Familiar choppiness makes Dune: Awakening’s PC performance less of a smooth wormride

May thy knife chip and stutter

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun / Funcom

I’ve always found Dune: Awakening an oddball concept – it’s been repeatedly made clear, by Zendaya no less, that Arrakis will immediately kill, flay, and digest anyone who pokes a toe into its sands without an impossible sci-fi techsuit and a lifetime of edged weapons training. Not, you’d suspect, an obvious setting for a survival crafting game where genre conventions demand you begin life as some naked loser picking up sticks.

And yet, Awakening has turned out alright, hoisting desert exploration and ominous sci-fi atmospherics above the tedious 24/7 resource gathering that has choked out certain peers . PC performance is workable too, with enough concessions towards low-end rigs, though it’s not crysknife-sharp either: some technical mishaps need a prompt patching, while Unreal Engine 5 is up to its usual stuttering nonsense.

Dune: Awakening also exhibits another, less visible quirk of UE5: a graphics settings menu that makes it difficult to boost performance beyond blindingly obvious changes, like employing DLSS or switching off ray tracing-adjacent Lumen effects. You’ll find my blindingly obvious settings guide below, after a look at how this crafty MMO fares on various hardware.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun / Funcom

Dune: Awakening system requirements and PC performance

I have no idea why this game needs an additional 15GB of SSD space for recommended performance. Still, at least that’s the only questionable aspect of Awakening’s official specs. All the CPU, memory, and for once, graphics card requirements are all pretty reasonable, with the GPUs in particular matching expectations in my testing.

Dune: Awakening minimum PC specs

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit or newer
• CPU: Intel Core i5-7400 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB / AMD Radeon 5600 XT
• DirectX version: 12
• Storage: 60GB, SSD required

Dune: Awakening recommended PC specs

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit or newer
• CPU: Intel Core i7-10700K / AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3070 / AMD Radeon 6700 XT
• DirectX version: 12
• Storage: 75GB, SSD required

The GTX 1060, for example, averaged 36fps at 1080p by combining the Low quality preset with Quality-mode FSR upscaling. Using native-resolution TAA, that dropped to 29fps, but for a rock-bottom spec card the upscaled result ain’t too bad. The recommend-tier RTX 3070, meanwhile, managed 59fps at native 1080p on the Ultra preset – and with Quality DLSS, almost matched that at 1440p, scoring 58fps.

Vindication for Funcom’s estimates, then, and Awakening seems to scale quite handily on newer GPUs too. At 1080p, the relatively humble RTX 4060 produced 50fps on Ultra and 61fps on High – not on the RTX 3070’s level, but still quick enough to avoid upscaling if that’s what you prefer. Higher resolutions don’t block off higher framerates, either: the RTX 4070 Ti was enough for a slick 95fps at 1440p, using both Ultra settings and Quality DLSS, and the same card still managed 60fps after a switch to 4K. The newer RTX 5080 is also a good fit for this rez, averaging 81fps with Ultra and DLSS Quality.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun / Funcom

Back in Budgetsville, even the Steam Deck can keep up, thanks in part to an “experimental” Low End Laptop toggle accessible through the graphics options. A kind of lower-than-low mode, this does make the lighting and shadow effects look a bit mobile gamey, but performance on the Steam Deck is impressive – I typically got anywhere between 35fps and 55fps, depending on on-screen bustle, and that was after manually adjusting the upscaling from Ultra Performance XeSS to the far sharper-looking Quality FSR.

It’s certainly nice to see a modern, big-money game not being so precious about the need for visual compromises on affordable hardware. That said, there are some places where it could use a little extra polishing. Bugs, for one thing, aren’t uncommon. After barely an hour on Arrakis I awoke from a spice dream to find my vision completely blackened, able to move and interact but not see anything. Come on Funcom, that’s the opposite of what spice does. Minutes later, having quit and rejoined a server, I spawned into an out-of-bounds void that left me floating helplessly until I relogged a second time.

DLSS 4 frame generation is also broken, at least on the RTX 5080 I tested it with. Both its 2x and 4x settings did add some extra frames, but with an inexplicable cap of 95fps, an underwhelming increase from the 81fps I’d previously recorded without them (and, in the case of 4x, at the cost of some truly sinful input lag). I have a feeling that this may be another RTX 50 series issue , as 2x frame generation worked much better on both the RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 4060, with the latter jumping from 77fps with only DLSS Quality upscaling to 115fps with frame gen. But in any case, that’s another blip that needs fixing.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun / Funcom

Lastly, we have the UE5 special: regular, often quite heavy stuttering, regardless of overall frame rates and especially prevalent when exploring new areas. Which, given how eager Dune: Awakening is to prod you away from the safety of your base, happens a lot. These micro-interruptions therefore rarely let up, and can often kick in at the least convenient of times, like when you’re dangling off a cliff face with 5% stamina left to work with, or when trying to line up a (hilariously long-ranged) knee charge against an attacking bandit.

I think at this point, most of us have jittered our way through one stuttering Unreal game or another. Yet it feels particularly disappointing here as the game gets a lot else right in its approach to performance, from its handheld-friendly potato mode to the ease with which higher-end PCs can balance fancy effects with silky framerates. Alas.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun / Funcom

Dune: Awakening best settings guide

There’s no means of overcoming this stutter, but it’s still worth fiddling with the visual settings. Not least because the presets – Ultra, High, Medium, and Low – all try to force on not just upscaling, but DLSS or FSR frame generation as well. And that, as the RTX 5080 demonstrated, has mixed results.

At the same time, there’s no point fine-tuning every individual setting in the list, because – as has been the case with numerous games in recent years, UE5 ones especially – a lot of them won’t affect performance one way or the other, unless you’re on the weakest or oldest of PC gear. Using my RTX 4060 to test each setting’s framerate impact, even the usual suspects like shadow quality, foliage quality, and view distance performed about the same on Ultra as they did on Low.

The big exceptions were GI (Global Illumination) quality and, by extension, the Enable Lumen setting. Running GI on Ultra automatically enables Lumen, UE5’s built-in ray tracing equivalent, so simply lowering that is an easy way to bag loads of free frames. Remember how the RTX 4060 averaged 50fps at 1080p/Ultra (with upscaling/frame gen disabled)? That became 76fps with GI quality on Low, and 72fps with it on Medium.

The other big frames producer is, unsurprisingly, upscaling. This is a no-brainer at 1440p and above anyway, though even at 1080p, it’s viable so long as you stick to the higher quality settings. Specifically, DLSS is worth using if you have the Nvidia GPU to support it. Otherwise, I’d suggest TSR over FSR, as while the former is narrowly slower – 73fps on the RTX 4060 versus FSR’s 74fps, both on equivalent quality settings – TSR looks crisper and cleaner when upscaling to 1080p.

Now for what I just said, but in list form:

• Motion blur: Off
• Override upscaling preset: On
• Upscaling method/Upscaling quality/Resolution scale: DLSS on Quality, or TSR on 67 rez scale
• Frame generation method: Off
• GI quality: Medium
• Enable Lumen: Off (this should set itself after dropping GI quality)
• Everything else: Ultra preset equivalent

A quick benchmark with these settings got the RTX 4060 averaging 86fps – not just a huge jump up from the 50fps I was getting with Ultra quality and native 1080p, but very close to the 89fps that the same GPU got from using Low settings. Again, a lot of that is just upscaling, but the visual quality of these tools has progressed to the point where we don’t need to be quite as fearful of deploying them outside of the highest resolutions.

As for frame generation, I don’t think it’s necessary even when it works properly, though the flipside of that is how higher organic framerates reduce the latency impact when frame gen is applied on top. With the ongoing caveat that DLSS 4 broke on my RTX 5080, I will say it performed much better on the RTX 4060, further bumping that new 86fps average up to 137fps – without any serious visual problems or excessive latency. If generated frames are your jam, feel free to at least test it out for yourself.

That’s all from me, but other RPS-based Dune: Awakening guides are available, including Jeremy’s character creator overview , trainer locations guide , and water scavenging tips .

Dune: Awakening

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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