Summary

Unreal Engine 5is arguably the most exciting engine, with some of thehighest potential for realisticand ambitious games. However, in these early years of the engine’s existence, many Unreal Engine 5 games have unfortunately been released with sub-optimal performance levels.

This can be extremely grating for those without the highest-end PCs or for those on consoles, as all players would ideally run their new games at solid FPS with no stutters, while still having decently high graphics settings. While UE5 has unfortunately picked up a reputation for bad optimization, there are thankfully a number of titles that buck the trend. The following are thebest-optimized games for Unreal Engine 5.

One of the biggest surprises of 2025,Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, is a gameinspired by JRPGs, which combines turn-based combat with real-time actions such as dodging and parrying. Set in a unique fantasy world inspired by Belle Epoque France, the game has received endless praise for its beauty, storytelling, and character-driven scores.

It is a game that shows the full potential of Unreal Engine 5, and best of all, it runs fantastically on the majority of devices. Even if players have a few problems and can’t run the graphics of High settings, the Medium option still looks incredible.

64-bit Windows 10

Processor (CPU)

Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 5 1600X

Memory (RAM)

8 GB

Graphics Card (GPU)

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB / AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT 6 GB / Intel Arc A380 6 GB

55 GB

WhileManor Lordswas initially made and released on Unreal Engine 4, it was soon upgraded to Unreal Engine 5 and runs just as well, while looking slightly better, especially when it comes to shadows. In thismedieval city builder, players will instantly love the organic methods for building and placing plots. Without any grid system, villages thus grow naturally, taking on their own character while looking beautiful thanks to realistic graphics.

It also great for those who love historical accuracy and immersion, with one standout feature for immersion being that in times of war, it is the villagers who are armed, meaning if they die on the battlefield, there is one less pair of hands to bring the harvest in. In this well-optimized game, players can expect smooth gameplay, even when their settlements expand.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (2 GB) / AMD Radeon RX-460 (4 GB) / Intel Arc A380 (6 GB)

15 GB

If players ever dreamed of taking on the role of an ant and leading a colony in war, look no further thanEmpire of the Ants. This RTS game, which features a campaign and multiplayer, is visually breathtaking, with players experiencing life from the small perspective of an ant in third-person.

The graphics are arguably the game’s strongest feature, but it is also thanks to great optimization that players on most devices can enjoy them to such an extent. In terms of gameplay, expect to lead a variety of ant troops against a range of insects or larger creatures, all while staying stocked up on food and wood.

Intel Core i5 9400 / AMD Ryzen 5 2600

6GB VRAM / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 580

40 GB

Satisfactoryis a game like no other, with exploration and combat, but most importantly, efficient factory building, all enjoyed in first-person with realistic graphics. Whether players are conquering the alien planet with conveyor belts alone or with friends, performance in this Unreal Engine 5 game is something they can rely on.

Even after hundreds of hours with worlds completely covered in factories, players will still experience smooth frames, something that some other building games struggle with as more assets are added. With fairly low system requirements, this could also be considered one of thebest open-world games for those on lower-end PCs.

64 bit Windows 10/11

i5-3570 3.4 GHz 4 Core

Nvidia GTX 1650/GTX 1050-ti, or AMD RX 470/RX 570, or equivalent performance & VRAM

20 GB

From the developers of GOTY winnerIt Takes Two,Split Fictionis a co-op game which takes the Sci-Fi ideas of Mio and mashes them together with Zoe’s fantasy worlds to create a game like no other. Whether players are racing through a cyberpunk city or swinging through lush, enchanted forests, the game looks absolutely stunning.

Amidst the beauty and chaos, players won’t even have time to realize just how well the game is running. As long as the fairly modest minimum requirements are met, performance isn’t something PC players will even think about while runningSplit Fiction​​​​​​. Console players can also expect a great time. Most impressive from a game design and optimization point of view isthe game’s final chapter, but that is best enjoyed without spoilers.

Intel Core i5-6600K or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X

16 GB

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 - 4GB or Radeon RX 470 - 4GB

85 GB