SnowRunner: How to boost your FPS

Here’s how in SnowRunner you can boost your FPS using the in-game graphics settings. Watch for a guide to what each setting does and how much it can impact your performance.

If you’re new to SnowRunner or a veteran with a PC that cannot run the game with everything maxed out, you might be interested in knowing how to boost your frame rate or frames per second FPS as it’s also known.

Because the higher the frame rate, the smoother the gameplay. The smoother the gameplay, the harder it is to tip over. In theory.

So let’s not mess around, here’s a list of all the graphics settings in SnowRunner, what they do and how much of an impact they have on the frames per second rating.

If you don’t have an FPS counter, now is the time to find one. I use the one built into the Nvidia GeForce software (free), but you could use FRAPS (partially free), OBS (free) or something else.

SnowRunner: How to boost your FPS

First up, let’s make sure the native resolution is the same as the display you view SnowRunner on. Having a lower resolution than your display can look iffy, although you will need a faster PC to cope with higher resolutions such as 1440p and 4K, the latter of which I’m playing and filming at.

I would also set the game to Fullscreen, select the display number you want if you have more than one and then enable Vertical Sync as you can see screen tearing without it.

But avoid having an FPS limit and also avoid an FPS limit in the below option unless your PC benefits. Having it on can actually do harm to a consistent frame rate, at least it does for my ASUS RTX 3080.

Limit FPS when in background, meanwhile, just means SnowRunner is less of a performance hog when you go and do something else while the game is running. I leave it on, but in some filming instances you may need to turn it off.

Next up is Antialiasing. This setting smooths out the edges of what you see on screen and it makes a noticeable difference to the overall visual quality. The problem is that at full, it can sap more frames per second than anything else. If you’re struggling to make SnowRunner run nicely, this setting is worth dropping down to 4x or perhaps 2x. Maybe even TXAA on weaker PCs, however off is worth avoiding as things can look bad.

FXAA is a filtering method that helps smooth edges. I would avoid disabling this, especially as it appears to be low on the list of performance sappers.

Then there’s Motion Blur, which adds a smoother, more filmic appearance but can also be fuzzy in some situations. I leave it off. I also turn Film Grain off as I dislike the look and it can also affect performance. However, I do keep Sharpening enabled.

The POV options, which stands for point of view or field of view, can be left default at 130 and 80. But if you wish to see more of your surroundings or the cabin, increase one or both. Just know that doing so can affect performance.

Terrain Draw Distance is how far stuff can be seen from a distance. At its lowest setting things will pop in nearer, which can be jarring. The performance impact can be noticeable so drop this to a point you are happy with for potentially decent gains in frame rate.

Grass Density, meanwhile, is how dense grass is. This can affect performance to a similar degree as Terrain Draw Distance, so I drop to high when at 4K. The difference between that and ultra is not so much, especially when moving, and even medium and low can be palatable.

Object Quality governs the level of detail for objects based on how far away they are. Not such a big impact in performance here, nor does it make that much of a visual difference.

Effects Quality is about how realistic effects are so at maximum you will see particles, weather, mud and ice at their best. These are less important so consider lowering this setting if you’ve tried everything else and still struggling for a frame rate you can enjoy.

Shadow Quality is about how good shadows look. The higher the setting, the more realistic and subtle they are. The highest setting is one of the most taxing in SnowRunner so try lowering this if you need a boost in FPS.

Texture Quality can also sap vital FPS although it’s much less than some other settings. Plus at low you can see objects really start to look basic and low-resolution so avoid skimping here.

Texture Filtering is about reducing what textures look like at oblique angles, which are common in SnowRunner. Off is too drastic, but you can experiment with how much you push this for some potential FPS gains.

Up next is Ambient Occlusion, which is designed to provide more realistic ambient lighting. It is not essential, but it can add a bit of wow. It can have a big impact on FPS though so this is another one that’s worth experimenting with.

Water Quality, well it’s not a huge FPS sapper and I think the water looks much less appealing on low. I’d try to keep this at the higher setting.

Volume Fog, meanwhile, adds an appealing haze to areas where fog is present. In an area where there’s lots of fog, you may notice having it on brings your FPS down a few per cent.

Lightshafts is about lovely lighting beaming through foliage. This seems to have little effect on SnowRunner’s FPS performance, so I leave it on. It also really adds some wow-factor.

And last is Mirrors. With this setting off the game uses a pretend view. With it on you actually see what’s happening behind you. Given that the performance effect is minimal and that it can be useful when reversing, I leave this setting on. Although if your PC is really struggling you could give it a go.

And that’s it for a look at what are the best graphics settings to mess around with. There is no one size fits all solution as PC specs can vary massively. However, hopefully you now have a better idea of what to change if you want a higher or at least more consistent frame rate.

Feel free to add your own graphics settings observations in the YouTube video comments. Also subscribe and like if you would be so kind. Thank you for watching.