Quick answer: EA says Zero Company is more CPU-bound than expected, and the recommended 1440p/60 High target is best reached using the game's recommended default upscaling path—TSR or vendor upscalers such as DLSS/FSR. If lowering visual settings barely changes FPS, investigate CPU limits, background load and driver/configuration issues instead of assuming the GPU is the only bottleneck.
Start with the official performance targets
EA defines two useful baselines. Minimum targets 1080p/30 on Low with an i5-8400 or Ryzen 5 2600X, 16 GB RAM and GTX 1080 / RX 5600 XT / Arc B580-class graphics. Recommended targets 1440p/60 on High with an i7-10700K or Ryzen 7 3700X, 32 GB RAM and RTX 3080 / RX 7800 XT-class graphics.
Those targets matter more than simply asking whether your GPU name is newer. A laptop GPU, a thermally constrained CPU or a system with heavy background processes can perform differently from a desktop with superficially similar branding.
Why lowering graphics may not fix low FPS
EA's FAQ explicitly says development testing found the game to be relatively CPU-bound. In a CPU-limited situation, lowering texture quality or other GPU-heavy settings can leave framerate almost unchanged because the processor is still the limiting component.
A simple diagnostic is to change resolution or a meaningful GPU setting and observe whether FPS changes substantially. If GPU utilization falls but framerate barely moves, CPU scheduling, one busy core, background tasks or a simulation-heavy scene may be the real constraint. This is a diagnostic principle, not a promise that every low-FPS case is CPU-related.
Use the recommended upscaler path
EA says its recommended 60 FPS / 1440p target is best achieved using the recommended default setting: TSR or vendor upscalers DLSS/FSR. That wording is important because older system-requirement tables sometimes get interpreted as native-resolution targets.
Start with the game's recommended/default mode. If image quality is acceptable, keep the upscaler and tune from there. If you disable upscaling to chase native rendering, expect a higher GPU cost and do not compare the result directly with EA's recommended target.
Intel Arc: check Resizable BAR first
EA gives Intel Arc owners a specific optimization: enable Resizable BAR. The support page warns that ReBAR may be off by default. Before changing firmware settings, confirm that your CPU, motherboard and GPU support it and follow the hardware manufacturer's instructions.
For an Arc user reporting unexpectedly low FPS, ReBAR belongs near the top of the checklist because it is explicitly named by the developer/publisher support documentation.
Update drivers and verify files
EA recommends current NVIDIA, AMD or Intel graphics drivers. If performance changed after an update or the game exhibits stutter alongside crashes, also verify/repair game files through your storefront. Corrupt assets or incomplete updates can create symptoms that look like a tuning problem.
Close unnecessary background software during diagnosis. Overlays, capture tools, browsers with heavy tabs and other CPU-intensive applications can matter more in a CPU-bound game than they would in a purely GPU-limited benchmark.
A sensible settings workflow
- Update the game and GPU driver.
- Use the recommended preset for your hardware tier.
- Leave TSR/DLSS/FSR enabled initially.
- Intel Arc users verify ReBAR.
- Test one repeatable scene instead of comparing random missions.
- Lower a GPU-heavy setting or resolution and watch whether FPS actually changes.
- If it does not, check CPU load, temperatures and background applications.
- If stutter or freezes accompany low FPS, move to the official troubleshooting steps rather than endlessly reducing graphics.
21:9 ultrawide support
EA's FAQ confirms 21:9 ultrawide support. That is a supported aspect ratio, but a wider rendered scene can still affect GPU workload depending on resolution. A 3440×1440 display renders substantially more pixels than standard 2560×1440, so use the upscaler and settings appropriate to the actual pixel count.
Controller and input notes
EA says Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 controllers are mostly playable on PC, with keyboard input required for certain text entry. Controls can be remapped for keyboard/mouse and controller. Input choice should not materially solve performance problems, but it is part of the PC platform experience and can matter when testing from a couch/ultrawide setup.
Steam Deck is a separate case
Do not use the desktop minimum spec as proof that Steam Deck will provide a good experience. EA says the game is not Steam Deck Verified at launch, and independent launch testing reported poor handheld performance. Check the dedicated Deck status page and current patches rather than applying desktop settings advice mechanically.
When poor performance is actually a crash/stability issue
If the game freezes, hangs on enemy turns, exits to desktop or refuses to launch, treat that as stability troubleshooting rather than a normal graphics-tuning problem. EA recommends restart, service checks, updates, cache/background-app cleanup, file repair, driver updates and PC component troubleshooting before escalating to support.
What not to promise
There is no universal "best settings = 120 FPS" configuration. CPU model, resolution, GPU, driver, mission complexity and patches all matter. This page uses the official targets as anchors and provides a diagnosis order; it does not invent benchmark numbers for hardware that has not been tested.