Chained Together

Chained Together runs on Unreal Engine 5, so its first launch compiles shaders and can stutter for a few minutes. Here is a free Engine.ini file, the settings to change first and fixes for FPS drops on a budget PC.

Can you run Chained Together on a low end PC?

• CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650
• RAM: 8 GB
• VRAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 6 GB
• OS: Windows 8, 10 or 11

If your PC is below these specs, the game may run poorly even with this config. The config lowers the work your GPU has to do, but it can’t make up for missing hardware.

Best Chained Together settings for low end PCs

• Start with the Low preset, then change the items below. If you want more detail later, step up one quality level at a time and check your frame rate after each change.
• Anti-aliasing: Pick FXAA. It is the lightest of the four options (FXAA, TAA, MSAA and TSR).
• Frame rate cap: Set it to 60. If your PC can’t hold 60, set it to 30.
• V-Sync: Turn it off. It locks your frame rate to your monitor’s refresh rate.
• Window mode: Pick borderless windowed.

Chained Together Engine.ini location and install

1. Download the zip with the button above. Unzip it and find the Engine.ini file.
2. Close Chained Together completely.
3. Press Windows + R, paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\ChainedTogether\Saved\Config\Windows and press Enter. If the folder doesn’t exist, start Chained Together once, close it and try again.
4. If the folder already has an Engine.ini, rename it to Engine.ini.bak. This is your backup.
5. Copy the new Engine.ini into the folder.
6. Start the game.

What the config changes

The file changes only the settings listed here. Each of them adds work for your GPU on every frame, so turning them down helps most on weaker cards.

Post-processing

• Motion blur is off.
• Depth of field is off.
• Color fringing at the edges of the screen is off.
• Lens flares are off.
• Light shafts are off.
• Film grain is off.
• Sharpening is set to 0.6.

Lighting and reflections

• Ambient occlusion, screen space reflections, subsurface scattering, contact shadows and capsule shadows are off.
• Volumetric fog uses a coarser grid.

Shadows

• Shadow quality is set to 2.
• Shadow resolution is capped at 1024.
• Shadows reach a shorter distance.
• Small objects drop their shadows sooner.

Draw distance and foliage

• View distance is set to 80 percent of the default.
• Detail mode is set to 1.
• Anisotropic filtering is set to 4.
• Grass and foliage density is set to 60 percent.

Lumen, Nanite and virtual shadow maps

• Lumen reflections are off.
• Lumen mesh distance field tracing is off.
• Nanite detail is set lower.
• Virtual shadow maps use a lower resolution for directional and local lights.

The streaming settings turn on async loading and turn off forced garbage collection, for smoother loading and fewer hitches when you move between areas.

How to fix Chained Together stuttering and FPS drops

Chained Together is an Unreal Engine 5 game, so the first launch compiles shaders. Let that finish, and expect hitches for the first few minutes.

If you can, install the game on an SSD. Loading from an SSD is quicker than from a hard drive, so new areas stream in with less waiting.

Then work through the basics on Windows:

• Close background apps, such as browsers and overlays from other programs.
• Update your GPU driver from the official site: Nvidia, AMD or Intel.
• On a laptop, plug in the power cable and set the power mode to best performance.

Undo the changes

Delete Engine.ini from the folder. If you made a backup, rename Engine.ini.bak back to Engine.ini instead. The game goes back to its defaults.

Chained Together FAQ

Where is the Chained Together Engine.ini file?

Chained Together keeps it in %LOCALAPPDATA%\ChainedTogether\Saved\Config\Windows. Press Windows + R, paste the path and press Enter. If the folder isn't there yet, start the game once, close it and check again.

Can Chained Together run on a low end PC?

Chained Together needs at least an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 with 4 GB of VRAM, 8 GB of RAM and an Intel Core i5-6600 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X. A weaker PC may run it poorly, because the Engine.ini file lowers the load on your GPU but can't replace missing hardware.

Which anti-aliasing should I use in Chained Together on a low end PC?

Pick FXAA. Chained Together offers FXAA, TAA, MSAA and TSR, and FXAA asks the least of your GPU. MSAA and TSR cost the most, so skip them on an older graphics card.

How do I fix Chained Together stuttering and FPS drops?

Let the first launch finish, because Unreal Engine 5 compiles shaders and causes hitches for the first few minutes. Then install the game on an SSD if you can, close background apps, and update your GPU driver.

Is it safe to undo the Chained Together Engine.ini changes?

Yes. Delete the Engine.ini file from the config folder, or rename your Engine.ini.bak backup to Engine.ini. The file itself says that deleting it returns the game to its defaults.