Start with resolution and reconstruction
Match the game’s output to the display’s native resolution and disable any unintended dynamic target before judging texture quality. On PC, DLSS, FSR, XeSS, and TSR can all trade internal resolution for performance. The official quality ladder reaches Native at one hundred percent for DLSS, FSR, and XeSS, while lower levels render substantially fewer pixels and can soften weapon edges, distant enemies, foliage, and thin HUD lines.
Choose Native or the highest quality mode the GPU can sustain, then compare one repeatable outdoor checkpoint. With TSR, use its dedicated resolution-scale control because the general upscaling-quality label does not change TSR output in the same way. Avoid combining a low internal resolution with heavy sharpening; the result often looks noisy in motion even when a still frame appears crisp.
Reduce the effects that sit on top of the image
Post-processing controls visor treatment, lens flares, and other final-image effects. Lower it one step and compare surfaces, sky gradients, and the edge of the Assault Rifle. Also reduce optional motion blur, camera shake, depth-of-field treatment, chromatic effects, and film-grain-style presentation when the priority is target readability. These are clarity preferences, so change one option at a time rather than copying a preset blindly.
Sharpening should be the final adjustment. Add only enough to recover edge definition after selecting the reconstruction mode. Excessive sharpening turns fine texture, specular highlights, fog, and grain into crawling patterns. If the image is clear while standing still but breaks during camera movement, raise the internal resolution or change the reconstruction method before pushing the sharpening slider higher.
Recover frame rate without sacrificing readability
Global Illumination and Lighting are the two official options highlighted as especially demanding. Lower those before reducing texture resolution or the reconstruction quality that directly affects clarity. Effects, geometry, reflections, atmosphere, textures, and post-processing can then be tuned separately. Use a frame-rate cap the system holds during explosions so temporal reconstruction receives stable frame timing.
On consoles, Quality targets 30 frames per second and Performance targets 60. Performance improves responsiveness, while Quality prioritizes fidelity and resolution; test both in the same mission rather than assuming one solves every display problem. For cutscene stutter on displays whose refresh is not an even multiple of 30 Hz, test 60, 120, or 240 Hz, enable the display’s Game Mode, and temporarily disable variable refresh rate.