Controls, Settings & Performance Guide — PC & PS5 Setup

This guide covers the official system requirements for PC (as listed on the official Steam store page), the confirmed launch-state performance situation, and settings advice that actually helps. Honest note: default keybindings and in-game settings are not yet verified at launch (August 2026) — the game released July 31, 2026, and the exact binding tables circulating online are unconfirmed. Use this guide for the confirmed facts and general best practices, and check the in-game options menu for the true defaults.

PC (Steam) — Official System Requirements

The requirements below are as listed on the official Steam store page (PS5 specs are listed officially on the PlayStation Store):

Minimum (per the official Steam store page):

OS: Not listed on the store page [Unconfirmed]
CPU: Intel Core i5-11400 / AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
RAM: 16 GB
GPU: Not listed on the store page [Unconfirmed]
Storage: Not listed on the store page [Unconfirmed] (third-party trackers report ~28.5 GB [Community])
Supports 21:9 ultrawide

Recommended (per the official Steam store page):

CPU: Intel Core i5-12650H / AMD Ryzen 7 5800
RAM: 16 GB
GPU / Storage / OS: Not listed on the store page [Unconfirmed]
Supports 21:9 ultrawide

Honest note: The official Steam store page only lists CPU, RAM, and ultrawide support. Any GPU or storage figure — including the ~28.5 GB install size reported by third-party trackers — is not official and should be treated as [Community]/[Unconfirmed] until published. Interpretation: the game is GPU-light and CPU-demanding relative to most current titles — an older 8-core CPU (2018-era) and a mid-range GPU from the RTX 20-series era are the target baseline. The SSD requirement is absolute: do not install on an HDD.

Launch-State Performance (Confirmed by Reviews)

Reviews consistently document the following at launch — this is not one outlet's opinion, it is the consensus:

Problem	Confirmed Detail
Framerate drops	As low as ~15 FPS in some boss fights (IGN)
Camera jank	Camera behavior misbehaves in encounters
Lock-on issues	Target switching is unreliable mid-combat
Sluggish input	Controls feel heavy, especially with slow weapons
Bugs	Bosses freezing, failing to spawn, inconsistent hitboxes

What this means: even on recommended hardware, you may see stutter and dips during the heaviest fights; the minimum-spec machine will struggle. These are launch-build problems — patches are the real fix, and none are confirmed yet. Watch the Steam news/PS5 update notes.

What You Can Do Now (Practical Fixes)

None of these are guaranteed (the underlying issues are in the game), but they are the standard, safe mitigations:

1. Update GPU Drivers

Launch-week drivers from NVIDIA and AMD usually contain optimizations for new releases. Update before changing any settings.

2. Use DLSS or FSR 2

Both upscalers are confirmed supported (Steam listing). If you are below 60 FPS, enable DLSS (NVIDIA) or FSR 2 (AMD) at Quality or Balanced — this is the single highest-impact setting for framerate on modern GPUs.

3. Lower the Expensive Settings First

In this order, per general soulslike/UE experience:

Shadow quality — biggest FPS cost, least visual gain.
Post-processing (bloom, motion blur, ambient occlusion) — medium is usually fine.
Reflections — expensive for little visible gain in dark zones.
Textures — keep HIGH if your GPU has 8 GB+ VRAM; texture quality costs little FPS and loads to VRAM.

4. Cap the Frame Rate for Stability

A parry-based combat game needs consistent timing. If your FPS fluctuates between 40-60, cap at 30 or 45 FPS — a stable 30 with predictable input beats a stuttery 50. Parry timing is the core combat skill (see the Combat Guide); consistency matters more than peak frames.

5. Install on the SSD (Non-Negotiable)

The official requirements demand an SSD. Death-retry loops in soulslikes are already punishing; HDD load times will compound it. Move the game to your fastest drive.

6. Close Background Overlays

Discord/GeForce Experience overlays and browsers can cause stutter, especially with the game's reported CPU spikes in boss fights.

7. Check the In-Game Camera/Lock-On Settings

If the settings menu includes camera sensitivity or lock-on options, tune them — the confirmed camera/lock-on complaints are partially adjustable with smoothing options, if present (exact options unverified — check in-game). Reduce camera sensitivity slightly if the janky camera feels worse than you are used to.

8. Input Setup

Controller on PC: a wired controller is recommended — Bluetooth latency can hurt parry timing, and this game is parry-centric.
Keyboard & mouse: remap dodge to an easy thumb/finger reach — dodging is your #1 defensive input, and the default may not suit you. Exact defaults are unverified; customize to comfort.

What NOT to Do (Honest Warnings)

Do not trust "guaranteed FPS fix" videos — the launch build's problems are in the game code; no settings combination fully fixes 15 FPS boss fights.
Do not overclock aggressively to compensate — the issues are engine/game-side, not just your hardware.
Do not install on HDD hoping for the best — the requirement is explicit.
Do not judge the game's combat from the worst FPS moments — reviews agree the combat itself is the game's best feature; the performance is the problem, not the design.

Specs Comparison: Can My PC Run It?

Your GPU	Expectation
RTX 3060+ / RX 6600+	Should hit 60 FPS at 1080p with DLSS/FSR enabled, with dips in busy fights
GTX 1060 / RX 580 (minimum)	30 FPS territory at low settings; expect drops in boss fights
Below minimum	Will struggle; consider cloud gaming or waiting for patches

The CPU matters more than usual here (2018-era 8-core recommended). If you are on an older 4-core CPU, expect the worst drops regardless of GPU.

PS5 Notes

Native PS5 release; DualSense features (adaptive triggers, haptics) are plausible but unconfirmed — do not rely on claims of specific trigger/haptic behaviors.
Performance modes (60 FPS vs quality) are unconfirmed — reviews report framerate issues, so do not assume a stable performance mode exists yet.

Confirmed Controls Concepts (Design-Level)

While exact bindings are unverified, the confirmed control design is:

Action	Confirmed Concept
Light / heavy attacks	Free — cost zero stamina
Dodge / block / parry	Defense actions — spend stamina
Skills	Cooldown-based; bound to skill slots
Relic / gear swapping	Between fights — the intended adaptation loop
Interact	Standard contextual prompt

Performance FAQ

Q: Why does the game drop to 15 FPS in boss fights?

A: Confirmed launch-build performance problem (IGN and others). Patches are the real fix; lower settings and upscaling only help around the edges.

Q: Does the game support DLSS?

A: Yes — DLSS and FSR 2 are confirmed in the Steam listing.

Q: Is an SSD really required?

A: The official store page lists CPU (i5-11400 / Ryzen 7 4800H) and 16 GB RAM; storage is not published on the store page [Unconfirmed].

Q: Will my GTX 1060 run it?

A: At minimum settings, around 30 FPS — with drops. It meets the listed minimum.

Q: Are there day-one patches?

A: Unconfirmed — check Steam news for the update history. Review coverage reflects the July 31 launch build.

Q: Is the game CPU-heavy?

A: Unusually so for a soulslike — the recommended CPU is a 2018-era 8-core. Expect CPU-bound drops in busy fights.

Q: Does PS5 have 60 FPS mode?

A: Unconfirmed. Reviews report frame drops on consoles; no verified mode breakdown exists.

Q: Will performance improve?

A: Likely over time via patches — the launch build has known issues.

The Bottom Line

The Relic: First Guardian on PC has a great combat concept wrapped in a rough launch build. If you have the recommended specs, DLSS/FSR 2, an SSD, and patience for patches, it is playable — but buy knowing the confirmed issues. For a full picture of the divided reception, see the Review Roundup; for the confirmed controls and settings facts, everything above is what is verified at launch.

Beginner Guide — What to know before you play
Combat Guide — The inputs that matter (parry, dodge, skills)
Release Date & Platforms — Editions, price, and specs