-click Smalland: Survive the Wilds and select Properties.
- Find the Launch Options field and enter
-d3d11. - Launch and test the game. Remove the option if it does not help or causes new problems.
Read the individual fatal-error workaround report.
Steam Deck: use handheld-specific tests
Steam community reports describe the game as playable on Steam Deck but mention frame drops and stutter, particularly around fire or other demanding scenes. These are user reports, not Valve or developer performance guarantees. Start with a conservative FPS cap and test SteamOS performance settings separately from the game’s upscaling options. Desktop NVIDIA DLSS advice does not automatically apply to Deck; handheld performance also depends on its power limit, thermals, and chosen resolution. See the Steam Deck performance discussion.
If the problem persists, make the report reproducible
Some detailed community performance reports date from 2023–2024, and a February 6, 2025 community FAQ discussed plans for future updates. Those reports cannot establish how a particular issue behaves on the build you are running. If none of the tests helps, report the problem through Steam’s support resources with enough detail to separate a repeatable game hitch from a local configuration issue:
Quick Recap
- CPU and GPU models, RAM amount, Windows version, and GPU driver version
- Game version/build, resolution, graphics preset, upscaler and mode, and FPS cap
- Average FPS and what the frame-time graph shows during a hitch
- Whether it occurs in single-player or multiplayer, and whether you are host or client
- The exact area and action that reproduce it, plus whether a new world or established base changes the result
- Any crash message, screenshot, or relevant log information
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