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Best The First Descendant settings for the Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU) (2026)

On a Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU) (paired with a balanced Intel Core i5-8600K-class CPU), The First Descendant runs at roughly 61 FPS at 1080p with our optimized settings — up from about 25FPS with everything maxed. Here's the configuration and what each setting costs.

The Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU) is a handheld graphics card with 4GB of VRAM, and The First Descendant is a demanding, graphically heavy game. Paired with the Intel Core i5-8600K, it runs well at 1080p — about 61 FPS with FrameCoach's optimized settings, a clear jump from roughly 25 FPS with everything on High.

Across resolutions you can expect around 61 FPS at 1080p and 42 FPS at 1440p, dropping to roughly 24 FPS at 4K. The First Descendant offers ray tracing, but the Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU) isn't built for it, so we leave it off. With only 4GB of VRAM, keep textures a notch below max in The First Descendant at higher resolutions to avoid stutter. The biggest free win is FSR upscaling — set it to Quality for a large FPS boost at little visual cost.

ResolutionAll-High FPSOptimized FPS
1080p2561
1440p1542
4K924
🚀 Biggest free win: enable FSR (Balanced) — about +55% FPS for a small sharpness trade.
Recommended settings
Upscaling — FSRBalanced+55% FPS
The First Descendant (Unreal Engine 5) supports DLSS, FSR and XeSS plus Frame Generation. The biggest, easiest FPS lever.
Ray TracingOffsaves FPS
Ray-traced reflections and shadows. Heavy and pointless in a fast looter-shooter - keep Off for high refresh.
Global IlluminationLow+13% FPS
Bounced Lumen lighting (Epic uses Lumen) - the heaviest non-RT setting. High over Ultra is a big saving.
ShadowsLow+10% FPS
Shadow resolution and range. Medium/High is standard for fast play.
ReflectionsLow+8% FPS
Reflection quality on water, glass and metal. High is a clean step below Ultra.
EffectsMedium+4% FPS
Ability and gunfire effects. Lowering smooths chaotic boss fights.
Anti-AliasingOff+3% FPS
Edge smoothing. Cheap; leave On to cut shimmer.
Post-ProcessingMedium+2% FPS
Bloom, motion blur and depth of field. Cheap; set to taste.
VegetationMedium+2% FPS
Plants and scenery density. A small, safe gain when lowered.
VisibilityMedium+2% FPS
Controls level-of-detail / how far objects, buildings and enemies render before culling. Mild pop-in when lowered.
Shader QualityMedium+2% FPS
Material and surface shading detail. High is a clean, cheap trade.
TexturesUltra-1% FPS
Surface sharpness - cheap if it fits your VRAM. High on 8GB cards, Ultra for 12GB+.

⚡ Fine-tune this for your exact CPU & target FPS →

🎯 Can the Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU) run The First Descendant? See the verdict →

The First Descendant on other GPUs
Other games on the Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU)
Frequently asked

What FPS does the Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU) get in The First Descendant?

With FrameCoach's optimized balanced settings, the Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU) averages around 61 FPS at 1080p in The First Descendant — up from about 25 FPS with everything on High.

Can the Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU) run The First Descendant at 1440p?

At 1440p with optimized settings, the Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU) averages roughly 42 FPS in The First Descendant; turn on upscaling or aim for a locked 60 for the best feel.

What are the best The First Descendant settings for the Steam Deck (RDNA2 iGPU)?

Turn on FSR (Balanced), keep ray tracing off for maximum FPS, and ease the heaviest options like Global Illumination and Shadows down a notch. The full per-setting breakdown is above.

FPS figures are estimates from a generalized model (hardware tier × game load × per-setting weights), not live benchmarks — real performance varies by scene, drivers and game version.