Hell Let Loose: How to Fix Your FPS

Before touching your .ini files, here are some tips to improve your performances:

1. If you are using Windows 10, disable “Game mode”
2. Reduce dead bodies despawn delay to the minimum (game options)
3. Use Fullscreen mode (game options)

Note that your .ini files are located at:
C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\HLL\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor

Performance Tweaks

Edit Engine.ini, under [SystemSettings]:

r.RenderTargetPoolMin=300
r.SceneColorFringeQuality=0
r.Tonemapper.GrainQuantization=0
r.Tonemapper.Quality=0
r.StaticMeshLODDistanceScale=1.3
r.Shadow.DistanceScale=1.1
r.Shadow.CSM.TransitionScale=0.8
r.Shadow.CSM.MaxCascades=2
r.Shadow.MaxResolution=32
r.Shadow.FadeResolution=64
r.Shadow.MinResolution=16
r.Shadow.RadiusThreshold=0.06
r.Shadow.PerObject=1
r.BlurGBuffer=0
r.DepthOfFieldQuality=0
r.AmbientOcclusionRadiusScale=0
r.AmbientOcclusionLevels=0
r.ReflectionEnvironment=1
r.Atmosphere=0
r.DetailMode=0
r.LightShaftQuality=0
r.RefractionQuality=0
r.BloomQuality=0
r.Shadow.Quality=1
r.FastBlurThreshold=0
r.Streaming.MipBias=1.0
r.MaterialQualityLevel=0
r.EyeAdaptationQuality=1
r.ParticleLightQuality=1
r.SSR=0
r.SSR.Quality=0
p.ClothPhysics=0
r.TranslucencyVolumeBlur=0
r.SSS.Scale=0.5
r.SSS.SampleSet=0
r.Shadow.TexelsPerPixel=1.27324
r.EyeAdaptation.MethodOveride=0
r.Upscale.Quality=0

How to customize your tweaks for a nicer game

The following edits can hurt your performances, depending on your setup. This allows you to “customize” your .ini tweaks. Avoid repeating the same line in your Engine.ini.

# Better textures: Remove r.Streaming.MipBias=1.0

# More and better refractions (metal):

r.RefractionQuality=1

and/or

r.SSR=1
r.SSR.Quality=1
r.SSR.MaxRoughness=0.3

# High quality reflections (water):

r.ReflectionEnvironment=2

# Better bloom :

r.BloomQuality=3

# Better subsurfaces (characters and more):

r.SSS.Filter=1
r.SSS.SampleSet=1
r.SSS.Scale=1

# How to reduce grass and small objects “poping-in”:

r.RenderTargetPoolMin=400

Alternatively, you can increase this value further more, or remove this line.

# How to improve shadows LODs:

r.Shadow.CSM.TransitionScale=1.0

and / or

r.Shadow.RadiusThreshold=0.04

# More detailed shadows:

r.Shadow.TexelsPerPixel=2.54648

and/or

r.Shadow.MaxResolution=64
r.Shadow.FadeResolution=128
r.Shadow.MinResolution=32

# More details:

r.DetailMode=1

# “Atmosphere”:

r.Atmosphere=1

Set your video settings directly in GameUserSettings.ini

under [ScalabilityGroups]:

sg.ResolutionQuality=100.000000
sg.ViewDistanceQuality=1
sg.AntiAliasingQuality=3
sg.ShadowQuality=1
sg.PostProcessQuality=1
sg.TextureQuality=1
sg.EffectsQuality=1
sg.FoliageQuality=1

I recommand to start with this configuration.

If you have 16Go of RAM:

• Use sg.TextureQuality=2

If your GPU is above the requirements (can cost FPS):

• For better PostProcess effects (lightshafts, etc) :sg.PostProcessQuality=2 (or 3)
• For better effects (explosions and particules, etc) :sg.EffectsQuality=2

1 Low
2 Medium
3 High (“Epic”)

Make sure the file is set on “Read only” after you’re done.

Improve Anti-aliasing

Note that this won’t hurt your FPS if you’re already using AA.

Edit Engine.ini, under [SystemSettings]:

r.DefaultFeature.AntiAliasing=2
r.TemporalAACurrentFrameWeight=0.2
r.TemporalAASamples=32
r.TemporalAASharpness=0.7
r.Tonemapper.Sharpen=1.15
r.PostProcessAAQuality=4

or…

r.DefaultFeature.AntiAliasing=2
r.TemporalAASamples=16
r.TemporalAACurrentFrameWeight=0.25
r.TemporalAASharpness=0.8
r.Tonemapper.Sharpen=0.6
r.PostProcessAAQuality=4
I do recommand the first AA values as it results in less “ghosting”.
Alternatively, you can use r.PostProcessAAQuality=6.

To use with TAA clarity.

Disable Mouse Smoothing

You really don’t need mouse smoothing, believe me.

Edit Engine.ini, under [/script/engine.engine]:

• bEnableMouseSmoothing=False

Reduce Saturation and increase Gamma

Fully optional.

r.TonemapperOutputGamut applies a desaturated effect to all colours, subtle but obvious.
r.Color.Mid slightly increases Gamma and provides stronger midtones colors (default is 0.50).

Edit Engine.ini, under [/script/engine.engine]:

r.TonemapperOutputGamut=0.86
r.Color.Mid=0.525

For older setups

If you’re desperatly looking for a few more FPS.

To reduce shadows quality even further, edit the following lines to:

r.Shadow.CSM.MaxCascades=1
r.Shadow.CSM.TransitionScale=0.25
r.Shadow.MaxResolution=16
r.Shadow.FadeResolution=32
r.Shadow.MinResolution=8
r.Shadow.TexelsPerPixel=0.6‬

To remove lights from particles (fire, etc):

r.ParticleLightQuality=0

Less details in your vinicity:

r.RenderTargetPoolMin=200

To remove subsurfaces features (on characters, etc):

r.SSS.Scale=0