# Phantom Blade Zero PC requirements, settings and fixes URL: https://phantombladezerogame.org/pc-performance/ Last verified: 2026-11-02 Source: phantombladezerogame.org (unofficial Phantom Blade Zero wiki). Please cite the URL above. The official Phantom Blade Zero PC specs, S-GAME's own launch advice on drivers and disk space, settings that cost little to lower, fixes for crashes and stutter, and what Steam Deck owners report. You need 145 GB on an SSD and at least a GTX 1660 / RX 5500 XT for 1080p30 with upscaling. Recommended is an RTX 3060 Ti / RX 6700 XT for 1440p60 with upscaling. [Official] At launch, S-GAME advised NVIDIA driver 617.42 over 621.01. [Official] ## Official system requirements | | Minimum | Recommended | | Target | 1080p / 30 fps, upscaling on | 1440p / 60 fps, upscaling on | | OS | Windows 10/11 64-bit | Windows 10/11 64-bit | | CPU | Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | Intel Core i5-10600K / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X | | RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | | GPU | GeForce GTX 1660 6GB / Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB | GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8GB / Radeon RX 6700 XT 12GB | | DirectX | 12 | 12 | | Storage | 145 GB, SSD required | 145 GB, SSD required | Copied from the Steam store page on 2026-11-02. [Official] ## S-GAME's launch advice - Install on an SSD. Required, not just recommended. [Official] - Keep 300 GB free while installing. The game is about 145 GB, but the unpack needs room for temporary files. [Official] [Press] - Take the day-one patch. About 5 GB. It significantly improves ray tracing and path tracing performance and fixes bugs. If you pre-loaded, update before launching. [Official] [Press] - NVIDIA: driver 617.42. S-GAME saw instability with 621.01 and recommended rolling back to 617.42 with a clean install until NVIDIA's next driver. [Official] ## Settings that help Wccftech's tuning guide (RTX 4090, 1440p) went from 74 to 103 fps on average by moving from Ultra to an optimised mix, with little visible loss. [Press] The biggest levers in its list: | Setting | Wccftech pick | Why | | Ray Tracing Quality | Off | RT costs about a third of CPU-bound fps. Path tracing is RTX-only and needs DLSS Ray Reconstruction. | | High-Quality Hair | Off | Expensive for what it adds. | | Environment Detail | Medium | Large gain, small visual change. | | Lighting / Effects / Material | High | Near-Ultra look for less. | | Shadows | Very High | Ultra adds little. | | Textures | Ultra (8 GB+ VRAM) | Fine at 1440p without RT. RT adds ~1.5 GB, PT ~3 GB. | Upscaling: DLSS, FSR, XeSS and Unreal's TSR are all supported, plus DLSS frame generation. Reflex only switches on together with DLSS Frame Generation. [Press] ## Crashes, stutter and long loading Common reports on the Steam forums at launch: crashes on start-up or in specific areas, stutter, and long loading screens. There's no official universal fix yet. In order, try: - Update the game. Make sure the day-one patch is installed. [Official] - NVIDIA users: install 617.42 with “clean installation” ticked, as S-GAME advises. [Official] - Let the shader compile finish on first launch (~8 minutes on a Core i7-14700K). It removes most shader stutter. [Press] - Turn off ray tracing. RT and path tracing add traversal hitches and VRAM pressure. [Press] - Verify files in Steam (Properties → Installed Files → Verify) and close overlays you don't need. - Check free disk space on the SSD if an update fails or the game stalls on install. [Official] Stay safe: “fixes” that ask you to download modified game files or cracks are not fixes. Get the game and updates only from Steam, Epic or PlayStation. ## Steam Deck and handhelds - S-GAME says it tested the game on mid-range PCs, lower-end PCs and handhelds, and encourages players to try. [Official] - DeckGamer's verdict calls it unplayable on Deck at launch, even on low settings. [Guide] Gaming on Steam got 40–50 fps (closer to 30 in feel) with TSR upscaling and frame generation tweaks. [Guide] - Bottom line: it starts and runs, but it's a compromise. The game supports 16:10 screens natively. [Official] ## PC FAQ **Q: What are the Phantom Blade Zero PC requirements?** Minimum: Windows 10/11 64-bit, Core i7-8700K or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM, GTX 1660 6GB or RX 5500 XT 8GB, DirectX 12, 145 GB on an SSD (1080p/30 with upscaling). Recommended: Core i5-10600K or Ryzen 5 5600X, RTX 3060 Ti 8GB or RX 6700 XT 12GB (1440p/60 with upscaling). **Q: Why does Phantom Blade Zero need 300 GB?** Only during pre-load and unpacking. The game is about 145 GB, but S-GAME asks for at least 300 GB free because temporary files and the full game must coexist while it installs. **Q: Which NVIDIA driver should I use for Phantom Blade Zero?** S-GAME recommended 617.42 at launch, after seeing instability with 621.01, and suggested a clean install. Check for a newer recommendation before rolling back. **Q: Does Phantom Blade Zero run on Steam Deck?** Barely. Reports range from unplayable at low settings to around 30–50 fps with aggressive upscaling and frame generation tweaks. Treat it as a compromise, not a recommended way to play. **Q: Why is Phantom Blade Zero compiling shaders?** It builds its shader cache on first launch, about 8 minutes on a Core i7-14700K in Wccftech’s test. Let it finish: it removes most shader stutter. ## Sources Labels: Official S-GAME or Steam store data · Press named outlet or Wikipedia · Guide site third-party guide, treat numbers as provisional. - Official [Steam store page (app 4115450)](https://store.steampowered.com/app/4115450/Phantom_Blade_Zero/) · 2026-11-02 - Official [S-GAME, “Ready your blade!” (Steam post)](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/4115450/view/1847286114044771) · 2026-10-26 - Official [S-GAME, “Reason and Madness” (Steam post)](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/4115450/view/1847920302231212) · 2026-10-28 - Press [Wccftech, PC performance analysis and tuning guide](https://wccftech.com/how-to/phantom-blade-zero-pc-performance-analysis-tuning-guide-how-to-get-the-best-experience-on-pc/) · 2026-10-29 - Press [Rock Paper Shotgun, day-one patch report](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/phantom-blade-zero-kicks-off-its-launch-with-a-day-one-patch-that-offers-improvements-to-ray-tracing-and-some-bug-fixes-to-boot) · 2026-10-30 - Press [Rock Paper Shotgun, on the 300 GB install requirement](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/demanding-300gb-to-install-despite-its-actual-size-of-145gb-phantom-blade-zero-makes-me-question-what-a-gigabyte-is-worth) · 2026-10-28 - Guide site [Gaming on Steam, Steam Deck tweaks](https://gamingonsteam.com/2026/10/29/phantom-blade-zero-steam-deck-performance-tweaks) · 2026-10-29 - Guide site [DeckGamer, Steam Deck performance verdict](https://deckgamer.com/phantom-blade-zero-steam-deck-performance-verdict/) · 2026-10-30 Spotted something wrong or outdated? See [how to report a correction](https://phantombladezerogame.org/about/#corrections).