Star Wars: Squadrons PC Performance Review and Optimisation Guide

Conclusion 

Star Wars Squadrons is an incredibly well-optimised game on PC, and while the game did launch with some animation issues, early patches have appeared to address these early issues, at least on our test system.  

Every graphics card that we tested was able to play Star Wars; Squadrons at 1080p 60 FPS at Ultra settings. That’s incredible, especially given the fact that we tested mid-range GPUs from 2016. With our Radeon RX 580 and GTX 1060, 1440p 60 FPS framerates were possible at Ultra settings. Everyone with a relatively modern gaming PC should be able to play Star Wats Squadrons with a 1080p 60 FPS framerate, and that’s great news for PC gamers. 

With Microsoft Flight Simulator releasing less than two months ago, an easy to run flight game is an appealing prospect. Where Microsoft Flight Simulator offers slow, contemplative gameplay, Squadrons offers fast-paced, high framerate action. Add in the mainstream appeal of Star Wars and memories of the X-Wing VS Tie Fighter series, and we have a hit on our hands. 

CPU-wise, Star Wars Squadrons will not pose any challenge to modern systems if you are targeting 60FPS. 200 FPS framerates are common within Star Wars Squadrons with a strong enough graphics card, even for a quad-core processor. While systems with higher core counts will deliver higher lower percentile framerates, these frames will remain above 120Hz in most instances. 

While this game lacks the large AAA budget of the Star Wars Battlefront, the game’s £34.99 price point and rock-solid focus on performance and gameplay can iron over most of Squadron’s shortcomings. Even VR users should have little trouble playing Squadrons at high framerates, especially if they own a relatively new graphics card. 

On PC, high framerates are almost too easy to achieve in Star Wars Squadrons, even at 4K. A GTX 1660 Super can achieve average framerates of around 60FPS at 4K High settings, making 4K 60FPS achievable on £200 graphics card. Use something like an RTX 3080 and 4K 120 FPS gameplay at Ultra settings is on the card. Star Wars Squadrons runs well on PC, leaving us in a position where we cannot give players many optimisation tips.  

If you are something like a GTX 1070 on a 4K screen, all you will need to do to achieve stable 60 FPS framerates is High settings and a small reduction in the game’s resolution scaling to 80% or 90%. It’s really that simple. For 1080p gamers, any relatively modern mid-range or better graphics card should be able to run Squadrons at 60 FPS with ease, even at Ultra settings. Star Wars Squadrons really is that easy to run on PC. 

With a low asking price, stellar performance and solid gameplay, there are few reasons to tell PC gamers to avoid Star Wars Squadrons. Even those who dislike EA’s Origin platform can buy the game on Valve’s Steam platform or the Epic Games Store. If you are a fan of Star Wars and dogfighting games, Star Wars Squadrons is an easy recommendation. 

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