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Short answer: start Hope in the City at the lowest preset and 1280×720 (or 1280×800 on a 16:10 display), then reduce shadows, reflections, effects, ambient occlusion and view distance before lowering textures. That is a sensible starting profile inferred from the published GeForce GTX 560 minimum, not a measured benchmark. Steam currently lists “Steam Deck Compatibility Unknown,” and no verified Deck preset or frame-rate result has been published.
What Hope in the City is and why the settings are still provisional
Hope in the City is an upcoming non-linear narrative mystery from Lofty Sky Entertainment Inc., with NAGA Games also listed as publisher on Steam. The investigation takes place in Shenyang, China, where Hope Song’s sketches and notebook help connect clues. The developer describes the presentation as a “Creative and Unique Triangulated Art Style.” Steam lists a Windows PC release planned for November 11, 2026.
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Because the game has not reached its planned release and no authoritative source has published a tested low-end preset, every recommendation below is a cautious starting point. It is intended to help you get a first playable configuration from the requirements, not to promise a particular frame rate. Patches, final assets and graphics options can change before launch.
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These are the Windows specifications shown on the Steam store listing at the time of writing. The minimum is the floor the developer publishes; it is not a guarantee of a locked 60 frames per second or even identical performance across every scene.
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| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 7 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-2600K | Intel Core i5-10400F |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | GeForce GTX 560 | GeForce GTX 1060 |
| Graphics API | DirectX 9 | DirectX 12 |
| Storage | 3 GB available | 10 GB available |
Read the two columns as different targets. A GTX 560-class system with 4 GB of memory may launch the game if it meets the other requirements, but the recommended GTX 1060 and 8 GB configuration gives substantially more headroom for higher resolution, effects and background applications. The listing does not state a target frame rate, a specific VRAM requirement, or a supported graphics preset for either column.
Best first settings for a low-end PC
Use this sequence after installing the final game or an official demo. It avoids changing several variables at once, so you can identify which adjustment actually helps.
- Update the graphics driver and restart Windows. Use the driver supplied for your exact GPU. Close browsers, recording software and launchers that are not needed; with only 4 GB of system memory, background programs can compete with the game.
- Choose the lowest graphics preset. A preset gives you a known baseline. Do not begin by mixing ultra textures with low lighting, because it makes later comparisons harder.
- Set 1280×720 on a conventional 16:9 monitor. On a 16:10 panel, including many handheld displays, begin at 1280×800 so the image fills the screen without stretching. Use the game’s native fullscreen or borderless mode according to which one remains stable on your system.
- Leave textures at low, then test medium only if memory allows. Texture quality mainly affects video-memory use and image detail. If the game reports texture streaming warnings, shows severe hitching when turning the camera, or your card has little VRAM, return to low. If frame time is smooth and memory use remains comfortable, medium textures can improve surfaces without the same cost as high shadows or reflections.
- Lower shadows, reflections, effects, ambient occlusion and view distance. These options commonly add per-frame GPU work. Keep them at low or off before sacrificing resolution. If an option is not present in the final build, simply skip it.
- Disable motion blur and depth of field if available. Both are post-processing effects. Turning them off can make camera movement clearer and removes work that does not improve the underlying geometry.
- Apply the changes, load a representative scene and watch for consistency. Test an area with several characters, lights or moving effects rather than judging only a quiet menu. Walk, rotate the camera and enter a new room so shader compilation and streaming have a chance to occur.
- Cap the frame rate to the most stable value you actually sustain. A stable cap is preferable to a fluctuating number. If the game cannot hold your display’s refresh rate, choose a lower cap offered by the game or your driver and check whether frame pacing improves.
- Raise one setting at a time. Increase textures before shadows or reflections when you have headroom. Keep a short note of each change and its effect; that makes it easy to return to the last reliable profile.
How to tune each graphics option
| Option | Start with | Raise it when | Reduce it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1280×720, or 1280×800 on 16:10 | Frame pacing is stable and the image is clearly GPU-limited only at higher detail | Every 3D scene remains slow after other expensive options are low |
| Textures | Low; try medium if VRAM and streaming are comfortable | Motion is smooth and surfaces look overly blurry | Camera turns cause hitching or the game reports memory pressure |
| Shadows | Low | There is consistent GPU headroom | Busy scenes slow down or frametimes spike near multiple lights |
| Reflections | Low or off | Only after shadows and effects are stable | Water, glass or polished surfaces cause sudden drops |
| Effects | Low | Particles and environmental effects remain smooth | Smoke, weather or other animated effects produce spikes |
| Ambient occlusion | Off or low | The scene is stable and you want stronger contact shading | Indoor corners and object clusters are disproportionately expensive |
| View distance | Low or medium, if the game offers both | Distant geometry matters and nearby performance is stable | Outdoor or wide-angle views overwhelm the GPU |
| Motion blur/depth of field | Off if you prefer a clearer image | Only if you value the effect and have spare performance | Camera movement feels smeared or post-processing causes a hitch |
The order is deliberate: resolution and heavy lighting effects determine whether the GPU can finish a frame, while textures often change clarity more than frame time until video memory is exhausted. Your hardware may behave differently, so confirm every change with the same short test route.
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What FPS should you expect from a GTX 560?
No authoritative source reviewed for this game reports a measured frame rate on a GTX 560, a similar card or any other PC. The published GTX 560 minimum therefore cannot be converted into an honest “you will get X FPS” claim. Performance will depend on the final build, scene complexity, driver, CPU, memory configuration, resolution and whether the card is a 1 GB or larger variant.
After launch, you can establish your own result without confusing a menu number with gameplay:
- Record the game version, Windows version, GPU model and installed memory.
- Use the low preset and the starting resolution above.
- Choose a repeatable route that includes investigation, camera movement and a transition between areas.
- Record average and worst-looking moments with the same frame-rate overlay each time. A single peak number is not useful; consistency during movement matters more.
- Change one option, repeat the route and keep the profile that delivers the smoothest frame pacing.
If the game offers no built-in overlay, use a monitoring tool you already trust, but avoid running a heavy recording application while testing a 4 GB system. Save the notes with the exact preset and cap so later patches can be compared fairly.
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Can Hope in the City run on Steam Deck?
Steam’s current compatibility field says exactly: “Steam Deck Compatibility Unknown.” The official pages reviewed do not publish a Deck benchmark, a Proton configuration or a device-specific graphics preset. That means there is no verified answer yet to whether the game boots, what frame rate it holds, or which power profile is appropriate.
Do not treat the Windows minimum as a Deck guarantee. Steam Deck uses a different operating system, driver stack, memory arrangement and power envelope, and the published requirements do not describe those conditions. The game may work once released, but compatibility remains unconfirmed until Valve’s rating or the developer’s documentation changes.
If you test a demo or the released build
- Install the exact build available through Steam and note its version number.
- Start at 1280×800, the Deck’s native 16:10 resolution, with the lowest preset.
- Keep textures low initially; raise them only after checking for streaming stutter.
- Reduce shadows, reflections, effects, ambient occlusion and view distance before lowering resolution.
- Turn off motion blur and depth of field if those controls exist.
- Use a conservative frame-rate cap and check several minutes of actual investigation rather than the title screen.
- Record the game version, frame-rate cap, TDP setting, resolution and preset. Those details are necessary for anyone trying to reproduce your result after an update.
A successful menu launch is not proof of playable performance. Check entering new areas, rotating the camera around characters and any scene with dense lighting. If the game crashes, fails to render correctly or drains power unusually quickly, report the exact build and settings instead of presenting the result as a general Deck verdict.
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Choosing between the minimum and recommended targets
Use the minimum column as a compatibility checklist, not as an upgrade promise. A computer that only just meets the GTX 560, i7-2600K and 4 GB requirements should begin at 720p with the lowest options and minimal background activity. If it cannot maintain acceptable frame pacing after those changes, the published information offers no supported setting that guarantees a fix.
The recommended GTX 1060, i5-10400F and 8 GB combination is the more comfortable target for people who want to experiment with 1080p or raise visual effects. It still does not state a frame-rate target, and “recommended” does not mean every option must be set to maximum. Use the same one-change-at-a-time method rather than assuming the label maps to a preset.
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Common problems and practical fixes
The game is slow everywhere
Confirm that the game is using the dedicated GPU, select the lowest preset, lower expensive effects and test 1280×720. If performance remains poor in simple scenes, close background software and check that the CPU and GPU are not overheating or throttling. The requirements do not provide a lower supported hardware tier, so a persistent result below your acceptable threshold may require different hardware rather than another hidden setting.
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Performance collapses when turning the camera
Keep textures low and watch for streaming hitching. Reduce view distance, reflections and effects, then repeat the same camera movement. If only the first visit to an area stutters and later passes are smooth, shader or asset streaming may be involved; allow the scene to settle before judging the final profile.
The image is too blurry at low resolution
Try medium textures while leaving shadows and reflections low. If the game includes a render-scale or sharpening control, raise clarity gradually without moving the output resolution above what your GPU can sustain. Do not compensate for blur by enabling every lighting effect at once.
The game will not start
Check that Windows is 64-bit and that the installed graphics hardware supports the DirectX level required by the selected build. Verify the installation through Steam, update the graphics driver, reboot and remove nonessential overlays. If the final release changes its operating-system or API requirements, follow the current store listing rather than relying on an older screenshot of the requirements.
You run out of storage
The published allowance is 3 GB at minimum and 10 GB recommended. Leave additional free space for Steam’s download and update process; the requirement itself is not a promise that the installer needs only the exact number shown.
What may change before release
The planned November 11, 2026 Steam launch is still in the future relative to this article. Developers can change shaders, texture sizes, launch options, operating-system support and the Steam Deck rating between now and release. Recheck the store requirements and compatibility field when installing, and treat any community benchmark as tied to its stated game version.
Until an official update supplies measured results, the most defensible low-end plan is a 720p/800p low preset with expensive lighting and post-processing reduced, textures increased only when memory and frame pacing permit, and a frame-rate cap chosen from your own repeatable test. For Steam Deck, report results as provisional and include the version, TDP, cap, resolution and preset so they remain useful after patches.
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