Launch, Crashing or Performance issues with Far: Changing Tides on PC

Minimum Specifications:

• OS: Windows 10 64bit
• Processor: Intel i5-4590 / AMD FX-8350
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 / AMD Radeon R9 390
• DirectX: Version 11
• Storage: 13 GB available space
• Additional Notes: SSD Recommended

Recommended Specifications:

• OS: Windows 10/11 64bit
• Processor: Intel i5-8600K / AMD Ryzen 5 2600
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 580
• DirectX: Version 11
• Storage: 13 GB available space
• Additional Notes: SSD Recommended

Steam

To verify integrity via Steam, please follow the instructions found here.

Sometimes the latest drivers from NVIDIA or AMD can cause issues that were not present in an older version. While these issues are normally fixed in later revisions, it can be useful to uninstall the new driver and do a fresh install of the older working driver until these issues are resolved.

It can also be worthwhile to perform an entirely fresh installation of your current drivers, if you have updated to the latest package, but are still having problems.

There are three approaches:

Update drivers for your Graphics Card:

• For Nvidia graphics cards, you can get the drivers at www.Geforce.com/drivers.
• For AMD graphics cards, you can get the drivers at www.amd.com
• For Intel graphics cards, you can get the drivers at www.intel.com

Perform a clean installation using the AMD or NVIDIA installer:

• NVIDIA: To do this you will need to download the NVIDIA driver you wish to install. Run the setup and select "Custom installation" then when asked, you will need to check the box to "Perform clean install". Full instructions can be found here: https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/10/~/geforce-experience-driver-installation-failed.-how-do-i-manually-clean-install
• AMD: You will need to uninstall the AMD Catalyst Install Manager from Programs and Features in the control panel, and then reinstall the driver version that you wish to run. Full instructions can be found here: http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/GPU57RemoveOldGraphicsDrivers.aspx

Perform a clean reinstall using a third-part utility - Display Driver Uninstaller:

To use Display Driver uninstaller please follow the guide here:

• http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html

Ensure your Windows operating system is fully up-to-date using the steps provided by Microsoft here.

Steam

• You can disable your Steam overlay via: Steam - Settings - In-Game - untick Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game

Discord

• You can disable your Discord overlay via: User Settings - Games - toggle the overlay to Off.

NVIDIA GeForce Experience

• You can disable your NVIDIA GeForce Experience overlay via: Settings - General - In-game overlay - toggle the Overlay option to Off.

Xbox Game Bar

• You can disable your Xbox Game Bar via Windows Settings - Gaming - toggle Xbox Game Bar 'off'.
• You can disable your Xbox Game Bar's start up via Windows Settings - Apps & Features - Xbox Game Bar - Advanced Options - Here you can disable 'Background Apps' permissions if required.
• Turning off capture within the Xbox Game Bar application can also assist with any related issues via: Xbox Game Bar - Settings - Capturing - Toggle "Record in the background while I'm playing a game" off.

Some antivirus applications may wrongly flag the game you are attempting to play; to make sure this isn't an issue, try explicitly whitelisting the game within your Antivirus settings.

Running the game full-screen may result in improved performance. By default, PC games often run full-screen; if you have previously changed related settings, or your game did not default to this mode, please adjust settings via the in-game menu.

You may find it helpful to lower the graphics quality of the game itself from the in-game menu.

We have found that this has worked across many PC games since the Windows 10 April 2018 Creators update. It will trigger Windows to update your chosen display settings.

Programs that add this functionality to your computer can be extremely demanding or cause conflicts that may result in a crash.

The following list serves as example programs you may wish to review and test against:

• NVIDIA GeForce Experience
• Open Broadcaster Software
• FRAPS
• Xsplit
• Xbox Game Bar
• Overwolf
• Discord
• Mumble
• MSI Afterburner
• Xbox Game DVR
• NVIDIA Shadowplay

We advise checking with a qualified technician to review your machine for signs of overheating, a state that may cause your machine to fail or operate poorly.

This step may be of particular benefit to high-end graphics cards. You will need to download GPU-Z for this check. The program is trusted and allows you to view data related to your GPU:

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/

Once this program is active, check the 'Bus Interface' section. You should see an entry that reads something like this: "PCI-E 2.0 x16 @x16 2.0". Depending on your motherboard you may see different details here. However, the key part of this entry is the @x number. It may read @x4, @x8 or @x16. With higher performance cards, you'll be looking for x16 to be displayed here.

You will have to check the manual which came with your PC to identify the motherboard you have, or if you know the motherboard then search then specifications online. The purpose is to find what type of PCI-E slots your motherboard has. You then need to find out if your graphics card is seated in an x16 slot or one of the other options. If it's not in an x16 slot, you need to move it to one to get the full benefit of that cards performance.

If you're unsure, a good rule of thumb is to seat your graphics card in the top PCI-E slot, which is the one closest to your CPU. Once this is confirmed then reboot your system, re-open GPU-Z and check the 'Bus Interface' again. If it didn't say @x16, it should now. Re-launch the game and you should see a significant boost in performance.