Even though Skate is currently in early access, optimizing its settings for your PC is surprisingly straightforward. We initially anticipated needing upscaling for smooth performance, especially considering the game’s system requirements at recommended and ultra tiers. However, our testing showed excellent results without it on our gaming rig.
You don’t need a top-tier graphics card to enjoy smooth gameplay in Skate. Our tests with an RTX 4070 delivered impressive performance across 1080p, 1440p, and even 4K, which is a fantastic sign for a game still in its early development stages.
Achieving Optimal Performance: Our Recommended PC Settings for Skate
- Dynamic Resolution: Off
- Upscaling Method: None
- Anti-Aliasing: FXAA
- Texture Filtering: High
- Texture Quality: High
- Global Illumination: Dynamic
- Lighting Quality: High
- Shadow Quality: High
- Mesh Quality: High
- Visual Effects Quality: High
- Post Processing: High
- Ambient Occlusion Quality: High
- Depth of Field Quality: Medium
- Motion Blur Quality: High
On our test system equipped with an RTX 4070 (full specifications detailed in the ‘Our Testing Methodology’ section), Skate delivered robust performance across various resolutions. At 1080p, we observed a smooth average of 121 frames per second (fps) with 1% lows staying at 79fps. Stepping up to 1440p, the average frame rate remained strong at 109fps, with 1% lows at 66fps. Even at demanding 4K resolution, the game maintained an average of 72fps, with 1% lows at 48fps.
While 4K pushed close to our minimum acceptable 1% lows (typically 45fps), the overall experience was consistently fluid and highly enjoyable. This level of optimization is particularly impressive for an early access title, especially since the official system requirements suggested upscaling might be necessary for such performance.
Exploring Skate’s Visual Presets
Skate currently offers four distinct graphics presets:
- Low
- Medium
- High
- Ultra
Skate’s distinct art style, characterized by bold, vibrant colors rather than intricate details, ensures it looks impressive across all graphics presets, from Low to Ultra. The most notable enhancements at the Ultra preset involve lighting quality, which becomes significantly more realistic and less blocky, and an improved depth of field. This enhanced depth of field helps the game maintain visual fidelity during high-speed movement and sharpens the focus on your character, making the action feel more immersive.
Accessibility Features in Skate
Skate includes several helpful accessibility options, such as customizable subtitles and input remapping. Interestingly, some typically visual-related settings, like field of view (FOV) sliders, are also found within this menu. While this might seem unconventional compared to other games, it’s a useful detail to know if you’re looking to fine-tune your perspective.
Our Testing Methodology for Skate
Our team at PCGamesN rigorously tests games on dedicated gaming setups to determine optimal performance and gameplay settings. For Skate, our test rig featured an Intel Core i7-11700F processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, 32GB of DDR4 3,200MHz RAM in a dual-channel configuration, and an MSI B560 motherboard, running on Windows 11 64-bit. Our testing process begins at 1080p resolution to pinpoint the best settings for this common entry-level display. We then re-evaluate performance at 1440p using identical configurations to understand the scaling. Finally, we push the limits with a 4K test. Throughout this process, we utilize industry-standard software to meticulously capture frame rate data and compare results across sessions.
Is an SSD Necessary for Skate?
According to the official system requirements, Skate does not mandate the use of an SSD. With a current download size of approximately 25GB, storage shouldn’t be a major concern unless your drive is already packed with your entire game library. If you’re still relying on a traditional hard drive and considering an upgrade, or simply need more space, our comprehensive guide on the best gaming SSDs offers excellent recommendations.
Monitoring Your Performance in Skate
Keeping tabs on your in-game performance is crucial for optimizing your Skate experience. We’ve got simple methods, whether you’re running an Nvidia or AMD graphics card. For Nvidia users, simply ensure the Nvidia App is installed and the in-game overlay is active, then press Alt + R during gameplay to access your performance monitor. AMD users can activate performance monitoring through the Radeon overlay using the Ctrl + Shift + O shortcut. If you prefer a more universal solution, free tools like CapFrameX or Nvidia FrameView offer streamlined benchmarking compatible with any graphics card. For those playing on handheld gaming PCs, most devices feature a dedicated button to open a quick menu that includes real-time performance monitoring. Feel free to join our community Discord server to chat about your system’s performance in Skate with our team and other enthusiasts!