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Starsand Island is built on Unity and runs on PC (Steam) and Xbox (Game Preview) in Early Access as of February 2026. PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 versions are planned for the full release in Summer 2026. The game requires a 64-bit Windows operating system and a broadband internet connection. It supports both AMD FSR 3 and NVIDIA DLSS upscaling, which helps lower-end hardware maintain playable frame rates. The actual download size is approximately 8 to 9 GB, though the Steam store lists 20 GB to account for extracted files, updates, and buffer.
Component | Specification |
|---|---|
OS | Windows 10 or later (64-bit) |
Processor | Intel Core i3-2120 / AMD A10-8750 or equivalent |
Memory | 8 GB RAM |
Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 / AMD Radeon R9 M375X or equivalent (2 GB VRAM) |
DirectX | Version 11 |
Storage | 20 GB available space (SSD recommended) |
Network | Broadband Internet connection |
Component | Specification |
|---|---|
OS | Windows 10 or later (64-bit) |
Processor | Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 7 4700G or equivalent |
Memory | 16 GB RAM |
Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX 5700 or equivalent (6 GB VRAM) |
DirectX | Version 11 |
Storage | 20 GB available space (NVMe SSD strongly recommended) |
Network | Broadband Internet connection |
Feature | Details |
|---|---|
Languages (full audio, text, subtitles) | English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese |
Steam Achievements | 75 total |
Steam Cloud | Supported |
Family Sharing | Supported |
Upscaling | AMD FSR 3 and NVIDIA DLSS |
Controller Support | Full (Xbox native; PlayStation via Steam Input) |
Planned for June 2026 (not yet available in Early Access) |
The following display options are available in the settings menu:
Setting | Details |
|---|---|
Display Mode | Fullscreen, Borderless Window, or Windowed |
Resolution | Adjustable to your monitor's native resolution |
FPS Limit | Adjustable cap (30, 45, 60, uncapped, etc.) |
VSync | On or Off |
Motion Blur | On or Off (recommended Off) |
Brightness | Slider adjustment |
Monitor Selection | Multi-monitor support for choosing which display to use |
Starsand Island is generally well-optimized for mid-range hardware, but certain areas (especially the Moonlit Forest and Starsand Town when many NPCs are active) can cause frame rate drops. The following settings have the biggest impact on performance:
Setting | Recommendation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Window Mode | Fullscreen | Reduces input lag compared to Borderless or Windowed |
Resolution Scale | 90% (85% on older GPUs) | Significant FPS boost with minimal visual loss |
Upscaling | DLSS Quality (NVIDIA) or FSR Sharp (AMD) | Restores clarity lost from resolution scaling |
Global Illumination | Medium or Low | Single biggest FPS impact setting in the game |
Shadow Quality | Medium | High costs significant GPU time for minimal visual gain |
Anti-Aliasing | TAA or SMAA | FXAA adds blur; TAA or SMAA are sharper alternatives |
Motion Blur | Off | Fixes blurry movement; personal preference for most players |
Crowd Density | Medium | Prevents stuttering in town areas when many NPCs are active |
Post Processing | Medium | Higher settings add Depth of Field and Bloom effects |
Fog Effect | On or Off | Disabling provides a small performance gain in foggy areas |
View Distance | Medium | CPU-bound setting; only increase if your CPU has headroom |
Texture Quality | Medium to High | Ultra requires 6 GB+ VRAM; Medium is fine for most GPUs |
Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
Moonlit Forest FPS drops | Lower Global Illumination first, then Object Detail to Medium |
Screen tearing | Enable VSync through your GPU driver control panel rather than the in-game option for lower input lag |
Vehicle stutter | Mounting skateboards and scooters can cause hitches. Lower Texture Quality by one level and restart |
Texture pop-in and invisible obstacles | Caused by HDD installations. Install on an SSD (NVMe preferred) for proper asset streaming |
Shader compilation stutter | First-time visits to new biomes take 2 to 3 minutes to stabilize as shaders compile. Normal behavior; improves on subsequent visits |
21:9 ultrawide menu clipping | Known bug with ultrawide monitors. No workaround documented yet |
Low GPU utilization with poor FPS | You are CPU-bound. Lower Crowd Density and View Distance rather than graphics settings like Shadows or Textures |
Player-reported frame rates vary significantly depending on hardware and settings. As a rough guide during Early Access:
Scenario | Performance |
|---|---|
RTX 4070 Super / i7-14700F (max quality) | 60 to 70 FPS average, with dips in town areas. |
RTX 3070 Ti / Ryzen 7 3700X | approximately 40 FPS in crowded town areas on high settings. |
RTX 3060 Laptop / Ryzen 7 5800H | approximately 40 FPS on lowest settings. Laptop GPUs run noticeably slower. |
Steam Deck | 50 to 60 FPS on the main island with optimized settings, dropping to 40 in some areas. |
Town areas with many NPCs and the Moonlit Forest with dense lighting are the two heaviest zones. Performance will likely improve with future optimization patches.
Starsand Island has a Playable compatibility rating on Steam Deck. The developers have stated they are prioritizing making the game playable on the go. For a stable experience:
Setting | Value |
|---|---|
Refresh Rate | 45 Hz |
FPS Limit | 45 (must match refresh rate) |
Upscaling | FSR with Resolution Modifier at 80 to 85% |
Global Illumination | Low |
Crowd Density | Medium |
Shadows | Low |
TDP Limit | 11W for roughly 3.5 hours of battery life |
For visual glitches or stability issues on Steam Deck, force a specific Proton version. In your Steam Library, right-click Starsand Island, go to Properties, then Compatibility, and check 'Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool.' Select 'Proton Experimental' or the latest 'Proton GE' release. Testing different Proton versions can resolve screen flickering, artifact rendering near crafting stations, and other visual problems that some players encounter.
Some players report more stable FPS in Desktop Mode compared to Gaming Mode. If you experience inconsistent performance in Gaming Mode, try launching the game through Desktop Mode instead. This workaround is not needed for all hardware revisions but is worth testing if you see unexpected frame drops.
At the recommended 11W TDP limit with 45 FPS cap, expect approximately 3.5 hours of battery life. The game is relatively power-hungry due to its Unity engine and open-world asset streaming. Reduce TDP to 9W and cap at 30 FPS for extended sessions (roughly 4.5 to 5 hours), though the lower frame rate is noticeably less smooth. Loading times on Steam Deck take 2 to 3 minutes regardless of settings.
Alternatively, use the in-game Medium preset with FSR 3 in Quality mode and cap at 40 FPS for a simpler setup. If graphics settings are hidden on Steam Deck, add SteamDeck=0 %command% to the game's launch options in Steam to force them to appear. Some users report Desktop Mode provides more stable FPS than Gaming Mode. Loading times on Steam Deck can take 2 to 3 minutes.
Platform | Status |
|---|---|
PC (Steam) | Early Access since February 11, 2026 |
Xbox Series X|S | Early Access (Xbox Game Preview) since February 11, 2026 |
PlayStation 5 | Planned for full release (Summer 2026) |
Nintendo Switch 2 | Planned for full release (Summer 2026) |
Steam Deck | Playable (not Verified); requires optimized settings |
Right-click the game executable, go to Properties, then Compatibility, and check "Disable fullscreen optimizations." This reduces micro-stuttering on Windows 11 systems.
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