The best Star Citizen settings for better FPS depend on your game version and PC configuration, so there is no single setup that fits every player. Start with a practical balance between image quality and frame rate, then test changes during gameplay instead of assuming a setting will help on your system. Related reading: How to Increase FPS in Star Citizen: A Troubleshooting Workflow.
That guidance highlights impactful graphics settings as ways to fine-tune your experience, making it a useful basis for deciding what to test. [1]
Treat the goal as smoother play without giving up more visual quality than you want. For example, if a change makes the image noticeably less appealing but gameplay does not feel better, switch it back; if the trade-off feels worthwhile in the situations you play, keep testing from there. Your results can differ between locations and activities, so judge changes in actual play rather than expecting a universal FPS boost. Use this as a starting point, not a guarantee of a particular frame rate.
1. Begin with a balanced graphics preset
Start with High as a test baseline. It gives you a balanced starting point for judging image quality and performance, but it is not a promise that High will run best on every PC. [2] For example, use it to see how the game looks and feels before deciding whether you want to adjust anything.
Treat the preset as a starting point, not a fix. Star Citizen’s graphics options include settings players can fine-tune to shape their experience. [1] If a particular option bothers you or the frame rate feels unsuitable, use this baseline to make a comparison—not as a reason to lower everything at once.
Check the options in your game version. Available presets and settings can vary between versions, so look at the graphics menu you are playing with rather than assuming every guide describes the same choices. [1] A player returning after an update, for instance, should confirm which options are currently listed before following older advice.
Keep this entry general. High is a useful first comparison for players who want a balanced starting point, while specific adjustments depend on what you want from the image and performance. If you are working with limited hardware, use the dedicated low-end-PC settings guide for targeted choices rather than treating this preset as hardware-specific advice.
Begin with High, take a look at how it plays, and use the result as your reference point. Then decide whether you need to explore a targeted adjustment or another performance guide; the baseline itself is only a practical first step.
2. Adjust clouds and upscaling to suit your setup
Clouds and upscaling are worth checking when you want to trade some image detail for smoother gameplay, but the best choice depends on what looks good on your setup. Volumetric clouds are among the more impactful graphics settings to fine-tune, and lowering them may reduce visual detail while helping performance. [1]
Try a lower cloud setting if dense clouds are a noticeable visual cost for you. For example, compare a scene with clouds at your current setting against the same scene with clouds reduced; keep the change only if the performance difference feels worth the softer or less detailed view. Lowering clouds is a useful option to test, not a guaranteed FPS boost. [3]
Consider DLSS or FSR only if your current game version and hardware support the option. Compare how the image looks as well as how smoothly the game runs: a mode that raises FPS may make the picture less crisp, so check details such as ship edges and distant objects before deciding. [3]
Choose for your priorities, not a universal setting. If you care most about cloud detail, keep it higher; if you prefer a smoother feel, test a lower setting. Likewise, do not assume a particular DLSS or FSR mode will be best for every system—the available options and the balance you prefer determine what suits you. [3]
This adjustment suits players who are comfortable making a small visual trade-off to test performance, as well as players who want to check whether an upscaling option is available. Try one change at a time, then keep the result that feels like the better balance for you.
3. Set display options before comparing results
Keep resolution and display mode unchanged while you evaluate graphics options. If you switch resolution and lower a graphics setting at the same time, you won’t know which change affected the picture or performance. Treat those display choices as part of your comparison setup, not as extra adjustments to make mid-test.
Before you change anything, write down or screenshot your current configuration. For example, note the resolution and display mode alongside the graphics options you plan to test; that gives you a clear reference if the new setup looks worse or behaves unexpectedly.
Check the options shown in the game version you’re playing before choosing values. Don’t copy a setting or value from an older menu without confirming it appears in your current game.
This step belongs on the list because a comparison only helps when you can tell what changed. It suits you if you’re tuning settings gradually and want to preserve a known starting point; it’s also useful when you want to undo a change without rebuilding your setup from memory.
Use this short checklist before testing:
Record the current display and graphics configuration.
Keep resolution and display mode fixed while comparing graphics changes.
Confirm available options in your current game version.
Then adjust one graphics option and check the result without changing your display setup. If the image or performance is less comfortable, restore the recorded configuration and try a different option.
4. Remove visual effects you do not value
What to try: Motion blur and film grain are visual effects you can disable if you prefer a clearer presentation. For example, turn them off if you want less blur in motion or a cleaner-looking image; keep them on if you like their cinematic feel. [2]
Why it’s on the list: These are image-preference choices, not settings to change on the assumption that they will improve your FPS. Choose based on how you want the game to look, rather than treating either option as a guaranteed performance boost.
Who it suits: Try disabling an effect if it distracts you or makes the image feel less clear. If you prefer the original look, leave it enabled—the visual trade-off may not be worth it for you.
Think of this as a small presentation tweak, not a required step in your performance setup. You might prefer film grain for atmosphere but switch off motion blur, or keep both because they suit the way you play. There’s no need to treat the options as an all-or-nothing pair: keep the combination that looks best to you. If turning either effect off makes the game feel visually flatter, restore it; a clearer image is only an improvement if you actually prefer it.
5. Compare changes in the same gameplay situation
Change one setting at a time. If you lower a graphics option and switch another at the same time, you will not know which change affected performance or image quality. Make one adjustment, then repeat the same activity—such as flying the same route or standing in the same area—before deciding whether to keep it.
Keep the comparison conditions similar. Use the same location or activity for each test, and avoid comparing a quiet scene with a busy one. Star Citizen has impactful settings players can fine-tune, so a consistent comparison makes your own observations more useful. [1]
Write down what changed. Note the setting you adjusted, what the frame rate looked like before and after, and whether the image became less clear or detailed. For example, record “lowered this option; frame rate seemed steadier, but distant detail looked softer.” Then decide whether that trade-off suits you before testing another setting.
Choose the next guide based on the problem. If your frame rate stays broadly low, use the FPS troubleshooting workflow. If the main issue is pauses or hitching, go to the stuttering guide; those symptoms call for a different next step than a consistently low frame rate.
This approach suits you if you want to tune settings without guessing which adjustment made a difference. Keep changes that make gameplay feel better without costing more image quality than you are willing to give up; if a test is inconclusive, repeat it in the same situation before moving on.
Which performance guide should you use next?
If you know what kind of performance problem you have, choose the next guide that targets it instead of changing settings at random. For broadly low FPS, use the FPS troubleshooting article for a step-by-step workflow; if your PC has limited hardware, use the low-end-PC settings article for tailored choices.
If you want to compare particular graphics options, go to the settings-impact article. For example, use it when you’re deciding which setting to test next and want to understand the trade-offs, rather than looking for a full troubleshooting sequence.
Pauses or sudden hitching call for a different approach from consistently low frame rate. If the game mostly runs smoothly but freezes briefly as you move through a location, use the stuttering article rather than treating the issue as simply low FPS.
To keep your next test focused, name the problem you still have: low FPS across play, limited hardware, uncertainty about one setting, or hitching. Then open the matching guide and use its advice for your next change; avoid mixing several different adjustments into one test. Once you’ve made that change, return to the same kind of gameplay situation and judge whether the experience improved enough to keep it.
Apply the baseline, then test your next change
Apply the balanced baseline for the game version you’re playing, then test it in a repeatable situation before making another change. For example, use the same location and activity for each comparison, and note whether the change makes the image or frame rate feel better. The official graphics guidance identifies impactful settings as useful places to fine-tune your experience. [1]
Keep a change only if its performance benefit is worth the visual trade-off for you. If a setting makes the scene look noticeably worse but doesn’t make gameplay feel better, revert it and try a different adjustment. Your goal is a setup that feels smooth enough while still looking good to you—not a settings list you have to copy exactly.
If the remaining problem is generally low FPS, use the step-by-step FPS troubleshooting guide. For a PC with limited hardware, choose the low-end-PC settings guide; to compare individual options, use the settings-impact guide. If your main issue is pauses or hitching rather than consistently low frame rate, go to the stuttering guide.
Make your next test easy to judge: keep the gameplay situation consistent, change one thing, and decide whether the result is worth keeping. Then use the supporting guide that fits the problem you still have, rather than changing several options at once.