How to increase FPS in Paladins: ChaosSystemSettings, video settings, launch options
The in-game settings, launch options, and ChaosSystemSettings.ini file of Paladins can be optimized to increase your FPS and improve your gameplay.
On the web, you can find several configuration files to replace yours and boost the fps. Honestly, I don’t like this approach because I want to know exactly what I am changing, so I decided to review all the options in this article.
These adjustments are useful if you are struggling to reach an acceptable amount of fps as you are using a low-spec PC, but also if you have a monitor with a high refresh-rate as you bought it to gain an edge in a competitive shooter such as Paladins.
In-game settings
Launch Paladins, click the Settings icon on the top right, and open the Video tab. I will show you how to set up each option for maximum performance.
Video
Use D3D11: Enabled.
This setting is always enabled unless you have a very old graphic card. Nevertheless, some players claimed that their performance increased a tiny bit by disabling it, so you should test it individually on your own PC.
Resolution: use your native one.
Using your native resolution is desirable for a better view, but if you badly need a performance boost, decreasing the resolution will greatly improve your fps. 720p is usually a solid compromise between quality and performance.
Aspect Ratio: use your native one.
Your display should have a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Screen Type: Full Screen.
Full Screen is the best choice performance-wise, but you might prefer Borderless Window if you have a multi-monitor setup and you wish to move quickly on another display.
Resolution Scale: 100 or 90.
I warmly recommend to not change this setting unless you really need more fps. Decreasing the value below 100 will grant more performance at the cost of blurred textures.
The visual effect at 90 is acceptable, and 75 is the minimum value you should consider. Generally, decrease the resolution first, and use the resolution scale as the last resort.
Anti-Aliasing: Off.
Vertical Sync: Disabled.
World Detail: Medium.
World Detail controls the detail of textures in buildings, trees, ground, and champion models. It also increases/enables lights, glow, and Bloom.
Setting it to High enables Bloom, which can be an issue in a competitive environment because it adds extra lights, so it is harder to spot the opponents and aim properly.
Shadow Detail: Low.
Texture Detail: Medium/High.
This setting depends mostly on the VRAM available on your graphic card. Be aware that any value past medium might have an impact on the fps.
You can reduce Texture Detail further, but I suggest keeping it at Medium or High for a better viewing experience.
Particle Detail: Low/Medium.
Shader Quality: Low.
There is a huge difference between Medium and High, but not a substantial one between Medium and Low, so if you need to maximize your FPS, I suggest decreasing Shader Quality to the minimum value.
FoV: from 100 to 120.
This is a very personal choice, but most of the players prefer a high FoV in Paladins.
A wider field of view (FOV) increases your peripheral vision, but at the same time all the targets are smaller, and it can cause a fisheye effect. In any case, lower values will improve your performance.
Apply the changes and restart the game.
Launch options
How to open the launch options:
Open the Steam launcher
Go on the Library tab
Right click on Paladins
Select Properties and go on the General tab
Click “Set Launch Options”
Here is a list of useful commands you can include in the launch options:
-USEALLAVAILABLECORESIt tells the game to use all your CPU cores, which can improve the performance a bit.
-nomanskyIt disables extra effects in the sky. Some players improved their fps, while others noticed no changes or even had problems, so I suggest testing it on your system.
+mat_antialias 0It forces the in-game antialias to 0.
Launch options
ChaosSystemSettings.ini file
As far as I know, editing the ChaosSystemSettings file is totally legit and won’t cause a ban. I don’t hold myself accountable for any problem, so do it at your own risk.
You can gain even more FPS (and make the game uglier) by tweaking ChaosSystemSettings.ini.
To find your ChaosSystemSettings file, press Win+R and then input the following line:
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\paladinslive\ChaosGame\ConfigRight click on ChaosSystemSettings.ini and open it with WordPad or another text editor. I use Notepad++.
There are several options, but most of them have already been configured through the in-game settings. I will explain the remaining ones, so you can adjust them as you prefer.
DynamicDecals=False
This setting disables a few secondary effects, such as temporary damages on the ground or walls caused by some weapons.
DecalCullDistanceScale
Reducing the default number will decrease the distance at which decals are culled or drawn to the screen. I suggest using a half of the default value.
DynamicLights=False
DynamicShadows=False
Lights and Shadows can have a significant impact on the frames.
MaxShadowResolution
MaxWholeSceneDominantShadowResolution
ShadowFadeResolution
These are options affecting the shadows. Set them to a half of the default value, but you may go further down if you badly need to improve your game performance.
bAllowWholeSceneDominantShadows=False
AmbientOcclusion=False
DepthOfField=False
LensFlares=False
bAllowLightShafts=False
Shadow, light, and blur effects.
Distortion=False
FilteredDistortion=False
Distortion effects drain a few fps.
Bloom=False
Some players love Bloom, others hate it. The in-game settings do not have a dedicated option for it, but luckily you can disable (or enable) it here depending on your preferences. It uses some memory and processing power.
MaxAnisotropy
Anisotropic Filtering. You can set it to 2,4,6,8,10,12,14, or 16. Lower values provide more speed but can cause blurring at close distances.
FogVolumes=False
It disables some fog effects.
SpeedTreeLeaves=False
It removes some foliage on certain maps.
This is all. You can save the file.
ChaosSystemSettings.ini path
Right click on the file, go on Properties, General, Attributes, and mark it as Read-Only. If you don’t, it will be overwritten as soon as you start the game, and you will lose all the changes.
If you need to alter your in-game settings in the future, it is necessary to uncheck read-only. Afterwards, you can change the settings, edit manually ChaosSystemSettings.ini, and set it as read-only again.
If your ChaosSystemSettings file becomes corrupted, just delete or move it elsewhere, and then open the Steam launcher, go on the library tab, right click on Paladins, select Properties, click on Local Files and finally on Verify Integrity of Game Files. The game will automatically download a new default one.
More Paladins articles:
Header image (Xenobuster Ash): Hi-Rez Studios
