Indie studio Nine Dots Studio is making waves with their upcoming co-op survival RPG, Outward 2, set to launch on Steam Early Access this July 7. While many games push hardware to the limit, this developer is taking a different approach—they've crafted a special graphics preset called 'potato' that runs below even the minimum system requirements. Whether you're rocking a decade-old rig or the latest beast, here's everything you need to know about Outward 2's performance options.
When Does Outward 2 Enter Early Access?
Outward 2 will be available on Steam Early Access starting July 7. Nine Dots Studio announced this alongside the full system requirements, giving players a clear timeline to prepare their PCs—or their potatoes, as the case may be. The date marks the beginning of an early access period, meaning the game will continue to evolve based on community feedback. If you're eager to jump into the open-world survival experience, mark your calendar; the studio is committed to regular updates throughout development.
What Hardware Is Needed for Maximum Settings?
To experience Outward 2 at its visual peak, you'll need a GeForce RTX 4070 (correcting the original announcement's typo) paired with a hefty 32GB of RAM. These specs deliver the lush environments, detailed character models, and dynamic lighting that Nine Dots has shown in trailers. However, the studio acknowledges that most players don't have top-tier hardware, which is why they've invested heavily in scalability. The max settings are reserved for those with modern gaming rigs, while everyone else can still enjoy the game—just at a different graphical level.
What Exactly Is the 'Potato' Graphics Setting?
Nine Dots unveiled a new preset called 'Potato' that sits below the typical 'Very Low' option found in most games. This setting strips away virtually all graphical flourishes to prioritize performance, making the game playable on hardware far older than the official minimum requirements. According to the developer video, potato mode reduces textures, shadows, and effects to near-primitive levels—think of it as a visual time machine to early 2000s gaming. The name is a cheeky nod to the idea that even a literal potato could run Outward 2, provided it has a GPU.
Which Old Graphics Cards Can Run the Potato Preset?
The standout example is the GeForce GTX 750 Ti with just 8GB of RAM. This GPU, released in 2014, is far below the minimum spec for most modern open-world titles, yet Outward 2's potato mode makes it viable. The minimum system requirements originally demand a more powerful card, but Nine Dots deliberately added this sub-minimum preset to guarantee accessibility. If your PC is even older than the 750 Ti, the studio hints that further compromises—like lowering the resolution to 720p or disabling post-processing—might still yield playable framerates. The goal is to ensure that nobody is left out.
Why Did the Developer Prioritize Low-End Performance?
In the release announcement video, Nine Dots emphasized that Outward 2's identity as a survival RPG means it should be accessible to a wide audience—including players in regions with older hardware or limited budgets. They believe that graphics shouldn't be a barrier to enjoying the game's deep co-op mechanics and open-world exploration. By offering the potato preset, the studio demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity. As detailed in the potato setting explanation, this goes beyond typical optimization; it's a deliberate design choice to make the game run on 'ancient-potato rigs,' as they put it. This philosophy also aligns with the indie spirit of stretching limited resources creatively.
How Does Outward 2's Optimization Compare to Other RPGs?
Most open-world RPGs set a fixed minimum requirement, often excluding older hardware. Outward 2 flips this by offering a setting that goes below that floor. While some games have 'low' presets, few explicitly create a 'sub-minimum' mode. Nine Dots' approach is reminiscent of light-weight indie titles but rare for a co-op survival RPG with modern ambition. The potato setting doesn't sacrifice core gameplay—only visual fidelity. This scalability means the game can run on everything from a GTX 750 Ti to a RTX 4090, making it one of the most hardware-agnostic releases in recent memory. As noted in the max settings section, the visual range is enormous, but the experience remains consistent.