Performance
Transport Fever 3 performance, measured
On a PC close to the recommended spec (Ryzen 5 5800X, RTX 3070 Ti), every map size up to Large ran fluently in the early game. Very Large and the experimental sizes turned CPU-limited as cities grew. RAM use climbed from about 3 GB on a medium map to almost 8 GB on the packed experimental map — and graphics settings barely changed the frame rate.
Last verified: September 20, 2026
Performance is the question that decides a purchase for a simulation this dense, and until the release build is out measured numbers are scarce. This page collects what one long hands-on test measured on every map size, on hardware close to the recommended spec, before launch.
Test system and method
| Component | What was used |
|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 5800X |
| GPU | NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti |
| Memory | DDR4 (capacity not stated in the video) |
| Storage | Fast SSD, used for video editing as well |
| Graphics | Maximum, unless stated otherwise |
| Build | Pre-release, roughly one to two weeks old |
| Note | Screen recording ran on the same PC, so the numbers are conservative |
Source: Flowengineer's 45-minute performance test. The tester plans to repeat the whole run on the release build.
How each map size behaved
| Map size | What the test showed | Memory |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Fluently playable at maximum settings, at 4x and beyond. The tester's own favourite for a fast Tycoon run | Lowest |
| Medium | Ran well on an average system; the sweet spot for 10 towns and 11 industries | About 3 GB |
| Large | First slow map generation; loading around two minutes. Early game still fluent at 4x | Approaching 4 GB |
| Very Large | Start of the real limits. Still playable, but the tester would not build 21 towns again on his PC | About 5 GB |
| Huge (experimental) | Map generation took over two minutes; 34 towns felt sluggish and 20x+ speeds produced simulation lag | Higher, rising with city growth |
| Megalomaniac (experimental) | 50 towns, and the game caps starting cities at about 5,000 residents. 4x stayed fluent, 8x and above stuttered | Almost 8 GB |
Source: Flowengineer's test. Memory figures are what the monitoring overlay reported while the game ran, not official requirements.
The simulation is the bottleneck, not the graphics
The most useful finding is not a frame rate. On a built-up map the tester dropped the graphics to low and the frame rate barely moved, while the GPU stayed underused and several CPU cores stayed high. The cost is in the simulation: residents, vehicles and pathfinding, all calculated individually.
If your machine struggles, turning graphics down will not rescue a map that is too big or too busy. Fewer calculated objects will.
RAM, SSD and loading times
Memory use scaled with size, from about 3 GB on a medium map to nearly 8 GB on the packed experimental one. The tester's practical conclusion: 8 GB will be a problem on large maps, 16 GB is tight if you keep a browser open on a second monitor, and 16 to 32 GB is the comfortable range. An SSD is not optional — saving and loading are what he noticed first when the map grew.
What players can do about it
- Reduce the number of cars. On his mid-game save the tester identified car volume as the part he could optimise himself, mainly by moving freight from trucks to trains and trams.
- Pick a smaller map with fewer towns if you want to reach a high company rank quickly — his Tycoon save ran on a small map with three towns.
- Stay at 1x to 4x speed. Above 10x, big maps showed simulation lag even though the camera stayed smooth.
- Keep town and industry density moderate. The experimental sizes are there to explore, not to play normally.
Experimental map sizes are a switch, not a menu
The two largest sizes are experimental and unlocked by editing a settings file rather than a normal menu option: in the game's data folder, the profile's settings.lua contains an experimental map features flag that can be set to true. The tester's own verdict was that a map with 50 towns is not playable for very long on his hardware.
What is still unknown
Everything here comes from a pre-release build. The tester expects performance work in the final weeks and plans to run the same test again after release, so treat the numbers as a direction rather than a verdict. Two things we cannot answer yet: how the game behaves in the 8 GB minimum configuration, and whether the launch build changes the map-size limits.
We will replace this page with our own measured numbers once the release build is out. The system requirements page tracks what Urban Games has published; this page tracks what has actually been measured.
FAQ
What hardware was this tested on?
A Ryzen 5 5800X with an RTX 3070 Ti, DDR4 memory and a fast SSD — roughly the recommended spec — with the game and the screen recording running on the same PC. The build was a pre-release version about one to two weeks old.
Is Transport Fever 3 CPU or GPU limited?
CPU limited once the map is busy. On a heavily built map, dropping graphics to low changed almost nothing, the GPU stayed underused and individual CPU cores sat high. The tester's conclusion was that the simulation, not the renderer, is the limit.
How much RAM does Transport Fever 3 need?
The test saw roughly 3 GB in use on a medium map, about 4 GB on large, around 5 GB on very large, and close to 8 GB on the packed experimental map. The tester's advice was that 8 GB will be a problem on big maps and 16 GB gets tight with a browser open.
Does fast-forwarding hurt performance?
Up to 4x speed the game stayed fluent even on large maps. At 10x and above, Very Large and the experimental sizes produced simulation lag — the camera stayed smooth while the simulation visibly jumped.
Can you reach Tycoon rank without a high-end PC?
The tester reached Tycoon on a small map with three towns and reported no major lag problems at 4x. The limit is map size and how many cities you grow, not the rank itself.
What can players do to reduce the load?
Cut the number of cars: replace truck-heavy routes with trains and trams, keep industry density lower, and choose fewer towns. On his mid-game save the tester pointed at car volume as the part he could optimise himself.
Sources: Flowengineer, 45-minute pre-release performance test, Steam store page, Official First Look: Highlights. Transport Fever 3 is a trademark of its respective owners.