Yes, you can check whether your PC will run THE FINALS against Embark’s published tiers, but smooth co-op depends on more than meeting the minimum. The minimum is a 64-bit Windows 10-or-newer system with a Core i5-6600K or Ryzen 5 1600, 12 GB of RAM, and a GTX 1050 Ti or RX 580. Embark’s recommended tier raises that to a Core i5-9600K or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB of RAM, and an RTX 2070 or RX 5700 XT. Both tiers require DirectX 12.
For a sensible starting point, use the recommended tier, update Windows and your graphics driver, play in Fullscreen, close demanding background applications, and enable the Detailed performance overlay while tuning. If the overlay identifies low client performance, lower shadows, texture quality, and effects first. Let shader preloading reach 100% after the first launch, a game update, a driver change, or a graphics-setting change before entering a match. PC players can also team up with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S players through crossplay.
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Official PC requirements for THE FINALS
Embark’s Help Center lists two PC tiers. They establish whether your system is within the supported range; they do not constitute a guaranteed frame-rate table for every resolution, refresh rate, map, or graphics preset.
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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driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 64-bit or later | Windows 10 64-bit or later |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-6600K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 | Intel Core i5-9600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 |
| Memory | 12 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics card | NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti or AMD RX 580 | NVIDIA RTX 2070 or AMD RX 5700 XT |
| Graphics API | DirectX 12 | DirectX 12 |
These specifications are Embark’s 2026 support guidance. A PC that only reaches the minimum tier may start the game but leave less headroom for a high-resolution display, a high refresh rate, background recording, or a busy co-op session. The recommended tier is the more practical target for a new build or a major upgrade.
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What the requirements mean for your upgrade decision
When your PC is below minimum
Start by checking the operating system, processor, memory, and graphics card separately. A machine can be short on one component even when the others look adequate. DirectX 12 is a requirement, not an optional enhancement, so an otherwise suitable older graphics card that cannot provide the required API is not an equivalent substitute.
If the system has less than 12 GB of RAM, memory is the clearest first check. If it has 12 GB but you use recording software, a browser with many tabs, or other large applications at the same time, closing those programs can prevent avoidable contention. A processor below the listed class can limit frame consistency even when the graphics card is capable, while a graphics card below the GTX 1050 Ti/RX 580 class can remain the limiting factor at higher resolutions.
When your PC meets minimum but not recommended
Treat the minimum tier as a compatibility floor rather than a promise of a particular smoothness level. Begin with conservative graphics settings and test the game with the Detailed performance overlay enabled. If the overlay identifies client performance as the problem, reduce graphics load and eliminate background work before buying parts.
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For an upgrade, compare the weakest component with the recommended tier. Moving from 12 GB to 16 GB of RAM may improve headroom, but it cannot compensate for a graphics card that is far below the recommended class. Conversely, replacing a graphics card will not resolve a processor-limited situation. The overlay and the pattern of the slowdown are more useful than assuming every hitch is a GPU problem.
When your PC meets the recommended tier
The recommended specification is a strong starting point for a new system, but it is not an advertised FPS target. Resolution, display refresh rate, graphics options, thermals, drivers, background applications, and the particular match all influence the result. Use it as the baseline, then tune according to the performance overlay rather than copying an unverified frame-rate claim.
Set up Windows and the game before tuning
- Update Windows. Install pending Windows updates and restart if required. Embark specifically advises keeping Windows current when troubleshooting performance.
- Update the graphics driver. Install the current driver for your GPU, then restart. Driver changes can trigger shader preparation again, so plan to let that process finish before playing.
- Close heavy background work. Exit CPU- or GPU-intensive applications, including demanding browser workloads, recording or streaming tasks, and other games. Do this before judging the game’s own settings.
- Use Fullscreen where possible. Embark lists Fullscreen among its troubleshooting recommendations. Select it in the display or video options when it fits your setup.
- Turn on the diagnostic overlay. Open the game’s Advanced video settings and enable the Detailed performance overlay. Leave it on while testing so you can distinguish a rendering bottleneck from a network condition.
Make one change at a time when diagnosing a problem. If you change several options simultaneously, you will not know which adjustment helped or whether a new hitch came from shader preparation rather than the setting itself.
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Best graphics settings for a smooth starting point
There is no single preset that guarantees a particular FPS on every PC, and Embark’s official material does not publish a current GPU-by-GPU benchmark table. The following order uses Embark’s troubleshooting priorities and gives you a repeatable way to reach a stable result.
1. Start in Fullscreen
Choose Fullscreen where possible, then apply the setting and restart the game if it requests one. Fullscreen is an official troubleshooting recommendation because it can avoid complications associated with desktop composition and competing window focus. If you must use another display mode for a specific multi-monitor workflow, keep it consistent while comparing results.
2. Lower shadows first when client performance is low
Shadows are one of the first options Embark tells players to reduce. Lowering them reduces the work required to render dynamic lighting and shadow maps. If the overlay reports low client performance, make this change before immediately dropping every option to its lowest value. Test a match or a comparable sequence after applying it.
3. Reduce effects for heavy action
Effects include the visual work associated with particles, explosions, smoke, and other combat events. They can become particularly costly when several players and destruction effects appear together. If slowdowns occur during intense fights rather than in quiet areas, reduce effects and check the overlay again.
4. Adjust texture quality with available memory in mind
Embark also identifies texture quality as a setting to lower when client performance is poor. Texture quality primarily affects the size and detail of assets held and sampled by the graphics system. If your graphics card has limited memory or you see instability after raising textures, step down one level. Keep in mind that texture quality is only one part of the workload; lowering it cannot fix a network problem or a processor bottleneck.
5. Re-test instead of chasing a preset
After each meaningful change, play long enough to reproduce the original symptom. A setting that helps in a quiet corridor may not be the one that matters in a destruction-heavy fight. Record what the overlay reports, whether the issue appears continuously or only during a particular event, and whether the change affects loading, hitching, or sustained rendering performance.
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How to read the Detailed performance overlay
The overlay is the fastest way to avoid treating every stutter as a graphics-setting problem. Embark separates client-performance warnings from connection and server conditions.
| What you observe | What it points to | First response |
|---|---|---|
| Client-performance icon or consistently low FPS | Your PC is struggling with the local workload. | Close intensive background tasks, lower shadows, texture quality, and effects, check temperatures, verify drivers, and compare your hardware with the official tiers. |
| Packet-loss warning | Data is being lost between your system and the game service. | Investigate the connection; lowering graphics settings alone will not repair packet loss. |
| High ping or latency | The connection has a long round-trip delay. | Investigate network conditions rather than reducing visual quality. |
| Jitter warning | Latency is fluctuating. | Look for an unstable connection or competing network traffic. |
| Server-performance icon | The problem is associated with the game service or match server. | Wait for the condition to clear or follow service-status guidance; local graphics changes are not a complete fix. |
| Shader-stutter icon or repeated shader preload | Shaders are being prepared or rebuilt locally. | Allow preloading to finish and avoid repeatedly closing the game during the process. |
A network warning can appear at the same time as low local performance, so check the indicators individually. If only the client indicator changes when you lower graphics options, that is evidence your adjustment addressed the correct class of problem. If ping, packet loss, or jitter remains, continue with connection troubleshooting even after the game renders more easily.
Stop shader stutter before joining a match
Embark says shader preparation builds a local cache for lighting, shadows, particles, and destruction effects. Its support wording is that “Preloading shaders helps ensure smoother performance during all matches in THE FINALS.” The practical consequence is simple: do not treat the preload screen as optional.
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Expect shader preparation after the first launch, after a game update, after a graphics-driver change, or after changing graphics settings. The game may show Preloading Shaders 0–100%. Wait until it completes before joining a match, especially if your goal is to evaluate smoothness rather than merely confirm that the game starts.
What to do if it repeats
- Allow the current preload to reach 100% instead of closing the game partway through.
- Confirm that Windows and the graphics driver are current.
- If you just changed several graphics options, let the new preparation finish before making another round of changes.
- Restart only after the process has completed, then check whether the shader-stutter indicator returns during normal play.
Repeatedly interrupting the preload makes diagnosis harder because the local cache may still be incomplete. A recent driver or setting change can legitimately cause another preparation pass; that does not by itself prove that the PC is underpowered.
Why SSD or NVMe storage helps—and what it does not do
Installing the game or its shader cache on faster SSD or NVMe storage can shorten shader-loading delays. Embark’s guidance does not promise a specific FPS increase from storage, so do not treat an SSD as a graphics-performance upgrade. Storage can improve how quickly required data is read; it cannot replace the CPU, GPU, or memory capacity needed for sustained rendering.
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Diagnose slowdowns with a decision tree
If the game reports low client performance
- Enable the Detailed performance overlay under Advanced video settings.
- Close CPU- and GPU-heavy background programs, including unnecessary recording and browser workloads.
- Check that Windows and your graphics driver are current.
- Use Fullscreen where possible.
- Lower shadows, then effects and texture quality, applying one change at a time.
- Check temperatures and confirm that your hardware is not being throttled.
- Compare the CPU, GPU, RAM, operating system, and DirectX capability with Embark’s minimum and recommended tiers.
If the warning is packet loss, ping, or jitter
Do not expect a graphics preset to solve a connection condition. Lowering shadows or textures changes the local rendering workload; it does not repair lost packets or reduce the distance between your PC and the service. Keep the overlay visible, note which network indicator is active, and investigate the connection separately.
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If the warning identifies server performance
A server-performance condition is not the same as a weak PC. It may persist even when your local frame rate and hardware are adequate. Record the indicator and time, wait for the match or service condition to recover, and avoid repeatedly rebuilding your graphics configuration in response to a server-side symptom.
If stutter appears immediately after launch or an update
Check whether shader preloading is still running. Let it reach 100%, especially after a game update, driver update, or graphics-setting change. Only then judge whether the hitch continues during a normal match.
Choosing hardware for your target experience
Use four questions when comparing a prebuilt PC, a custom build, or an upgrade.
- Does it meet a published tier? Verify the processor, graphics card, RAM, Windows edition, and DirectX 12 support against the table above. Do not accept a vague statement such as “gaming ready” in place of model numbers.
- What resolution and refresh rate will you use? A display with more pixels asks the GPU to render more work. A high-refresh display also makes frame-time consistency more noticeable. Embark does not publish an official FPS table by GPU, resolution, or preset, so treat any precise target as a separate benchmark claim rather than an implication of the requirement list.
- Which component is the bottleneck? The overlay can indicate local client pressure, but the symptom still matters. Sustained rendering load usually calls for graphics and effects adjustments; simulation or frame-time spikes may require processor and background-task investigation; shader-loading delays point toward preparation and storage; packet loss and jitter point toward networking.
- How will your group communicate? If you play co-op with console friends, a microphone and comfortable headset can matter as much as a small visual upgrade. Embark describes voice chat as ideal because text chat may vary by platform.
Crossplay and voice chat for co-op
THE FINALS supports crossplay among PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Crossplay is enabled by default, so a PC player can team up with friends on those consoles without selecting a separate compatibility mode first.
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For a mixed-platform squad, voice chat is the practical communication choice. Embark says voice chat is ideal since text chat may vary by platform. Connect and test your headset microphone before queueing, then keep the Detailed performance overlay available if a teammate reports that the match feels laggy: the indicator will help separate a local rendering issue from packet loss, latency, jitter, or server performance.
A repeatable smooth-co-op checklist
- Confirm Windows 10 64-bit or later and DirectX 12 support.
- Compare your CPU, GPU, and RAM with the minimum and recommended tiers.
- Install current Windows and graphics-driver updates.
- Close demanding background programs before launching.
- Select Fullscreen where possible.
- Enable the Detailed performance overlay in Advanced video settings.
- Complete “Preloading Shaders 0–100%” after first launch, updates, driver changes, and graphics-setting changes.
- If the client indicator appears, lower shadows, effects, and texture quality in that order and re-test.
- If packet loss, ping, jitter, or server-performance indicators appear, troubleshoot the connection or service instead of only lowering graphics quality.
- For cross-platform co-op, verify that your microphone and voice chat work before the match starts.
- Use SSD or NVMe storage to reduce loading delays when practical, but do not count on it to increase FPS.
What the official requirements cannot tell you
The requirement list does not specify a frame rate for a particular GPU, resolution, or preset. It also does not establish that moving the game to faster storage will raise FPS. Those limits matter when reading third-party recommendations: a precise number without a stated test system, resolution, settings, and date should not be presented as an official expectation.
The most defensible approach is therefore diagnostic rather than promotional. Establish that the machine meets the required platform and hardware tier, prepare shaders, use the overlay to identify the class of problem, and change the setting or component that corresponds to that bottleneck. This produces a smoother co-op experience without confusing a network warning, a shader-cache rebuild, or a server condition with graphics performance.
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