The quickest way to improve Directive 8020 performance is to address its most expensive rendering features first: ray tracing, path tracing, and native high-resolution output. Supermassive Games advises using an upscaler’s Balanced or Performance preset when those features are enabled, and recommends trying an available frame-generation mode—particularly with path tracing. These changes can preserve much of the visual presentation without pretending that every PC can render the game at native resolution.
Start by checking your hardware against the published PC requirements, then change one setting at a time in the same scene. Ray-tracing changes and frame-generation mode changes require a restart; path tracing can be toggled while the game is running.
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Start with the changes that matter most
On a PC that is already close to the game’s requirements, use this order of operations:
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match- Turn off path tracing first if it is enabled and performance is poor. Path tracing is the most demanding option documented by the developer.
- Reduce ray-tracing cost by disabling ray tracing altogether if you still need more headroom. Enabling or disabling ray tracing requires restarting the game.
- Use an upscaler preset. Supermassive’s official guidance identifies Balanced and Performance as usual compromises when ray tracing or path tracing is running at a high native resolution. Balanced generally preserves more detail; Performance lowers the internal rendering resolution further.
- Try one available frame-generation mode when ray tracing or especially path tracing is enabled. Supermassive recommends this as a way to improve performance, but it is not a universal prescription and the official guidance does not quantify the latency or frame-rate change on particular hardware.
These are documented recommendations, not benchmark results. No official source supplies a guaranteed frame rate, a percentage gain, or a card-by-card performance chart for Directive 8020.
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“Running Ray Tracing and Path Tracing at native high resolutions can significantly affect performance, and it is recommended to adjust the Upscaler resolution preset to account for that with minimal impact on visual quality (e.g. Balanced/Performance modes are usually a good compromise).”
— Supermassive Games Team, official graphics guidance, edited May 26, 2026
Which changes need a restart?
| Change | Restart required? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Enable or disable ray tracing | Yes | Apply the setting, quit to the desktop or restart through the game prompt, then launch again. |
| Enable or disable path tracing | No | It can be changed while the game is running. |
| Switch between frame-generation modes | Yes | Choose the desired mode, restart, and then compare the same scene. |
If an option appears unchanged after you select it, check this restart behavior before assuming the setting is broken.
Check whether your PC meets the published requirements
The Steam listing gives one minimum tier and one recommended tier. They are compatibility and configuration reference points, not promises of a particular resolution or frame rate. The listing was checked on October 13, 2026, and lists a May 12, 2026 release date.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10/11 64-bit | Windows 10/11 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-8500 or AMD Ryzen 5 3500 | Intel Core i5-12400F or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6800 |
| Storage | 40 GB available | 40 GB available |
The complete listing is on Steam’s Directive 8020 store page. An SSD is recommended there, but no resolution or frame-rate target is stated for either hardware tier.
Use the GPU tier as your first decision point
If your graphics card is at or above the recommended comparison tier, adjust the demanding settings before considering a replacement. If it is below the minimum comparison tier, a GPU upgrade may be relevant, but the published material does not establish current prices, stock, power-supply needs, case clearance, or a guaranteed result. Those details must be checked for your particular system.
Do not read “RTX 3070 Ti” or “RX 6800” as shorthand for a guaranteed 60 frames per second, a specific resolution, or a fixed quality preset. They are the developer’s published recommendation, not measurements.
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A controlled way to tune the game
A repeatable comparison is more useful than changing several sliders and guessing which one helped. The following is a practical method rather than an official preset.
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- Choose the resolution you actually want to use. Record whether you are targeting 1080p, 1440p, or another output. Native high-resolution rendering is specifically called out as expensive when ray tracing or path tracing is active.
- Pick a repeatable scene. Use the same location, camera angle, and action for every comparison. Note whether the image looks stable and whether controls feel responsive, but do not treat an unmeasured impression as a benchmark.
- Establish a baseline. Record your current ray-tracing state, path-tracing state, upscaler preset, and frame-generation mode before changing anything.
- Disable path tracing and compare. Because path tracing can be toggled at runtime, it is the fastest high-impact test. If the image improves enough, leave it off and test the remaining options from there.
- Test ray tracing separately. If ray tracing is enabled, changing that setting requires a restart. Compare the same scene after the restart rather than judging the menu preview.
- Try Balanced upscaling. This is the developer’s stated compromise for demanding ray-traced output. If performance is still insufficient, test Performance. If the image becomes too soft, return to Balanced before removing more features.
- Test frame generation last. With ray tracing or path tracing enabled, try one available frame-generation mode. Switching modes requires a restart. Compare camera movement and control response as well as the displayed frame rate; official documentation does not provide a latency target.
- Keep the change that solves your problem. If two settings produce an acceptable image, prefer the less aggressive one. Avoid changing multiple options simultaneously, because you will not know which change produced the result.
How ray tracing, path tracing, and upscaling interact
Ray tracing
Ray tracing adds a substantial rendering cost, particularly at a high native output resolution. If your frame rate is unstable, disabling ray tracing is a legitimate baseline rather than a failure of the rest of your configuration. Remember that the game must be restarted after enabling or disabling it.
Path tracing
Path tracing is presented in the developer guidance as especially demanding. It can be enabled or disabled during play, which makes it useful for a quick before-and-after comparison. Supermassive pairs path tracing with the advice to use an upscaler preset and, where appropriate, frame generation.
Upscaler presets
Balanced and Performance are the two presets explicitly identified as usual compromises. Balanced renders less internally than native resolution while retaining more detail than Performance. Performance reduces the internal resolution further and is the more aggressive option when the GPU is the limiting factor. The official material does not publish a universal resolution scale, image-quality score, or FPS increase for either preset.
Ray Reconstruction, DLAA, and Ultra Performance
DLSS Ray Reconstruction is available only when ray tracing is enabled. When path tracing is enabled, Ray Reconstruction is locked or forced on. A May 26, 2026 patch changed its behavior with ray tracing: it is no longer enabled automatically in that mode and now supports DLAA and Ultra Performance modes. This means the menu behavior depends on whether ray tracing or path tracing is active; do not expect to control Ray Reconstruction independently in every configuration.
What the May 26 optimization patch changes—and what it does not prove
Supermassive’s May 26, 2026 announcement reports performance optimization for ray tracing and path tracing. It does not publish a before-and-after percentage, a frame-rate chart, or hardware-specific measurements. Treat the patch as a reason to run the game fully updated, not as evidence that a particular card will gain a fixed number of frames.
The announcements are collected on the developer’s official Steam Community page. Updating is sensible before tuning, because settings behavior and rendering performance can change between builds.
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You meet the recommended tier
Keep the current hardware and work through the software changes first. Start with path tracing, then ray tracing, upscaling, and frame generation. Buying a new card without a measured need risks paying for performance you can obtain by changing one expensive feature.
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Use the minimum and recommended GPUs as boundaries for expectations, not as a promise that every intermediate model behaves identically. Begin with ray tracing and path tracing disabled, then test Balanced upscaling. If that produces an acceptable image, no immediate upgrade is established by the requirements alone.
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You are below minimum
A graphics upgrade may be the practical route, but check the complete system: power supply capacity, available connectors, case space, processor balance, operating-system support, and current pricing. The official requirements do not establish those purchasing details or guarantee a frame rate after an upgrade.
Steam Deck status
On June 3, 2026, Supermassive announced that Directive 8020 was Steam Deck Verified and said the default graphics configuration performs well on Steam Deck as part of meeting Valve’s requirements. No official measured frame rate or manual Deck-specific preset was supplied. Leave the default configuration as your starting point, then change only one option at a time if you need a different balance.
Troubleshoot by symptom
The setting changed but performance did not
Confirm whether the change requires a restart. Ray-tracing changes and frame-generation mode changes do; path tracing changes do not. For a restart-required setting, exit and relaunch before comparing the scene.
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Move from Performance to Balanced before disabling more features. If ray tracing or path tracing is active, the upscaler is the documented way to reduce internal resolution while retaining more of the original presentation. There is no official quality chart that can identify a universally best preset.
Path tracing is still too demanding
Turn it off during play and compare the same view. If you want to retain ray tracing, leave path tracing disabled, use Balanced upscaling, and then test an available frame-generation mode after restarting if you change modes.
Your PC cannot reach an acceptable result at minimum settings
Compare your GPU with the published minimum tier. If it is below that level, settings changes may not be enough; investigate a compatible graphics upgrade rather than assuming a hidden menu option will deliver a guaranteed result.
What is established—and what is not
The reliable conclusions are narrow but useful: ray tracing and path tracing at native high resolutions can significantly affect performance; Balanced or Performance upscaling is the developer’s recommended compromise; frame generation can help when those features are enabled; and some changes require restarting. The available official material does not establish a universal FPS target, a measured gain for each preset, or an optimal custom table for shadows, textures, or volumetrics. Tune from your own target resolution and repeatable scene instead of treating an unverified preset as a guarantee.
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