by 007 First Light is one of the biggest releases of the year thus far, but it took more than two weeks for developers IO Interactive to fix a major bug with the PC version that neutered the usual performance gains you'd expect from DLSS upscaling. Now that this issue has been solved with patch 1.0.5, it's time to take a look at how the game scales from low-end to high-end systems, what optimised settings we recommend and what future versions ought to bring.
The user experience on the PC version is solid, starting with a manageable first boot. On our mainstream Ryzen 5 5600 and RTX 3070 test system, shader compilation takes around three minutes, and works well to (largely) eliminate hitches and stuttering - so Alex can wind down his #stutterstruggle flag for this one. We already mentioned DLSS upscaling, but it's worth noting that the PC version lacks support for that latest alternatives from other vendors, such as XeSS and FSR 4, with no frame generation for non-Nvidia cards. The dynamic resolution scaling (DRS) system from the consoles also doesn't make the PC release, which could have been a nice tool to equalise performance between more and less intensive scenes.
As you might expect from a game that is big on simulation, the game can sometimes be CPU-limited, depending on the scene and your specs. Mid-range processors, like the Ryzen 5 5600, sometimes struggle to reach 60fps, though higher-end CPUs - especially AMD's AM5 X3D models like the 7800X3D and 9950X3D - have a much easier time of it. Weirdly, using FSR3 seems to incur additional CPU overhead, so it's worth considering a different upscaler if you're CPU-limited in this game. Apart from this, performance roughly doubles in CPU-limited 1080p testing from the 5600X to the 9950X3D. Attaining super high frame-rates here likely will require some measure of frame generation, though the game's action is perfectly playable at 60-120fps.
Looking at the most interesting PC settings, there are some options that have an oversize influence on both visuals and performance. The game's advanced "Smolder" volumetrics, for example, can be quite demanding, so dropping from ultra to medium or low can provide a significant frame-rate uplift with minimal visual impact. Volumetric fog is used extensively, and adjusting its quality offers a more balanced trade-off. Dropping from ultra to medium can still make sense to regain performance - though low results in noticeable degradation.
Texture quality is another tweakable that you should consider depending on your graphics card's VRAM allocation. We recommend ultra for higher-end models, while mid-range GPUs at a 1440p output resolution should stick to medium. If you're targeting 4K instead, the low setting may be necessary, and again this does provide a more noticeable impact to surface and environmental asset detail.
If you're CPU-limited, then the level of detail (LOD) setting is worth adjusting. High and ultra noticeably reduce pop-in of distant objects and foliage compared to the console-spec medium preset, and has a relatively low impact when GPU-limited - just a few percentage points. When CPU-limited though, the gains can stretch to six or seven percentage points on our Ryzen 5600X system from ultra to low.
| Setting | PS5 / Series X (Perf) | PS5 / Series X (Quality) | PS5 Pro | Xbox Series S | Steam Deck (Preset) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPS Target | 60 | 30 | 60 | 30 | - |
| Output Resolution | 4K | 4K | 4K | 1080p | 800p |
| Internal Res | 720p-1080p | 900p-1440p | 900p-1440p | 720p-1080p | 400p |
| Texture Quality | High | High | High | ~Low | Low |
| Texture Filter | 8x AF | 8x AF | 8x AF | 8x AF | Trilinear |
| Level of Detail | Medium | Medium | Medium | ~Low | Low |
| Terrain Quality | High | High | High | High | Low |
| Shadow Quality | Medium | Ultra | Ultra | Medium | Low |
| Volumetric Fog Quality | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
| Volumetric Effects Quality | Medium | Medium | Medium | ~Low | Low |
| Global Illumination Quality | High | High | High | Medium | Low |
| Reflection Quality | Medium | Medium | ~High | Medium | Low |
| Post Filters (Default) | On | On | On | On | Off |
Above: Console equivalent settings. We recommend starting with PS5 / Series X quality mode (the first column of settings), then adjusting until you find a balance you're happy with. Texture quality should be adjusted based on your VRAM allocation, and LOD reduced if you are CPU-limited.
Other settings have less noticeable performance optimisations. Shadow quality, global illumination and reflection quality all exhibit relatively minor gaps between the top and bottom presets in terms of performance, so it's worth using ultra or high; medium is usable but does represent a downturn in fidelity.
In terms of optimised settings, we recommend you begin with the PS5 and Series X performance mode settings, tweaking the texture detail setting depending on your GPU and resolution combo, and the LOD distance if you find yourself CPU-limited. All told, the console equivalent settings deliver around a 22 percent improvement to frame-rates versus max settings. And with no path-tracing as an even higher-end option just yet, the visual difference from max to optimised settings is thankfully quite modest.
Beyond that path tracing update, which is on the way, we'd like to see proper support for FSR4 and XeSS to give better options for players on non-Nvidia graphics cards, matching what IO was able to do with Hitman 3. Otherwise, this is a solid port and well worth recommending for PC players.