The First Descendant is a free-to-play cooperative SF fantasy TPS (third-person shooter) with RPG elements by Nexon for PC and Console like Xbox One, Xbox XS, PS4, and PS5. The game is a next-generation third-person co-op action RPG shooter featuring high-quality graphics developed using Unreal Engine 5. After the release, many reported stuttering, lags, and freezing problems while gaming on their PC.
The game requires enough hardware configuration to run properly, especially for PCs. Not everyone may have such a configuration to run the game in full resolution and higher FPS. It’s quite common for most PC titles because they’re performance-hungry. Here, we’ve provided steps to fix the First Descendant’s Stuttering and Lags issues.
Unfortunately, while in gameplay, some The First Descendant PC players are experiencing multiple issues like stuttering, lags, crashes, frame drops, etc. Depending on the compatibility factor, it can be a severe issue on some PCs. So, it’s always better to fix the issue so that at least you can play the game with a respectable FPS count. There may be several reasons behind such an issue that can be resolved by following this guide.
Check System Requirements
Check out the system requirements of The First Descendant game below to ensure that your PC configuration meets the game’s system requirements.
Minimum Requirements:
- OS: Windows 10 x64
- Processor: Intel i5-3570 / AMD FX-8350
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 1050Ti or AMD Radeon RX 570 Video Memory 4GB
- DirectX: Version 12
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 30 GB available space
Recommended Requirements:
- OS: Windows 10 x64
- Processor: Intel i7-7700K / AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5600XT
- DirectX: Version 12
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 30 GB available space
Fix: The First Descendant Stuttering and Lags Badly
Fixing in-game lags or frame drop issues isn’t easy because it depends on multiple factors, such as PC hardware, the display resolution of the game, maximum FPS limit count, conflicting third-party apps, and more. So, we recommend you try following all the methods individually until the problem gets fixed or reduced. Changing the in-game graphics-related settings or keeping them low can fix several problems in a jiffy.
It may include the Screen Resolution of the game, in-game Texture Resolution, Shadow Resolution, Maximum Frame rate, number of Characters Displayed, or other visual effects that require higher graphics or memory. So, you can follow the steps below to try reducing the lags or frame drops to some extent depending on which resolution and quality you’re playing the game, apart from FPS count.
1. Use Launch Options
- Open your Steam client > Go to Library > Right-click on The First Descendant.
- Select Properties > On the General tab, you’ll find Launch Options.
- Enter the launch options -fullscreen = Forces the engine to start in fullscreen mode.
2. Update Graphics Drivers
- Right-click on the Start Menu to open up the Quick Access Menu.
- Click on Device Manager from the list.
- Now, double-click on the Display Adapters category to expand the list.
- Then, right-click on the dedicated graphics card name.
- Select Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
- An update will automatically download and install the latest version if available.
- Once done, make sure to reboot your computer to change the effects.
3. Run the game as an administrator
Run the game exe file as an administrator to avoid user account control regarding privilege issues. You should also run the Steam client as an administrator on your PC. To do this:
- Right-click on The First Descendant exe shortcut file on your PC.
- Now, select Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.
- Make sure to click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to checkmark it.
- Click on Apply and select OK to save changes.
4. Set High Priority in Task Manager
Make your game priority in the higher segment via the Task Manager to tell your Windows system to run the game properly. To do this:
- Right-click on the Start Menu > Select Task Manager.
- Click on the Processes tab > Right-click on The First Descendant game task.
- Select Set Priority to High.
- Close Task Manager.
- Finally, run The First Descendant game to check for the issue.
5. Verify the Integrity of Game Files
If there is an issue with the game files and they somehow get corrupted or missing, then make sure to perform this method to check for the issue easily. To do so:
- Launch Steam > Click on Library.
- Right-click on The First Descendant from the list of installed games.
- Now, click on Properties > Go to Local Files.
- Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
- You’ll have to wait for the process until it gets completed.
- Once done, restart your computer.
6. Change GPU Settings
Make sure to change the graphics card settings on the PC by following the steps below to check whether the problem has been fixed.
For Nvidia:
- Open up Nvidia’s Control Panel > Right-click on the desktop screen.
- Click on Nvidia Control Panel > Click on Manage 3D Settings.
- Select Program Settings > Find ‘The First Descendant’ and manually add the game if it’s not in the list:
- Monitor Tech: G-Sync (If available)
- Threaded optimization: On
- Power Management: Prefer Maximum Performance
- Texture Filtering – Quality: Performance
For AMD:
- Monitor Tech: G-Sync (If available)
- Maximum Pre-rendered frames: 2
- Threaded optimization: On
- Power Management: Prefer Maximum Performance
- Texture Filtering – Quality: Performance
7. Disable Fullscreen Optimizations
Full-screen optimization and DPI settings are the default ones on Windows. You should try disabling it by following the steps below:
- Locate The First Descendant game directory.
- Find and right-click on The First Descendant.exe file.
- Select Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.
- Checkmark the ‘Disable Full-Screen Optimizations’ box.
- Now, click on the ‘Change high DPI setting’s button.
- Checkmark the ‘Override high DPI scaling behavior’ > Select ‘Application’ from the drop-down menu.
- Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
8. Update The First Descendant
If you haven’t updated your The First Descendant game for a while, then follow the steps below to check for updates and install the latest patch (if available). To do this:
- Open the Steam client > Go to Library > Click on The First Descendant from the left pane.
- It’ll automatically search for the available update. If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
- It may take some time to install the update > close the Steam client.
- Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes, and then try relaunching the game.
Since its release, “The First Descendant” has faced player reports of stuttering, lags, and freezes on PCs. While the game demands a high-end hardware setup, not all players have the ideal configuration to enjoy seamless gameplay. Common among performance-intensive PC titles, these issues can be attributed to various factors, primarily compatibility. However, we’ve curated steps to help alleviate these challenges, ensuring gamers can experience “The First Descendant” with improved performance and fewer disruptions.