Recommended Free Tools
For Steam Deck, start at 1280×800 with a 30 FPS cap, FSR in Quality mode, Medium textures, and reduced shadows, volumetric effects, foliage, and view distance. On a PC close to the minimum specification, use a Low preset at 1080p, enable DLSS or FSR in Quality mode, and lower the expensive effects before sacrificing texture detail. PCs near the recommended specification can begin at High with the upscaler still set to Quality.
Those profiles are sensible starting points, not measured benchmarks. No published source currently provides a reproducible Steam Deck frame-rate test, frametime chart, or 1.0-build preset for Among the Trolls, so a guaranteed 30, 40, or 60 FPS claim would be misleading. Tune from the profiles below while watching frame pacing on your own hardware.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How demanding is Among the Trolls?
Among the Trolls is a first-person narrative adventure with survival elements. Its published PC requirements point to a relatively demanding modern rendering target rather than a game designed around entry-level integrated graphics. The Steam listing gives these minimum and recommended specifications:
| Requirement | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 Home 64-bit | Windows 10 Home 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 | Intel Core i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 7 4800H |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 32 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 or AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT |
| Graphics API | DirectX 12 | DirectX 12 |
| Storage | 30 GB available | 30 GB available; SSD preferred |
The gap between a GTX 1070/RX 5600 XT minimum and an RTX 2080 Ti/RX 7700 XT recommendation matters when choosing a target. A Deck profile should prioritize consistent frame delivery over ultra image quality. A desktop with hardware around the minimum should expect to adjust several demanding options, while a system near the recommended tier has more room for higher effects and resolution.
#1 Best Overall
- Compatible with Nintendo-Switch 1 (NOT Nintendo-Switch 2), smartphones, and tablets
- Boost your gaming experience with up to 160MB/s read for fast load times
- A2-rated app performance lets you quickly access and enjoy games and apps without lag for an enhanced gaming experience and a competitive edge
- Store more of your favorite games and other content with capacities up to 2TB
- Built to endure with temperature resistance, waterproofing, x-ray protection, and more
The full release includes both DLSS and FSR upscaling. That gives you a performance control that usually preserves more detail than simply dropping every quality slider. The exact modes and hardware support shown in the menu depend on your GPU and the game build.
Steam Deck settings that make a sensible starting point
Use the following as a practical baseline for a current Steam Deck. It is derived from the published GPU target, the documented upscalers, and Steam’s standard troubleshooting guidance; it is not a recorded test result for a particular Deck model or SteamOS version.
| Option | Starting value | Why start here |
|---|---|---|
| Output resolution | 1280×800 | Matches the Deck’s native 16:10 display and avoids unnecessary scaling. |
| Frame-rate cap | 30 FPS | A conservative cap is easier to sustain than chasing an unverified higher target. |
| Upscaler | FSR, Quality mode | Uses the documented upscaler before making broad quality cuts. |
| DLSS | Quality mode where the hardware exposes it | Choose it instead of FSR only when the menu and GPU support it. |
| Textures | Medium | Retains surface detail while avoiding the highest memory demand as a first step. |
| Shadows | Low or Medium | Shadow maps and filtering can consume substantial GPU time. |
| Volumetric and post-processing effects | Low | These effects often create spikes in outdoor or heavily atmospheric scenes. |
| Foliage | Low | Reduces the number and complexity of vegetation objects being drawn. |
| View distance | Low or Medium | Limits distant geometry when frame time is still uneven. |
| Motion blur | Off if you prefer a sharper image | Disabling it improves clarity during camera movement; it is not a guaranteed performance fix. |
Apply the profile and check frame pacing
- Install the latest SteamOS and the latest game update. Steam Support recommends updating both before diagnosing a compatibility problem.
- Launch the game and open its graphics or display options. Set the output to 1280×800 if the game offers a separate resolution control.
- Select FSR in Quality mode. If FSR is unavailable but DLSS is exposed by the hardware, select DLSS Quality instead. Do not assume that seeing a setting means every Deck configuration supports it.
- Set textures to Medium, then lower shadows, volumetric or post-processing effects, foliage, and view distance in that order.
- Open the SteamOS Performance panel and set a 30 FPS frame limit. A cap is useful only if the game can approach it consistently; if frame time remains unstable, continue with the next adjustment rather than raising the cap.
- Play the same demanding area for several minutes. Look for sustained judder, sudden dips when turning, or delayed input rather than relying on a brief peak number.
- Change one option at a time. If lowering an effect does not improve frame pacing, restore it and test the next item.
This process deliberately avoids promising a fixed result. Deck hardware, power limits, SteamOS revisions, shader-cache state, and the game’s patches can all change the observed behavior.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
When to use FSR Balanced
Stay on Quality while the frame rate is acceptable. Move to Balanced only when frame pacing is poor after reducing shadows, volumetric or post-processing effects, foliage, and view distance. Balanced renders a lower internal resolution and can make foliage, fine branches, text, and distant geometry look softer or shimmer more. It is a performance trade rather than a universally better setting.
Rank #2
- Compatible with Nintendo-Switch 1 (NOT compatible with Nintendo-Switch 2), smartphones, and tablets
- Boost your gaming experience with up to 160MB/s read for fast load times
- A2-rated app performance lets you quickly access and enjoy games and apps without lag for an enhanced gaming experience and a competitive edge
- Store more of your favorite games and other content with capacities up to 2TB
- Built to endure with temperature resistance, waterproofing, x-ray protection, and more
Storage and installation location
The game lists 30 GB of required storage. A Steam Deck microSD card can provide that additional capacity when internal space is limited, but storage expansion does not make the GPU render faster. Keep enough free space for shader caches and future updates, and remember that the recommended PC specification prefers an SSD. If loading takes unusually long or streaming causes pauses, moving the installation to faster storage is a sensible experiment; it does not substitute for reducing GPU-heavy settings.
PC profiles by hardware tier
Choose a starting profile from the GPU tier first, then adjust for CPU, memory, resolution, and refresh rate. The published specifications are requirements, not a setting-to-FPS chart.
| Hardware position | Resolution and preset | Upscaler | First adjustments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near the published minimum: GTX 1070 or RX 5600 XT class | 1080p or the monitor’s native resolution; Low preset | DLSS or FSR Quality when available | Lower shadows, volumetric/post-processing effects, foliage, and view distance before reducing textures. |
| Between minimum and recommended | 1080p; Low or Medium, raising individual options gradually | Quality first; Balanced if frame time remains uneven | Raise textures only after confirming memory headroom, then test one expensive effect at a time. |
| Near the recommended tier: RTX 2080 Ti or RX 7700 XT class | Begin at High at the display’s native resolution | DLSS or FSR Quality | Keep the upscaler at Quality and lower only the option that causes a measured hitch or unacceptable frame time. |
Minimum-tier PC procedure
- Choose 1080p, or native resolution if your monitor uses a different aspect ratio and the game scales correctly.
- Select the Low preset as a known baseline rather than mixing several unknown values.
- Enable DLSS or FSR in Quality mode. If the image is already too soft, keep native output and lower effects instead of immediately switching to Balanced.
- Raise textures to Medium only if the game remains stable and your graphics memory is not being pressured. Texture quality primarily affects memory use and surface detail; it is not always the first frame-time culprit.
- Reduce shadows, volumetric or post-processing effects, foliage, and view distance in that sequence if frame time is uneven.
- Cap the game at a frame rate your system can sustain. A stable cap is preferable to a fluctuating uncapped number, but the available sources do not establish a universal target for this game.
Recommended-tier PC procedure
- Start with the High preset at native resolution.
- Set DLSS or FSR to Quality rather than forcing a lower internal resolution immediately.
- Test a representative outdoor area and a busier scene. If both remain smooth, keep High and change only settings that produce visible stutter or an image-quality problem.
- Lower shadows first, followed by volumetric or post-processing effects, foliage, and view distance. Leave textures high unless memory pressure or streaming problems point to them.
- If you raise resolution or use a high-refresh display, reassess the cap and the upscaler. A higher output resolution increases GPU work even when the preset is unchanged.
Which graphics settings should you lower first?
Shadows
Shadow resolution, cascades, and filtering can require additional rendering from many lights. Lowering shadows usually preserves more of the scene’s geometry and texture detail than lowering the entire preset. The visual cost is softer or less detailed shadows and shorter shadow coverage.
Volumetric and post-processing effects
Fog, lighting shafts, ambient effects, depth-of-field, and other post-processing passes can be expensive at high internal resolutions. These options are especially worth testing when frame time spikes in weather, forests, caves, or scenes with many lights. Lowering them can change atmosphere more noticeably than lowering textures, so test the result in the areas where you noticed the problem.
Rank #3
- Note: NOT compatible with Switch2 Please note that this product is not a microSD Express card and is not compatible with Switch2 for game storage or save data. If used in the Switch2, it may only support limited functions such as storing screenshots or videos, but will not allow game installation or save file access.
- Designed for dependable storage on portable gaming consoles
- Steam Deck users: For optimal gaming performance, including the ability to store and load video games, we suggest using a Gen4x4 2230 SSD.
- 5-year limited manufacturer warranty
- SmartPhones: S20, S20+, S20 ultra 5G, S10 lite, S10, S10+ A22, A22 5G, A52 5G, A32 5G, A52, A72, A32, A02s, A12, A21, A71 5G, A51 5G, A20s, Note 10+, J4 Core, J8, J7 Star, J7, Note 10 Plus. SAMSUNG TABLETS: Tab S7 FE 5G, Tab S7 FE, Tab A7 Lite, Tab A7 10.4 (2020), Tab Active 3, Tab S7, Tab S7+, Tab S6 Lite, Tab S6, Tab A 8.0 (2017), Book S and 10th Generation Fire Tablets.
Foliage
Vegetation combines object count, transparency, shading, and draw distance. Reducing foliage can improve consistency in wooded areas while leaving characters and major structures intact. The trade-off is a less dense environment and possible changes in how far plants appear.
View distance
View distance controls how much distant geometry and detail remains active. It can help when turning toward a broad vista causes a sudden frame-time increase. Lower it after the options above if you want to retain more atmospheric effects, and watch for visible pop-in.
Textures
Textures are usually a later adjustment in this sequence because reducing them changes surface clarity everywhere. Lower them when memory use, hitching during asset streaming, or a lack of graphics-memory headroom is the problem. If frame time is dominated by shadows or effects, a texture cut may produce little improvement.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →DLSS and FSR: choosing the right upscaler
The 1.0 release documents both DLSS and FSR. An upscaler renders internally below the output resolution and reconstructs the image, giving the GPU fewer pixels to shade. Start with Quality because it usually offers the best balance between clarity and performance. Balanced can provide more headroom but makes fine detail softer and can increase shimmering.
Rank #4
- EXPAND YOUR STORAGE. Insert your card to add massive storage up to 1.5TB[1] to your Android smartphones and tablets, digital cameras, and laptops.
- SPACE FOR MORE. With expansive capacities up to 1.5TB[1], capture and store hours of Full HD video[4], movies, music, games, photos, and podcasts.
- MOVE FILES FAST. Use your card with the SANDISK QuickFlow microSD UHS-I Card USB-A Reader[6] to achieve up to 195MB/s[2] read speeds [128GB-1.5TB models] and offload your content fast.
- LOAD APPS IN A SNAP. Rated A1[3], the SANDISK Ultra microSD card is optimized for faster app launch and overall app performance.
- EASY CONTENT MANAGEMENT. Easily back up, organize, and transfer your photos and videos with the SANDISK Memory Zone desktop or Android mobile app[5].
Use DLSS only when the game exposes it for your graphics hardware. Use FSR when that is the available option or when you prefer its presentation. Do not compare the names as if one has a guaranteed advantage in every scene; the useful choice is the mode that delivers acceptable clarity and frame pacing on your system.
Upscaling does not remove CPU work, asset-streaming pauses, or every form of stutter. If changing Quality to Balanced produces no meaningful improvement, restore Quality and continue with shadows, volumetrics, foliage, or view distance.
Steam Deck versus PC: what actually differs?
| Decision point | Steam Deck | PC |
|---|---|---|
| Target consistency | Begin with a 30 FPS cap and tune for stable frame pacing. | Choose a cap that your CPU/GPU combination can sustain; the requirements do not establish a universal FPS target. |
| Output resolution | 1280×800 is the natural starting point for the built-in display. | Use 1080p or the monitor’s native resolution, then adjust for the GPU tier. |
| Upscaler | FSR Quality is the default starting point; DLSS is conditional on hardware exposure. | DLSS or FSR Quality is a first performance adjustment on supported hardware. |
| Effects | Lower shadows, volumetrics/post-processing, foliage, and view distance early. | Near-minimum systems should use the same order; recommended systems can test each option from High. |
| Textures and memory | Medium is a cautious starting value. | Minimum-tier systems can try Medium if memory permits; recommended systems can leave textures high until testing shows a problem. |
| Storage | 30 GB is required; a microSD card expands capacity but not rendering performance. | 30 GB is required and an SSD is preferred in the recommended specification. |
| Compatibility checks | Use Steam’s Compatibility section to see unmet Verified requirements and keep SteamOS and the game current. | Confirm the Windows 10 64-bit requirement, DirectX 12 support, and the listed CPU, RAM, and GPU tiers. |
The practical difference is not simply a lower preset on Deck. The Deck has a fixed display, power and thermal limits, and a compact shared-memory design; a desktop can trade resolution, refresh rate, cooling, and graphics memory in more combinations. Because no game-specific 1.0 Deck benchmark is published, treat the table as a tuning framework rather than a promise that one platform reaches a particular frame rate.
Troubleshooting poor performance or display problems
The game is marked incompatible or will not launch
- Open the game’s Compatibility section in Steam and review any unmet Verified requirements.
- Install pending SteamOS updates and update the game itself.
- Restart the Deck or PC after updates. Steam Support specifically recommends a restart when problems persist.
- Return to the in-game graphics controls and apply the conservative profile above before testing again.
A compatibility warning and a low frame rate are different problems. A device can launch while still needing lower settings, and a settings change cannot fix an unmet operating-system or API requirement.
Best Value
- CAPTURE LARGER THAN LIFE. Unlock startling 5K[3] point-of-view and pristine high-res stills with video speed class ratings of U3 and V30[4].
- SPEED BARRIERS SHATTERED. Save precious moments with rapid read speeds up to 245MB/s[2] and write speeds up to 170MB/s[2] [256GB-1TB capacities[1]].
- MAXIMIZE WITH MASSIVE CAPACITY. Record longer and store more with up to 2TB[1] of storage.
- DURABILITY YOU CAN COUNT ON. SANDISK microSD cards are temperature proof, humidity proof, waterproof, shock proof, drop proof, magnet proof, X-ray proof and wear-out proof[7].
- EASY CONTENT MANAGEMENT. Easily back up, organize, and transfer your photos and videos with the SANDISK Memory Zone desktop or Android mobile app[10].
Changing resolution causes confusing button behavior
An official PC launch announcement for October 14, 2026 reported a fix for confirm and cancel buttons when changing resolution settings. If your build still shows reversed or incorrect prompts, check that the game is fully updated and verify the live Steam page for the current patch status. Store availability and compatibility metadata can change, so do not rely on an old listing snapshot.
The image looks soft on Windows
If the game appears unexpectedly blurry on a Windows desktop, first check Windows Display Settings and set Scale and Layout to 100 percent, as recommended by the settings reference. This is a desktop-scaling workaround, not a frame-rate tweak. After correcting Windows scaling, reassess the game’s output resolution and upscaler mode.
Frame pacing remains uneven after lowering settings
- Keep the frame cap at a level the system can sustain instead of running uncapped.
- Test Quality versus Balanced upscaling, then restore Quality if the visual loss exceeds the performance gain.
- Lower shadows, volumetric/post-processing effects, foliage, and view distance one at a time.
- Check whether the problem occurs only while entering a new area. That pattern can indicate streaming or storage pressure rather than a single graphics slider.
- On Deck, confirm that the game and SteamOS are current, then restart before repeating the test.
There is not enough storage for the installation
Free at least the listed 30 GB before installing. A microSD card can solve a capacity problem on Deck, but it cannot raise frame rate. If you use removable storage, leave room for updates and shader data rather than filling the card completely.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesA repeatable tuning method
Use a fixed test route so every change answers a specific question. Start from the profile for your hardware tier, load an area that represents your normal play, and observe several minutes rather than a single camera turn. Record the frame cap, upscaler mode, and the one setting changed. Keep a setting only when it improves consistency without an unacceptable visual cost.
- Establish the baseline: resolution, preset, upscaler mode, cap, and texture setting.
- Identify the symptom: sustained low performance, spikes during camera movement, streaming hitching, or image softness.
- Match the symptom to the control most likely to affect it. Use shadows and volumetrics for GPU-heavy scenes, foliage and view distance for outdoor density, and textures for memory or streaming concerns.
- Change one option by one step and repeat the same route.
- Stop when frame pacing is consistent and the image remains readable. More slider reductions are not automatically better.
This method is more reliable than copying a universal preset because the available evidence does not include a reproducible frame-rate table for the 1.0 build on Steam Deck or across PC configurations.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
