The best performance setup for Substructure is currently a factory-layout strategy, not a list of verified graphics values. The game has not yet published a final graphics menu, hardware specification, or benchmark results, and its release date is still unconfirmed in the latest public reports. Build production locally on each planetary layer, reserve elevators for deliberate trunk routes, keep belt converters and seed processing visible, and place farms where sunlight is dependable. When the release build arrives, begin with default graphics, then test terrain, shadows, lighting, and effects one at a time in a repeatable factory scene. That approach improves frame-time stability and makes logistics problems easier to diagnose without inventing FPS gains the developers have not measured.
What is confirmed about Substructure
The official Steam page describes Substructure as a PC automation game set on a rogue planet. You dig downward, exploit resources, build complex production chains, and work toward the planet’s core. Public previews describe a vertically arranged factory with conveyors, robotic arms, multiple planetary levels, elevators, environmental production effects, and farming systems.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
GamesRadar identifies Dubious Design as the developer, Hooded Horse as publisher, and PC as the platform, with the release date listed as TBC. PC Gamer reported on December 4, 2025 that the game supports solo and cooperative play and still had no announced release date.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe following table separates documented facts from settings that are not yet verifiable:
#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
- Convert USB-A Ports to USB-C: Designed to connect USB-C earphones, cables, flash drives, card readers, and other USB-C accessories to standard USB-A ports. Plug-and-play with no drivers or software required.
- Aluminum Alloy Housing: Built with a sturdy aluminum alloy shell that aids in heat dissipation and protects against daily wear and scratches. Designed to maintain a stable and secure connection.
- Compact & Travel-Friendly: The ultra-compact design allows the adapter to stay plugged into your device without blocking adjacent ports or adding bulk, reducing wear and tear on your original USB ports.
- 12-Month Warranty: Backed by a 12-month manufacturer warranty for peace of mind. Designed to meet strict quality control standards for reliable everyday performance.
| Question | What is established | What is not established |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | PC | Final system requirements |
| World structure | Several planetary layers connected by elevators | Maximum layer count and final map dimensions |
| Production | Conveyors, robotic arms, inline belt converters, variable-input recipes, and farming | Final machine roster, throughput numbers, and update cadence |
| Environment | Sunlight speeds plant production; darkness slows it | Exact lighting thresholds or a graphics option that controls the effect |
| Performance | A layout can reduce unnecessary transport dependencies | Measured FPS improvements, frame-time benchmarks, and a definitive “best” preset |
| Availability | Solo and cooperative play have been reported | A confirmed launch date |
That uncertainty matters. Any article promising a specific FPS increase, naming a final graphics preset, or publishing hardware targets would be going beyond the available evidence.
Why factory design affects perceived performance
In a large automation game, a low frame rate can come from two different workloads. Rendering draws terrain, machines, belts, lighting, shadows, and effects. Simulation updates item movement, production recipes, robotic arms, elevators, crop growth, and decisions about where every input goes. A graphics slider can reduce rendering work, but it cannot untangle a factory whose materials repeatedly cross layers or feed through confusing junctions.
Substructure’s vertical design makes that distinction especially important. Each layer has different conditions, and elevators connect those layers. A compact, local production cell may reduce the amount of transport state the game must track and gives you a smaller area to inspect when something stalls. This is an evidence-based layout inference from the documented mechanics, not a published benchmark result.
Use frame time rather than a single peak FPS number when you test. A factory that reports a high average but pauses whenever an elevator unloads or a farm reaches a harvest cycle has unstable frame delivery. Compare the same camera position, zoom, production state, and traffic pattern after every change. If the release build supplies a frame-time graph, use it; otherwise use a trusted performance overlay and record observations consistently.
Build production locally on each planetary layer
Make a layer a complete production cell
Start by treating each planetary level as a self-contained cell. Put extraction, first-stage processing, and the nearest practical consumers on the same level. The goal is not to ban cross-layer logistics; it is to avoid sending intermediate materials through an elevator when the next processing step can fit beside the source.
- Place miners or extraction points beside the first processor that consumes their output.
- Keep early refining and common intermediate products on the source layer when space and resources allow.
- Locate consumers near the intermediate product instead of exporting every item to a central warehouse.
- Export only materials that another layer genuinely needs.
This arrangement shortens belts, reduces the number of elevator dependencies, and leaves a visible fault boundary. If a local cell stops, you can inspect its input, processor, and output without tracing a planet-wide route.
Separate local loops from export routes
Give every layer two conceptual networks: a local loop for production that begins and ends there, and an export route for materials intentionally sent elsewhere. Keep their junctions obvious. A local belt should not quietly merge into an elevator feed unless that transfer is part of the plan.
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
- Quick Data Transfers: Accelerate your productivity with rapid data transfers using a high-speed 5Gbps USB 3.0 port and two 480Mbps USB 2.0 ports.
- 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
When you add a new machine, ask which network it belongs to. If it only supports local consumers, keep it inside the cell. If it supplies another layer, connect it to an elevator boundary with a buffer and a clearly defined destination. This simple classification prevents a temporary test belt from becoming a permanent hidden dependency.
Use elevators as scheduled trunks
Give each elevator a small, explicit job list
GamesRadar describes elevators that can become “mega-factories” moving materials between levels. That flexibility is powerful, but an elevator serving every item quickly becomes difficult to reason about. Assign each elevator a narrow responsibility, such as bringing a specific processed material upward or supplying a farm layer with a known input set.
Before adding another route, define the elevator’s inputs, outputs, and release conditions. Use whatever filtering, priority, or threshold controls the release build exposes, and document the intended behavior beside the machine if the game does not provide labels. A route should answer three questions at a glance:
- What material enters?
- Which layer receives it?
- How much should be buffered before a transfer is released?
Buffer both sides of a long transfer
Place an input buffer before the elevator and an output buffer after it. The buffer absorbs short production bursts and prevents a downstream machine from being directly coupled to elevator timing. Size it for the variability you actually observe rather than building an enormous stockpile that hides a failing upstream process.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
If the receiving layer consumes material faster than the elevator can deliver, increasing the buffer only delays the shortage. Increase production, reduce competing elevator jobs, or change the recipe on that layer. Conversely, if the input buffer remains full while the output side is blocked, the elevator is not the root problem; inspect the receiving belt and consumer.
Keep cross-layer transfers intentional
Use an elevator when a layer has a resource, environmental advantage, or finished product that another layer cannot conveniently provide. Do not move every intermediate item to a central floor simply because a central floor exists. Fewer transfers mean fewer belts, fewer queue states, and fewer places where a blockage can propagate.
Place belt converters directly in the belt run
The developer diary linked from the official Steam page says belt converters process items as they pass on the belt instead of using normal input and output slots. Design around that behavior:
Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
- Reserve a straight, inspectable belt segment for the converter.
- Keep the approach and exit free of unnecessary mergers so you can see whether items are entering and leaving.
- Place the converter before the machine that needs the transformed item, not behind a dense junction where its effect is hard to verify.
- Leave enough room to walk or pan the camera along the belt and identify a stalled item.
An inline converter is not a conventional machine with a separate inventory to check. If a downstream recipe is starved, inspect the belt immediately before and after the converter, then verify that the incoming item type matches the selected transformation. Avoid hiding several converters inside one crowded intersection; separate segments make both troubleshooting and performance observation easier.
Keep seed processing beside farms
The same developer information describes seed pickers that turn harvested crops back into seeds for replanting. Keep the picker and the replanting feed close to the field rather than exporting harvested crops and seeds through an elevator before the next planting cycle.
- Build the field, harvest path, seed picker, and replanting input as one local loop.
- Place a small output buffer for surplus food or plant products outside that loop.
- Export only the products that another layer consumes.
- If planting stops, inspect the picker’s harvested-crop input and the seed return path before changing graphics settings.
This layout keeps the farm’s recurring cycle independent of long-distance logistics. It also makes the environmental effect of the layer visible: you can compare production while the field is illuminated or dark without mixing that observation with an elevator bottleneck.
Use sunlight and darkness as production variables
GamesRadar reports that sunlight speeds plant production while darkness slows it. Farming placement is therefore both a production decision and a management decision. Put sunlight-sensitive fields where illumination is reliable, then size the elevator’s output buffer so a brief transfer delay does not stop planting or downstream processing.
Do not assume that the brightest-looking location is automatically the best one. Compare the complete chain:
- How much sunlight the field receives during its production cycle.
- Whether the layer has enough local inputs for planting and processing.
- Whether moving the finished crop to another layer saves more time than keeping the farm near its consumers.
- Whether an elevator transfer introduces a dependency that can halt the farm when another route is busy.
If a dark layer offers a scarce input or a shorter local chain, it may still be the correct location. The developers have described variable conditions and trade-offs rather than a single globally optimal farm position.
Choose variable-input recipes for the current layer
The developer diary explains that variable-input recipes are designed to create trade-offs: one option can be better or worse depending on the layer and the choices made earlier. Treat recipe selection as a logistics decision, not a permanent best-in-slot choice.
Rank #4
- Dual Converters, Infinite Potential：Includes 2× USB C male to USB A female adapters and 2× USB A male to USB C female adapters. Perfect for a wide range of uses—tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, expand USB ports on macbook, and more. Two different converters for all your daily needs
- Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
- Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
- Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
A practical recipe test
- List the inputs available locally on the layer.
- Mark which inputs are scarce, slow to produce, or require an elevator transfer.
- Compare the recipe alternatives using those local constraints.
- Prefer the option that avoids the scarcest input or the most fragile transfer, even if another recipe looks simpler in isolation.
- Recheck the choice after a new layer, farm, or elevator route changes the supply picture.
This approach reduces avoidable cross-layer traffic and exposes the real cost of a recipe. A recipe that consumes a plentiful local by-product may be better for frame-time stability and factory clarity than one that requires a rare material shipped from below.
Graphics settings: a safe tuning process for the release build
No final Substructure graphics menu or measured FPS results have been published in the available material. The safest recommendation is therefore a controlled tuning method rather than invented values.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Establish a repeatable baseline
- Launch with the default graphics preset at your monitor’s native resolution.
- Use the same factory save, camera position, zoom level, and time in the production cycle for every test.
- Choose a demanding view that includes dense belts, an active elevator, robotic arms, and a farm if your save contains them.
- Record average frame rate and, more importantly, whether frame time spikes during transfers, harvesting, or camera movement.
Change one category at a time
When the release build exposes its final labels, test the settings that normally affect distant terrain, shadows, lighting, and effects one at a time. Apply a change, repeat the same camera movement and production interval, and keep it only if frame-time stability improves without making belts or machine states difficult to read.
Do not lower every option at once. If performance improves, you will not know which setting mattered; if readability suffers, you will not know what to restore. A factory game benefits from clear visual feedback, so the lowest possible preset is not automatically the best working preset.
Test simulation-heavy scenes separately
If the camera remains smooth but the game pauses when an elevator unloads, a farm harvests, or many converters operate, the limit may be simulation or logistics rather than rendering. In that case, return to the layout: shorten routes, split elevator jobs, reduce hidden belt merges, and add sensible buffers. Graphics changes cannot remove a dependency that exists in the production graph.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Layout choices compared by the useful decision axes
The table below describes the direction of each choice based on documented mechanics and practical inference. It is not a benchmark ranking.
Recommended Free Tools
| Layout choice | Frame-time stability | Cross-layer transfers | Belt-junction clarity | Elevator boundary buffers | Recipe input risk | Environmental effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local extraction and first-stage processing | Generally easier to keep stable because transport is shorter | Fewer | Clearer local runs | Needed only for exports | Uses inputs near their source | Depends on the layer |
| Centralized planetary factory | Depends on the number of routes and machine density | More | Can become difficult to inspect | Important at every intake and outlet | May force scarce inputs through elevators | Can exploit a favorable layer, but adds transport |
| Dedicated elevator trunk with few jobs | Easier to diagnose when a spike occurs | Deliberate and limited | Clear at the boundary | Define input and output thresholds | Supports planned recipe choices | Useful when moving products from a better growing layer |
| Multi-purpose elevator carrying everything | Harder to attribute stalls or bursts | High | Many merges and priorities | Must absorb competing flows | Scarcity can be hidden by queueing | Environmental gains may be offset by logistics |
| Farm with nearby seed picker | Local cycle is easier to observe | Low for replanting | Short, visible loop | Buffer only exported crops | Seeds remain available locally | Benefits from reliable sunlight |
Troubleshoot lag and stalled production by symptom
Everything slows when an elevator operates
First inspect the elevator’s job list and both boundary buffers. If unrelated materials share the route, split them into separate scheduled trunks or remove low-priority transfers. Check whether the receiving side is blocked; an elevator can appear slow when its output has nowhere to go.
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
FPS drops only in a dense factory view
Repeat the test with the same camera and compare a local cell against a view containing many belts, arms, and effects. If the slowdown follows visual density, lower the release build’s tested terrain, shadow, lighting, or effects category one at a time. If it follows a particular production event, inspect simulation load and route complexity before changing resolution.
A converter appears to do nothing
Because the converter works inline, confirm that items actually pass through its belt segment. Remove a nearby merge temporarily, verify the incoming item type, and inspect the belt immediately after the converter. A conventional machine-inventory check will not reveal an inline blockage.
The farm repeatedly runs out of seeds
Trace the harvest output into the seed picker and then back to the replanting feed. Keep that loop local, clear any belt junction between picker and field, and use an output buffer only for surplus crops. If darkness is slowing production, compare the field’s location with a reliably illuminated layer before adding another elevator route.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →A recipe causes constant elevator traffic
Re-evaluate the variable-input alternatives using the current layer’s available materials. Select the option that avoids the scarcest input or keeps more of the chain local. A recipe choice that was sensible before opening a new layer may no longer be the least fragile option.
Lowering graphics settings changes nothing
That result suggests the limiting work may be simulation, logistics, or a specific production event rather than rendering. Restore settings that harm readability, then simplify cross-layer routes, clarify belt junctions, and retest the same scene. Because no public benchmark suite exists, treat your repeatable in-game comparison as an observation for your hardware, not a universal FPS claim.
What to expect before launch
Substructure is publicly described as a PC game from Dubious Design and Hooded Horse, but the release date remains TBC in the cited coverage. The final graphics options, minimum and recommended hardware, multiplayer performance characteristics, and official benchmarks may change before launch. Until those details are published, the defensible “best settings” are the ones that reduce unnecessary logistics complexity while preserving a clear view of your factory.
As co-founder Stu Taylor told GamesRadar, “You need friction for it to be interesting.” The practical implication is not to remove every transport challenge. Keep the intended cross-layer decisions—environmental advantages, scarce inputs, and deliberate elevator trunks—while eliminating accidental complexity that makes a factory impossible to inspect.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
