Continue with Steam Start with settings that let you see fights clearly, aim and move comfortably, and maintain a consistent experience on your own hardware. Change one setting at a time, compare it in a repeatable scene, and keep it only if the improvement is worth what you lose. There is no single best configuration for every player or PC.
Establish a baseline before changing settings
Note your current display resolution, refresh rate, graphics preset, frame cap, sync setting and sensitivity. A screenshot or short written list makes it easy to undo a change. Start with the display’s native output resolution if it is available and readable; choose a refresh rate supported by your display and connection. If performance is poor even after other adjustments, compare a lower output resolution while checking whether distant targets and text remain clear.
Use the same practice area or replay section for each comparison. Keep the hero, camera position, scene, output resolution, sync and frame cap unchanged while testing a single graphics option. Allow the scene to settle and repeat each pass; a quiet menu cannot represent a busy fight. If available, use the in-game FPS and frame-time display, and also notice whether 
movement feels uneven or targeting cues become hard to see. A frame cap can hide a performance difference, while a different scene can create one that has nothing to do with your setting.
Find the problem before changing a setting: Is the issue inconsistent frames, an unclear cue, or an action that is uncomfortable to perform? Pick one setting connected to that symptom, compare the same scene or drill, and keep it only if the result improves without hiding a cue or making another action harder.
The Hone settings guide describes a similar comparison method and cites Valve’s settings text extracted in September 2026. It is a commercial guide, not an independent benchmark of your hardware. Menu labels and availability can change, so use the current in-game descriptions and test the results yourself.
Which graphics change should you test first?
Try one targeted change first when the game feels slow. The following are candidates to test, not guaranteed FPS improvements:
| Setting | What changes | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Shadows or fog quality | Reduces detail in those effects when lowered | Compare frame behavior and whether silhouettes or combat cues remain clear |
| Texture quality | Changes surface detail | Look at objects and the map; retain more detail if a lower setting makes little useful difference |
Render  scaling or upscaling, if available |
Changes the internal image used to produce the displayed picture | Compare distant targets and fine detail as well as performance |
| Sync and frame cap | Changes how frames are paced or presented | Check for tearing, consistency and input feel; compare with the same cap and sync state |
| What you observe | Next comparison | Keep the change when |
|---|---|---|
| Drops mainly during busy action | Repeat a similarly busy scene and change one graphics option | The action feels more consistent and cues stay visible |
| Distant targets look blurry | Restore some internal or output resolution and compare the same view | You can recognize details without an unacceptable performance cost |
| Lower rendering resolution changes little | Check for a binding cap, then repeat with the same nonbinding cap in both passes | A repeatable benefit appears; otherwise restore clarity and investigate other causes |
Output resolution is the image sent to the display. Render scaling or upscaling can instead change the resolution used internally before producing that output. A smaller internal image can reduce rendering work, but reconstruction may soften or alter fine details, and performance depends on the rest of the workload. If a change makes targets harder to recognize without a useful improvement, restore the previous setting.
A frame cap can make a chosen limit easier to maintain, but it also limits the maximum frames shown by the game. VSync can reduce visible tearing, with a possible responsiveness tradeoff depending on the setup. Choose based on what you observe rather than copying a fixed value. If a capped result looks unchanged after a graphics adjustment, repeat the comparison with an appropriate nonbinding cap if available, use the same nonbinding cap for both comparison passes, then restore your chosen limit.
Set up controls for comfortable, repeatable actions
Does your aim overshoot or run out of space?
Choose a sensitivity that lets you turn when needed without losing fine control. In practice, aim at a stationary point, move the camera to another target, then track a moving one. If you repeatedly overshoot, try a small reduction; if you run out of mouse space before completing a turn, try a small increase. Repeat the same drill before judging. Keep your mouse and system settings unchanged during the comparison, and give the new setting a little time before changing it again.
If a zoom or hero-specific sensitivity option is available, test it separately with the hero and action you actually use. A value copied from another player does not account for your mouse, physical space or habits.
Can you reach actions while moving?
Put frequently combined actions where you can reach them without interrupting movement or accidentally pressing another key. Practice moving, aiming, using an ability and activating an item in sequence; if you must release a movement key or misfire consistently, try one different binding. Check the resulting assignments for conflicts.
Valve’s City Never Sleeps update describes a keybind map, hero-specific options, and settings-code preview and undo. A shared code can be a starting point, but inspect the bindings before applying it and adjust them for your hands. For the movement techniques to practice with those bindings, see the movement guide.
Make the interface easy to read
A reticle should remain visible against both bright and dark backgrounds without obscuring the target. Valve says its reticle settings allow separate fill and border colors, and its preview can react to firing, zoom and accuracy. Try a contrasting fill or border, then check it against multiple backgrounds and while tracking a moving target. If the center covers what you want to aim at, reduce visual clutter rather than copying someone else’s crosshair.
The same Valve update documents enemy UI color choices, 
health-number displays, dialogue subtitles with font, size and color controls, and reduced camera shake. Adjust one element when a particular cue is hard to read: for example, change an enemy UI color if it blends into the scene, or enable and size dialogue subtitles if you use them. Check the result during action, not only in a menu. Dialogue subtitles are not a substitute for every gameplay sound cue.
If camera motion makes a fight uncomfortable, try reduced camera shake and compare the same kind of action. Valve also describes auto-move, auto-mantle and auto-fire; these can reduce held inputs, but test the start and stop behavior in practice before using them in a match. Choose whichever controls let you act deliberately and comfortably.
What if a setting does not help?
Should I copy a professional player’s settings? Use them as a starting point only if you understand what they change. Your display, mouse space and comfort may call for a different value; test the setting with your own equipment.
Does no FPS change mean my CPU is the problem? Not necessarily. A frame cap, the scene and other work can affect the result. Repeat the comparison under consistent conditions before drawing a conclusion.
When should you keep or undo a change?
Before your next match
Use this short checklist before a match:
- Record the original values and display mode.
- Compare a repeatable scene with one graphics change at a time; keep important cues visible.
- Test aiming, movement, ability and item binds together; check for conflicts.
- Verify the reticle, enemy indicators and any subtitles against different backgrounds.
- Keep a change only if it solves the problem without an unacceptable cost; restore the previous value otherwise.
Valve describes individual setting resets and video previews in its update notes. Revisit a setting after a major patch or hardware change if your previous comparison no longer holds. If stutter occurs only during busy fights, compare a similarly busy scene before drawing a conclusion; a high average FPS alone does not show whether those moments feel consistent.