The recent 13.5 patch for Escape from Tarkov reset all graphics settings for players. This can be extremely frustrating as you'll need to meticulously reconfigure each setting again to get the best performance and visual fidelity. In this in-depth post, I'll guide you through optimizing your Tarkov graphics for the best possible gameplay experience on 13.5.
Texture quality has a massive impact on game performance and visuals. This setting controls how detailed and sharp textures appear on in-game assets like clothing, terrain, weapons, etc.
Setting texture quality too high can cripple frame rates, while too low makes the game look overly blurry and washed out. The ideal texture quality comes down to your graphics card's VRAM capacity.
Monitor your VRAM usage in-game or with a system monitor tool like MSI Afterburner. Ensure you do not max out your VRAM capacity, as this leads to stuttering. Some examples:
Whenever you change texture settings, restart Tarkov completely so the changes apply properly. Do minor tweaks and monitor VRAM until you find the highest settings your card can handle.
Besides texture quality, various other graphics settings impact your ability to spot enemies accurately and gain a competitive edge:
These competitive settings maximize visibility while removing distracting effects that can obstruct enemy players.
For those who care more about immersion than competition, here are some settings that improve realism and atmosphere:
Tweak these settings gradually to find your ideal realism vs. performance balance. Avoid maxing every option out.
The 13.5 patch also adds the ability to heal specific body parts instead of your entire health pool. To use this:
With this system you can triage healing much more efficiently during battle, prioritizing the most damaged limbs first. Remember to tweak that binding!
Optimizing Tarkov's expansive graphics settings takes time and testing. This guide covers the most vital settings to improve performance and gameplay for the 13.5 patch. Happy raids!