Icarus

Icarus runs on Unreal Engine 4.27 and has ray tracing, a lighting option that is heavy on older graphics cards. This guide gives you a free config file that turns down the costly graphics work, the in-game settings to change first, and fixes for stutter on a weak PC.

Can you run Icarus on a low end PC?

• OS: Windows 10
• CPU: Intel Core i5-8400
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
• RAM: 16 GB
• VRAM: 6 GB
• DirectX: 11
• Storage: 70 GB

If your PC is at or above these specs, the config and the settings below should help. If it is below them, expect low frame rates even with this config. The config lowers graphics work, but it can’t replace missing hardware.

Best Icarus settings for low end PCs

Use the Low preset, then change these:

• Upscaling: Pick FSR 1.0 if you have an older card. It works on any GPU. DLSS 2.0 needs an Nvidia RTX card, so only pick it if you have one.
• Ray tracing: Turn it off. Icarus uses ray tracing for global illumination.
• Antialiasing: Pick FXAA. The Medium preset uses FXAA, and the High and Epic presets use TAA.
• Frame rate cap: Set it to 60. If your PC can’t hold 60 frames per second, set it to 30. A steady 30 looks smoother than a 60 that drops in and out.
• V-Sync: Turn it off. It can hold your frame rate to your monitor’s refresh rate and add input lag.
• Window mode: Pick borderless windowed. Icarus offers it, and it makes switching between apps easier.

Icarus has singleplayer and multiplayer modes. The settings in this guide are on your PC, so they work the same in both.

Icarus Engine.ini location and install

1. Download the zip with the button above. Unzip it and find the Engine.ini file.
2. Close Icarus completely, including any launcher that is still running.
3. Press Windows + R, paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\Icarus\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor and press Enter. If the folder doesn’t exist, start Icarus 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. It doesn’t touch network settings.

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 cast shadows less often.

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.

The streaming settings turn on async loading and turn off forced garbage collection, so areas load more smoothly and you see fewer hitches as you move around the map.

How to fix Icarus stuttering and FPS drops

Icarus is an Unreal Engine 4 game. The first launch compiles shaders, so let that finish. Expect hitches for the first few minutes, and they will ease off once the shaders are built.

The game needs 70 GB of storage. If you can, install it on an SSD.

Then work through the basics on Windows:

• Close background apps, such as browsers and overlays from launchers.
• 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 rebuilds its defaults.

Icarus FAQ

Where is the Icarus Engine.ini file?

Icarus keeps it in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Icarus\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor. Press Windows + R, paste that path and press Enter. If the folder isn't there, start Icarus once, close it and check again.

Can Icarus run on a low end PC?

Icarus lists an Intel Core i5-8400, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB of VRAM and 16 GB of RAM as its minimum. A PC at those specs can use this config and the settings in this guide. Below them, expect low frame rates, because the config can't replace missing hardware.

How do I fix Icarus stuttering?

Let the first launch finish, since Icarus compiles shaders then and you'll see hitches for a few minutes. Install the game on an SSD if you can, close background apps, update your GPU driver and use the Low preset.

Which upscaler should I use for Icarus on an older GPU?

Pick FSR 1.0 on an older graphics card. It works on any GPU. DLSS 2.0 needs an Nvidia RTX card, so skip it on older hardware. Also turn ray tracing off, since Icarus uses it for global illumination.

Is it safe to undo the Icarus config changes?

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