Finding the best PC settings for Alan Wake 2 can be daunting. The system requirements for this game are intense, and it’s one of the first titles we’ve encountered on PC that relies heavily on DLSS or FSR to run at a decent resolution and tolerable frame rate. Fortunately, after spending some time with the game, we’ve found which settings can give you more FPS and fix any stuttering or lag you might experience.
What are the best PC settings for Alan Wake 2?
To determine what the best PC settings for Alan Wake 2 are for you, it’s best to familiarize yourself with the official system requirements.
First, here’s what Remedy suggests for playing with Ray Tracing off:
| Minimum | Recommended 1080p | Recommended 1440p | Recommended 4K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphics Pre-Set: | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Resolution: | 1080p | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
| FPS Target: | 30 FPS | 60 FPS | 30 FPS | 60 FPS |
| GPU: | Nvidia RTX 2060/Radeon RX 6600 (6GB VRAM) | RTX 3070/Radeon 6700 XT (8GB VRAM) | RTX 3060/Radeon 6600 XT (8GB VRAM) | RTX 4070/Radeon 7800 XT (12GB VRAM) |
| DLSS/FSR2: | Quality | Performance | Balanced | Balanced |
| CPU: | Intel i5-7600K or AMD equivalent | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel equivalent | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel equivalent | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel equivalent |
| RAM: | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage: | 90 GB SSD | 90 GB SSD | 90 GB SSD | 90 GB SSD |
Now, here’s what you’ll need to play Alan Wake 2 with Ray Tracing enabled:
| Low Ray Tracing | Medium Ray Tracing | High Ray Tracing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphics Pre-Set: | Medium | Medium | High |
| Ray Tracing Pre-Set: | Low | Medium (Path tracing on) | High (Path tracing on) |
| Resolution: | 1080p | 1080p | 4K |
| FPS Target: | 30 FPS | 60 FPS | 60 FPS |
| GPU: | RTX 3070/Radeon 6800 XT (8GB VRAM) | RTX 4070 (12GB VRAM) | RTX 4080 (16GB VRAM) |
| DLSS/FSR2: | Quality | Quality | Performance |
| CPU: | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel equivalent | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel equivalent | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel equivalent |
| RAM: | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage: | 90 GB SSD | 90 GB SSD | 90 GB SSD |
We’ve found the game runs better than these suggest, so you can definitely experiment with bumping up your resolution or raising graphics settings. However, you’ll want to use the settings from the tables above as your starting place.
AMD GPUs
If you’re running Alan Wake 2 with an AMD GPU, your options for increasing the frame rate or resolution are limited. FSR 2 just doesn’t compare to DLSS. Additionally, even the best AMD GPU isn’t that great at ray tracing, even at the lowest settings, so consider just disabling it entirely. The pre-baked lighting isn’t bad at all, so the trade-off is worth the extra frames you’ll get in return.
Nvidia GPUs
If you have an Nvidia GPU, you’re in luck. You can instantly increase your FPS just by dropping the Render Resolution. If you drop it so low that the graphics start getting muddled, just drop the Display Resolution down a step, and it should look better. If you have an RTX 40 series card, make sure to switch on DLSS Frame Generation for more free frames.
Of course, if you want to use ray tracing, things are a bit more complicated. That is, they used to be. Now, as long as you have an RTX 20 series or newer GPU, you can switch on DLSS Ray Reconstruction and get a big boost to FPS.
With an Intel i9-13900K and an RTX 4090, I can run the game maxed all the way out at 4K and hit my display’s cap of 120 FPS. I see a few dips into the 100s occasionally, but that’s because I’m running the Render Resolution in DLAA mode. If I drop it down to 1440p, it easily pumps out more than 120+ FPS with no stutter.
If your game is stuttering, your best bet is to adjust the resolution settings and ensure DLSS is active. Once you find the sweet spot, you can raise or lower the settings under Quality to play in higher fidelity or increase your frame rate.
