The Tool Desk
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The PC launch is scheduled for October 23, 2026, with campaign early access on October 16. The available publisher guidance is pre-launch material: it provides requirements, a benchmark workflow and supported rendering options, but it does not establish a universal best setting or a verified release-build fix for every stutter pattern.
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Start with the official PC tiers
Activision’s specifications are for desktop PCs, require broadband internet and DirectX 12 compatibility, and are described as valid for launch but subject to change. They are eligibility and target profiles, not guarantees of a particular frame rate. A system that only meets the minimum tier may launch the game yet still require substantial compromises in resolution, image quality and visual effects.
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| Use case | Official hardware and software profile | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum playability | Windows 10 64-bit with the latest update; AMD Ryzen 5 1400 or Intel Core i5-6600; 8 GB RAM; AMD Radeon RX 470, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970/1060 or Intel Arc A580; 3 GB video memory; SSD with 115 GB free | The publisher’s minimum to play. It is not a promise of stable high FPS or a competitive frame-time experience. |
| Recommended multiplayer | Windows 11 64-bit; AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i7-8700; 16 GB RAM; AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti or Intel Arc B580; 8 GB video memory; SSD with 115 GB free; stated target of 90 FPS at High settings in multiplayer | Use this as the publisher’s comparison tier when your goal is a 90 FPS multiplayer experience at High settings. |
| High-quality ray tracing | Windows 11 64-bit; AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel Core i7-10700K; 32 GB RAM; AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti; 16 GB video memory; SSD with 115 GB free; high-quality ray tracing at 4K upscaled | This is a substantially more demanding visual target, not the baseline for low-latency competitive play. |
Laptop GPU names do not always map directly to their desktop counterparts. Check the exact laptop model, its power limit and the manufacturer’s specifications rather than assuming that a mobile part performs like the desktop card listed above.
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Check the requirements that can cause launch or hitching problems
- Operating system: install the latest supported update for the Windows edition in your target tier.
- Firmware security: TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are required.
- Processor features: supported AMD and Intel CPUs need the AVX instruction set.
- DirectX: the listed configurations require DirectX 12 compatibility.
- Memory and video memory: compare both system RAM and GPU video memory with the tier that matches your intended resolution and visual quality.
- Storage: the game requires an SSD and the launch profiles specify 115 GB of available space. If your current drive cannot leave that space free, a 1TB internal SSD is a practical capacity choice; installing on an SSD is a requirement, not a guaranteed cure for rendering stutter.
- Resizable BAR: Intel Arc graphics require Resizable BAR to be enabled.
- Internet: broadband internet is part of the stated requirements. Network delay can feel like a hitch even when rendering performance is healthy.
Check TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and Resizable BAR in your motherboard firmware and Windows system information before troubleshooting game settings. Fixing a missing prerequisite is more useful than lowering a texture slider on a system that is not configured for the supported platform.
Install the current driver and prepare shader delivery
Activision’s support information lists AMD driver 26.7.1, NVIDIA driver 616.56 and Intel driver 32.0.101.8974 as the recommended versions for launch preparation. Driver guidance is volatile, so verify the current support page near launch and after major game updates instead of treating these numbers as permanent requirements. Activision also notes that an Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD)-compatible NVIDIA driver is expected on October 21, before the October 23 launch.
Advanced Shader Delivery can provide precompiled shaders ahead of time on supported PC platforms. The official PC feature article says to install the Xbox PC app if you want to use ASD on a supported platform. Keep the game, Windows and graphics driver current, and allow the shader-delivery process to complete before judging first-run performance. Interrupting a shader preparation step can make early sessions look different from later sessions.
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- Install the current driver recommended for your GPU vendor, using a clean installation option if the installer provides one.
- Restart Windows and confirm that the intended GPU is being used rather than an integrated adapter.
- Install the Xbox PC app if your supported PC platform needs it for Advanced Shader Delivery.
- Let any precompiled-shader or first-launch optimization process finish before collecting benchmark results.
Establish a repeatable benchmark baseline
Do not begin by changing a dozen options. First capture a result that you can reproduce. The game includes a simulated multiplayer benchmark that reports average FPS, CPU, GPU, ping and input latency, along with per-zone statistics and setting suggestions. The publisher describes it this way: “Zero in on performance stats with the built-in Benchmark Tool, which will run a simulated multiplayer sequence that tests your system’s, displaying real-time information including Average FPS, CPU, GPU, Ping, and Input Latency.”
- Launch the game after shaders and drivers are ready.
- Set the resolution, refresh rate, display mode and graphics preset you actually intend to use.
- Record the game build, driver version, resolution, preset, upscaler, sharpness value and whether ray tracing is enabled.
- Run the built-in multiplayer benchmark without changing anything during the pass.
- Write down average FPS, CPU and GPU behavior, ping, input latency and any zone that shows an unusual drop.
- Repeat the same pass once if the two results differ sharply. Use the repeated result as your baseline rather than an isolated first run.
The benchmark’s suggestions are diagnostic hints, not proof that every recommendation fixes a particular stutter. Its CPU, GPU, ping and input-latency readings help separate rendering limits from network symptoms. If FPS and frame behavior remain steady while ping changes, investigate the connection rather than buying a faster graphics card.
Tune resolution, upscaling and image quality one variable at a time
Choose a performance target before choosing a preset. A high-refresh competitive display may justify a lower internal render resolution and restrained effects, while a 4K campaign image can justify a lower frame-rate target. The official material lists more than 800 customization options across graphics, gameplay, input devices, interface and other categories, so a controlled process prevents the menu from becoming guesswork.
Evaluate the available reconstruction options
| Option listed by the publisher | How to use it in testing |
|---|---|
| FSR Redstone | Test it at the same output resolution and sharpness as your baseline, then compare average FPS, difficult benchmark zones and image stability. |
| DLSS 4.5 | Use it only when your hardware supports it. Keep the quality mode and sharpness documented so later comparisons are meaningful. |
| XeSS 3 | Measure it on the GPU and driver combination you actually own; do not assume that a feature name predicts speed or clarity on every vendor’s card. |
| Filmic SMAA T2X | Use it as the non-upscaling-style comparison in your test log when you want to judge native-resolution image quality against reconstructed output. |
The publisher does not provide independent comparative results for these options. There is therefore no evidence-based universal winner for speed or image quality before release. Select the mode that meets your own clarity and frame-time target after repeating the benchmark.
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Lower settings in an order that preserves useful detail
- Set the output resolution and refresh rate first. Changing them invalidates comparisons with earlier runs.
- Choose an upscaling or anti-aliasing option and leave it fixed while testing other settings.
- Reduce expensive lighting, shadow, reflection and volumetric effects before cutting texture quality if your GPU has enough video memory. This is a test order, not a claim that one setting universally causes stutter.
- Keep texture quality within your available video memory. A setting that exceeds VRAM can produce asset streaming pressure and inconsistent frame times.
- Test view distance, foliage and particle density separately if the benchmark identifies a CPU-heavy zone.
- Use the game’s sharpness control to restore edge definition after lowering internal resolution, and record the value with every result.
- Run the same benchmark after each individual change. Keep a simple table of setting, average FPS, worst zone and subjective image-quality notes.
Do not compare a High preset at native resolution with an upscaled Low preset and call the difference a single-setting fix. Keep the rest of the configuration constant so the change you made has a traceable effect.
Use the benchmark to identify the limiting component
When the GPU is the limit
A consistently high GPU load combined with a drop in average FPS points toward rendering cost. Test a lower internal resolution, an appropriate reconstruction mode or less demanding lighting and shadow settings. If those changes improve the difficult benchmark zones while CPU behavior remains similar, continue tuning image quality before considering a graphics upgrade.
When the CPU is the limit
Busy multiplayer scenes can expose a processor limit even when the GPU is not fully occupied. Compare the benchmark’s CPU reading and zone statistics, then test view distance, simulation-heavy effects and crowd or particle options individually where those controls exist. Lowering resolution may do little when the processor is the bottleneck.
When video memory or system memory is pressured
Watch for inconsistent frame times that coincide with texture or asset changes. Make sure background applications are closed, keep texture quality within available VRAM and confirm that Windows is not paging heavily. The official tiers distinguish 8 GB and 16 GB video-memory targets; use the tier that matches your chosen visual workload rather than assuming the minimum card will behave like the recommended one.
When the symptom is actually network delay
Ping and input latency are reported alongside FPS. A player can experience delayed hit registration or movement while the render frame rate remains stable. Record both sets of numbers before changing graphics settings. A network symptom needs a connection investigation, not an automatic GPU upgrade.
When stutter appears only on the first runs
First-launch shader preparation and driver changes can make early sessions atypical. Finish Advanced Shader Delivery or any in-game shader process, restart once, and then compare identical benchmark passes. If the same zone continues to hitch after preparation, document the build, driver, settings and benchmark readings for a later release-specific diagnosis rather than assuming a single slider is responsible.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose a performance target that matches how you play
Competitive multiplayer
Prioritize consistent frame times, input latency and a refresh rate your system can sustain. Start from the recommended multiplayer tier as the publisher’s 90 FPS High-settings reference, then use the benchmark to decide whether your own display and hardware need a lower render resolution or fewer effects. A stable result is more useful than a higher average that includes severe drops in specific zones.
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Campaign and general play
You can trade some latency for richer lighting, higher textures or a larger output resolution. The ray-tracing tier is designed for high-quality ray tracing at 4K upscaled and calls for substantially stronger hardware and more memory. Treat it as a separate visual objective rather than a setting package that every PC should copy.
Mixed use
Create a documented multiplayer profile and a separate campaign profile. Changing one profile’s upscaler, resolution or ray-tracing state should not make it impossible to reproduce the other profile’s benchmark. Keep the same display mode and driver while you compare the two goals.
Decide whether an upgrade is justified
Upgrade only after the baseline and controlled tests show a repeatable hardware limit. Use the official tiers as reference points rather than promises. A system below the recommended multiplayer class may still be playable after tuning, while a system above it may fall short of a ray-traced 4K target because that target has a separate CPU, GPU and memory requirement.
| Observed situation | First action | When an upgrade becomes reasonable |
|---|---|---|
| GPU remains saturated and lowering resolution produces a meaningful gain | Reduce rendering cost and select the reconstruction mode that preserves acceptable clarity. | Consider a faster GPU when the tested target still cannot be sustained and the rest of the system meets the target profile. |
| CPU is consistently limiting busy zones | Reduce CPU-heavy scene settings and close background workloads. | Consider a faster CPU platform when the benchmark remains CPU-bound at the desired resolution. |
| Video memory is repeatedly pressured | Lower texture and streaming-related settings and verify that the card is not exceeding its memory capacity. | Consider a GPU with more video memory when the intended visual target cannot fit without severe frame-time spikes. |
| Drive lacks the required free space | Clear space or move the installation to an SSD with adequate capacity. | Add storage for capacity and installation reliability, not as a guaranteed FPS upgrade. |
Do not infer an expected FPS number from a component name alone. Activision’s 90 FPS figure is a published target for its recommended multiplayer tier, not an independently measured result on every system using those parts.
Keep a launch and update log
Requirements, drivers and game behavior can change after launch. Keep a short record containing the game build, Windows version, driver version, resolution, display mode, preset, upscaler, sharpness, ray-tracing state and benchmark readings. This lets you tell whether a later change came from your settings, a driver or a game update.
- Before October 16 campaign early access, verify storage, security settings, drivers and shader-delivery support.
- Before the October 23 full PC launch, check Activision’s support page for revised requirements and the current driver recommendations.
- After every substantial update, rerun the same benchmark before changing your profile.
- If a new hitch appears, capture the affected zone and the CPU, GPU, ping and input-latency readings instead of relying on a visual impression alone.
- Keep separate notes for graphics stutter, input delay and network instability so that each symptom is investigated with the appropriate evidence.
What the published guidance does not establish
The official pre-launch material contains no third-party benchmark dataset and no release-build testing that identifies one setting as a universal stutter fix. It also does not establish how every supported laptop, driver branch or post-launch patch will behave. The reliable method available before release is therefore comparative: meet the prerequisites, measure a repeatable scenario, change one variable, and retain the result.
Activision states that its specifications are valid for product launch and may be updated in the future. Recheck the official requirements and driver pages after the game ships, especially if an update changes shader compilation, rendering options or supported hardware.
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