Introduction
Deep Rock Galactic is one of the most beloved co-op shooters ever made — a 1–4 player co-op cave-mining alien-blasting FPS developed by Ghost Ship Games and published by Coffee Stain in 2020. With over 10 million copies sold and a continuously active playerbase fueled by regular seasons, "Riddance" and "Rival Tech" events, and the phenomenon of its fanbase ("Rock and Stone!"), DRG maintains some of the best player retention in the genre.
Its strengths on PC: excellent optimization for a wide hardware range, zero pay-to-win monetization (all gameplay unlocks are earned), and a modding scene that adds cosmetics and overhauls. This guide covers system requirements, the best graphics settings for all PC tiers, and a class breakdown so you hit the ground running.
System Requirements
| Tier | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum (1080p/60 Low) | Intel Core i5-7500 / AMD Ryzen 5 1600 | NVIDIA GTX 1060 6 GB / AMD RX 5500 XT | 8 GB DDR4 | 15 GB SSD/HDD |
| Recommended (1080p/60 High) | Intel Core i7-8700 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | NVIDIA RTX 2060 / AMD RX 5700 XT | 16 GB DDR4 | 15 GB SSD |
| High (1440p/60 Ultra) | Intel Core i7-10700K / AMD Ryzen 7 5700X | NVIDIA RTX 3070 / AMD RX 6700 XT | 16 GB DDR4 | 15 GB NVMe |
| Budget (720p/60 Low) | Intel Core i3-8100 / AMD Ryzen 3 3100 | NVIDIA GTX 1050 / AMD RX 570 | 8 GB DDR4 | 15 GB |
Good news for low-end PCs: Deep Rock Galactic is one of the best-optimized games of its generation. The 3D cave environments are procedurally generated but efficiently culled — a GTX 1060 at medium settings maintains 60+ fps at 1080p in most biomes. CPU scaling is also generous; an older 4-core CPU performs near a modern 6-core in this title.
Storage: Only ~15 GB — tiny for a game of this quality. SSD preferred for faster loading between missions but not required.
Best PC Settings for Deep Rock Galactic
Access from ESC → Options → Graphics.
Resolution & Display
| Setting | Recommended | Low-End |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | Native | 1600×900 (downscale from 1080p) |
| Display Mode | Fullscreen | Fullscreen |
| VSync | Off | Off |
| Frame Rate Limit | 60 or monitor max | 60 |
| Resolution Scale | 100% | 75–85% |
Resolution Scale is DRG's built-in upscaling — reduces internal render resolution. 85% at 1080p is nearly indistinguishable at normal play speed; 75% saves another 15–20% GPU load.
Graphics Settings
| Setting | FPS Impact | Recommended | Low-End |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Quality | ★★★★★ | High | Low–Medium |
| Texture Quality | ★★★★ VRAM | Ultra (8 GB+) / High | Medium |
| Foliage Density | ★★★★ | High | Low |
| Effects Quality | ★★★★ | High | Medium |
| Ambient Occlusion | ★★★ | SSAO | Off |
| Screen Space Reflections | ★★★ | On | Off |
| Post Processing Quality | ★★ | High | Medium |
| Anti-Aliasing | ★★ | TAA or DLAA | TAA |
| Motion Blur | ★ | Off | Off |
Shadow Quality is the #1 lever — DRG's dynamic cave lighting means shadows are constantly recalculated. Dropping from Ultra to High saves 20–35% GPU frame time with minimal visible difference during fast-paced cave runs. Low shadow setting turns off dynamic shadows entirely — a dramatic visual change but a significant FPS gain on minimum-spec hardware.
Foliage Density is the #2 lever in jungle biomes (Fungus Bogs, Dense Biozone) — these biomes have dense mushroom and plant geometry that can halve FPS on weak GPUs. Setting it to Low reduces this geometry significantly.
Advanced Graphics
| Setting | Notes |
|---|---|
| Distance Field AO | Off on GTX 10-series (significant perf cost); On on RTX cards |
| Depth of Field | Off — blurs the cave when you look at objectives |
| Lens Flare | Personal preference; Off for clarity |
| Contact Shadows | On (minimal cost, adds depth to character models) |
Biome-Specific Performance Notes
Some biomes are harder on hardware than others:
| Biome | Perf Profile | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Crystalline Caverns | Easy — sparse geometry | Great for max settings testing |
| Salt Pits | Easy — open, minimal foliage | |
| Radioactive Exclusion Zone | Moderate — glowing flora | |
| Dense Biozone | Hard — dense foliage layers | Drop Foliage to Medium here |
| Fungus Bogs | Hard — dense mushroom geometry | Drop Foliage to Low |
| Hollow Bough | Very Hard — root mesh complexity | Drop Effects + Foliage |
| Azure Weald | Moderate — bioluminescence effects | Drop Effects if needed |
Common PC Errors & Troubleshooting
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Stuttering in Hollow Bough | Root mesh shader complexity | Verify game files; lower Effects Quality |
| FPS drops with 4 players | CPU bottleneck (enemy AI scales with players) | Close background apps; enable High Performance power plan |
| Crash on joining friend's session | Mismatch in DLC/mod versions | Disable all mods; verify game files |
| Multiplayer connection failed | Steam NAT issue | Enable Steam P2P relay: Steam → Settings → In-Game → Use Steam Relay |
| Black cave textures | Outdated GPU driver | Update GPU driver (priority fix) |
| Achievements not triggering | Playing with mods (Mod.io enabled) | Disable mods for achievement runs — mods flag sessions |
| Game not launching (Epic Games) | Missing VC++ runtime | Reinstall Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable |
| Audio cutting out | Windows audio device switched mid-session | Restart DRG; set audio device to "default" in Windows |
The Four Classes Explained
Deep Rock Galactic's core design — one Driller, one Gunner, one Scout, one Engineer — means class synergy is built into every mission. Solo play is supported (with "Bosco," your AI drone), but 4-player teams are the optimal experience.
Driller
Weapon style: Close range — Flamethrower, Cryo Cannon, Corrosive Sludge Pump Special tool: Drills — creates tunnels anywhere in the cave, instantly Role: Mobility and tunnel creation. Drills allow the team to bypass cave geometry, create shortcuts to objectives, and rescue teammates buried by collapses. Difficulty: ★★★ — straightforward offense, but tunnel placement requires spatial awareness Best for: Players who like finding alternate routes and being the team's emergency extraction path
Gunner
Weapon style: Heavy — Minigun, Autocannon, Hurricane Missile Launcher Special tool: Ziplines — deployable traversal lines connecting two points Role: Sustained DPS and swarm management. Ziplines are essential for crossing deep chasms and speed-looting objectives. Difficulty: ★★ — simplest class for raw shooting; great entry point Best for: Players new to DRG who want to focus on combat fundamentals
Scout
Weapon style: Mobile — Assault Rifle, M1000 Classic, DRAK-25 Special tool: Grappling Hook — instant traversal to any surface Role: Flare deployment (team lighting), resource collection from hard-to-reach veins, and rapid repositioning. Difficulty: ★★★★ — high skill ceiling; grappling hook mastery is its own learning curve Best for: Experienced players who love mobility-based gameplay and lighting the team's way
Engineer
Weapon style: Mid-range — Warthog Shotgun, Deepcore, Shard Diffractor Special tool: Sentry Guns + Platform Gun Role: Area denial (sentries hold chokepoints) and vertical mobility (platforms allow the whole team to reach any surface without a grapple hook). Difficulty: ★★★ — platform placement is a skill; sentry positioning makes or breaks difficult rooms Best for: Tactical players who like setting up defenses and supporting teammates vertically
Game Modes & Mission Types
| Mission Type | Objective | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Mining Expedition | Collect Nitra + Morkite quota | Don't ignore Nitra — it buys resupply pods ($80 each) |
| Egg Hunt | Find and destroy 4–6 Dreadnought Eggs | Eggs are in recesses; Driller tunnels speed collection |
| Elimination | Kill Dreadnought boss(es) | Focus fire; Driller Neurotoxin Grenade is top tier here |
| Salvage Operation | Collect Aquarqs, repair equipment, defend MULE | Engineer sentries shine in the defense phase |
| Industrial Sabotage | Find and destroy Caretaker (robot boss) | Platform Gun critical for exposing Caretaker's weak spots |
| Point Extraction | Mine Aquarqs and deposit them before extraction | Fast movement > combat focus |
| On-Site Refining | Connect pipes to extract liquid Morkite | Team coordination essential; don't grief the pipe builder |
| Deep Dive | 3-stage weekly mission, no mid-run quit, shared bank | Bring your best overclocks and builds |
Deep Dives are weekly specially-generated missions that reset every Thursday. They're the highest-difficulty content and the primary endgame loop for veteran players.
Progression Systems
| System | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Character XP | Each class levels up separately (1–25+). Milestones unlock cosmetics and credits. |
| Overclocks | Core weapon modifiers unlocked via Matrix Core assignments. Dramatically change playstyle. |
| Weapon Mods | 3-tier upgrade tree per weapon, bought with Credits and Minerals. Always max these first. |
| Promotions | At Level 25, "promote" a class back to Level 1 — earns a Promotion Badge and Perk Points. |
| Badges/Titles | Cosmetic rank indicators earned through promotions. No gameplay effect. |
Priorities for new players:
- Max weapon mods on your starting weapons (Credits from missions).
- Unlock Tier 4 and Tier 5 weapon mods before chasing Overclocks.
- Overclocks are random from Matrix Core assignments — don't tunnel on one; take what you get.
- Try all 4 classes before specializing. DRG rewards knowing what every class can do for the team.
Rock and Stone: Community Culture
Deep Rock Galactic has one of the most wholesome gaming communities in existence. Some customs:
- "Rock and Stone!" — the game's signature rallying cry. Press V to use the ingame voice line. Teammates are obligated to respond.
- Leaf Lover — the community's playful insult for the Scout class (it grapples to leaves).
- KARL — a legendary lost dwarf referenced throughout the game's lore.
- Bosco — your AI drone companion for solo play. Name him; he's important.
- The game has no toxicity — reports of harassment in DRG lobbies are nearly nonexistent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Deep Rock Galactic free to play? A: No — it's a paid game (~$30 standard, often on sale for $7–$15 and included in Xbox Game Pass/PC Game Pass). All gameplay content is unlocked through play; no pay-to-win.
Q: Can I play Deep Rock Galactic solo? A: Yes. Solo play gives you "Bosco," an AI drone companion. Bosco can revive you once per mission and assists in combat. Some missions (On-Site Refining) are harder solo, but all are completable.
Q: Does Deep Rock Galactic have crossplay? A: Between PC (Steam) and PC (Microsoft Store/Game Pass) — yes. Between PC and console — no crossplay at this time.
Q: What is Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor? A: Survivor is a separate roguelite spinoff (Vampire Survivors-style auto-shooter) set in the DRG universe. It's a different game with its own purchase, not an update to DRG. DRG veterans will recognize the lore and enemies, but gameplay is completely different.
Q: Which class should I start with? A: Gunner for straightforward shooting, Engineer for tactical/support play. Both have gentle learning curves. Scout is best after you understand the biomes — grappling effectively requires knowing where to go.
Q: How big are the season updates? A: DRG runs 3-month seasons with new mission types, cosmetics, a seasonal event questline, and balance changes. All seasonal gameplay content is free; cosmetics can be earned in-game or purchased. No battle pass with time-limited items.
Q: What are "overclocks" and why does everyone talk about them? A: Overclocks are powerful weapon modifiers that change how a weapon fundamentally works — e.g., turning the Flamethrower into a burn-damage machine, or making the Scout's M1000 into a one-shot sniper rifle. They define builds and are the main endgame item to pursue. Getting a great overclock for your main weapon feels like a major gear upgrade.
Q: Is there a story or lore? A: Light lore delivered through the Space Rig's terminal, mission briefings, and environmental storytelling. KARL is a recurring figure. The Caretaker and Rivals storyline runs across seasons. It's enough to care about; not enough to feel overwhelming.
Last updated: August 2026. Based on Deep Rock Galactic Season 5 build. System requirements from Ghost Ship Games official specs.