Dune: Awakening 1.5.20.0 cuts menu stutter and adds an offline mode on PC

Dune: Awakening patch 1.5.20.0 went live on November 9 on all platforms, with fixes that address the player feedback Funcom received since the console release. On PC, Funcom says it reduces the brief stutter when opening, closing or switching tabs in menus, and on vehicle spawn and restore. It also fixes several crashes and adds the much requested offline single-player mode. Hotfix 1.5.20.1 followed on November 10 with more fixes.

What the patch fixes

Here is what matters for performance and stability, according to the official notes:

• Stutter: various performance optimizations, including reduced brief stutter in menus and on vehicle spawn and restore.
• Crashes: when placing or filling a hologram, when loading the friends list or searching for a player, when removing building pieces with the Construction Tool, and right after defeating the final boss of the Fallen Light dungeon.
• Terrain not loading: it occasionally failed after respawning, connecting to the game or returning from a cinematic.
• Hotfix 1.5.20.1: fixes a crash when opening the Recycle with certain items in your inventory and an issue where scrolling could fail in some inventories. Funcom also resolved the major issue with character transfers and re-enabled them.

The other big change is offline mode: you can now play single-player without an internet connection at any point, including creating and deleting characters. A Go Online button gets you back online. The catch: any DLC you bought is not available while fully offline, and Funcom says it plans to address that in an upcoming update.

What to do

Update. The hotfix requires a client-side download: if it does not show up on its own, Funcom recommends restarting your Steam client. The notes do not ask you to change graphics settings or drivers. If you run into a problem that is not on the list, Funcom points to its known issues list on Helpshift.

Dune: Awakening PC requirements

The requirements do not change with this patch. These are the ones on the Steam store page:

Mind the drive: the minimum requires an SSD and the recommended an NVMe drive. The Steam page still lists a broadband connection, even though the patch now lets you play single-player without internet.

Which GPUs run it

The GTX 1060 6GB just clears the minimum but grades F against the recommended: it clears the bar, but it will struggle. The GTX 1650 and the Radeon RX 580 fall short of the minimum. The RTX 3060 clears the minimum and grades C against the recommended, as do the RTX 4060 and the RX 7600. The RTX 3070 meets the recommended with a B, and the RTX 5070 reaches an A. All grades are measured against the recommended requirement with 16 GB of RAM.

On Steam Deck, Valve rates it Verified. You can find the details on the game’s Steam Deck page.

Can your PC run Dune: Awakening?

Here is how your rig grades against Dune: Awakening, ARK: Survival Ascended and ArcheAge Chronicles, whose PC requirements we covered when it entered Early Access:

Game	Rec. GPU score	Rec. RAM	Min. RAM	Your PC
Dune: Awakening	21,750	16 GB	16 GB	?
ARK: Survival Ascended	22,650	32 GB	16 GB	?
ArcheAge Chronicles	22,650	32 GB	16 GB	?

If you come up short, the full Dune: Awakening page shows how your GPU grades and what you are missing for the recommended.

Sources: Patch 1.5.20.0 notes on Funcom’s site, Dune: Awakening on Steam, Patch 1.5.20.0 announcement on Steam, Hotfix 1.5.20.1 on Steam