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ISSUEVulkanFPSGraphics Performance

Star Citizen cannot maintain framerate with Vulkan

Tracked since 23 Aug 2026 · Last researched 28 Aug 2026

Problem

Star Citizen cannot maintain normal FPS while Vulkan is selected and may drop to around 10 FPS. This page is for that renderer-linked slowdown, especially when the same scene runs much better after changing the graphics API.

Applies to Alpha 4.10.x LIVE · Current

Best current action

Switch from Vulkan to DirectX

Switch the graphics renderer from Vulkan to DirectX or Direct3D, then compare the same scene. This is the best first step for the general Vulkan-linked drop; driver rollback and Ultra texture quality only fit the narrower cases described below.

This removes the renderer linked to the slowdown without changing resolution or installing software. CIG still recommends it for Alpha 4.10.x, and several players on recent LIVE builds reported large FPS gains after making the switch.

What to do

  1. Switch to using DirectX or Direct3D instead of Vulkan.

You can switch back later. If the same slowdown continues under DirectX, this Vulkan-specific workaround does not match the problem.

Best SupportedLow riskCurrent CIG guidance for Alpha 4.10.x LIVE; no independent Alpha 4.10 success rate is available yet.

Another option

If the FPS drop began after installing a newer, beta, or experimental graphics driver

Return to the last working driver

Use this when the drop started after a graphics-driver change. CIG recommends the last working safe driver when a Vulkan driver version causes trouble, and one player recovered after rolling back a bad AMD driver update.

What to do

  1. Avoid beta or experimental graphics drivers.
  2. If Vulkan trouble began with a driver version, return to the last working safe driver version.

This replaces the newer driver and may require another installation or restart. There is no single known-good driver version for every GPU in Alpha 4.10.

Moderate SupportLow To Medium riskCurrent general CIG driver guidance; the direct success report is from Alpha 4.5, not Alpha 4.10.

If Vulkan FPS changes sharply with Texture Quality and you are currently using Low, Medium, or High

Test Ultra texture quality

One player found a repeatable Vulkan pattern where Low texture quality ran below 20 FPS while Ultra exceeded 100 FPS. Treat this as a setting-specific test, not a general recommendation to raise graphics quality.

What to do

  1. When the slowdown appears only at Low, Medium, or High texture quality under Vulkan, change Texture Quality to Ultra and compare the same scene.

Ultra textures can use more VRAM. Change the setting back if memory pressure or performance gets worse.

Moderate SupportLow riskOne hardware-specific Alpha 4.6-era LIVE report; not independently confirmed in Alpha 4.10.

Other options

Lower resolution only if you must keep Vulkan

If you need to keep Vulkan enabled and accept a lower display resolution

Lower resolution can reduce GPU and VRAM load, and CIG still lists it for this issue. It is only a fallback because one player with the same random Vulkan slowdown found that lowering resolution did not stop the drops.

Steps

  1. Lower the in-game video or screen resolution.

The image and usable display area will be reduced. Restore your previous resolution if the FPS drop continues.

UnverifiedLow riskCurrent CIG guidance for Alpha 4.10.x LIVE; no player result shows how often it works in this build.

Update an outdated safe driver

If your driver is older than the GPU maker's current safe release and the slowdown did not start after a recent update

CIG lists a video-driver update for this issue, but a newer driver is not automatically a better one. Use the GPU manufacturer's normal supported release only when your installed driver is genuinely outdated.

Steps

  1. Update the video-card driver software through the GPU manufacturer's supported channel.

Avoid beta or experimental releases. A driver change can introduce a new regression and may require a restart; if the problem began after an update, use the rollback route instead.

UnverifiedLow To Medium riskCurrent CIG guidance for Alpha 4.10.x LIVE; player results are mixed and no target version is established.

Related

Build status

CIG still lists the Vulkan-linked framerate drop for Alpha 4.10.x LIVE. The current page does not identify a fixed hotfix.

Known Issue Continues · LIVE

Boundaries and evidence

This does not cover ordinary low FPS, server FPS, a drop caused specifically by opening or closing the starmap, terrain smearing, or a Vulkan launch failure. If the slowdown happens the same way under DirectX, use a broader performance diagnosis instead.

Alpha 4.10 reached LIVE on August 26, 2026, so there is not yet an independent Alpha 4.10 result or success rate for these exact steps.

The player reports come from recent earlier LIVE builds and specific hardware. They show that the routes can work, not that every Alpha 4.10 system will respond the same way.

CIG does not name the affected hardware, exact hotfix, root cause, or expected success rate for this Vulkan issue.

Data sources

RSI Known Issues · RSI Support · RSI Patch Notes · Reddit