Guide

Deadlock Best Settings & FPS Guide

Which options cost frames, what to set them to, and the launch options that actually do something.

Updated Oct 16, 02:23 UTC·Refreshed daily from public match data·Methodology

What are the best Deadlock settings for FPS?

For most PCs the quickest win is upscaling: turn on FSR or DLSS at Quality. Then set shadows to Low or Medium, particles to Low, and switch ambient occlusion and V-Sync off — those cost frames without giving you any information in fights. Keep texture quality high if your graphics card has 6 GB or more of video memory, because textures use memory rather than speed. Turn on NVIDIA Reflex or AMD Anti-Lag for lower input delay and cap your FPS a few frames under your monitor's refresh rate. For launch options, add -dx11 only if the game crashes on start-up; tricks like -high don't raise FPS. Change one setting at a time so you can see what actually helped.

Graphics settings, ranked by FPS cost

Impact is typical for Deadlock's Source 2 engine; exact gains depend on your GPU. Menu names can shift slightly between patches.

Setting	FPS impact	Competitive pick	Why
Upscaling (FSR / DLSS)	High	On – Quality	Renders below your screen resolution and scales up. The biggest single FPS gain on mid-range GPUs. DLSS needs an RTX card.
Shadow quality	High	Low or Medium	Usually the most expensive slider in team fights. Low still shows enemy shadows around corners.
Ambient occlusion	Medium	Off	Soft contact shadows. Looks nicer, costs frames, gives no gameplay info.
Particle detail	Medium	Low	Ability effects stack up in late-game fights; lower detail keeps 5v5 brawls smooth and readable.
Anti-aliasing	Medium	Off when upscaling, else lowest	Upscalers already smooth edges.
Texture quality	Low	High if you have 6 GB+ VRAM	Mostly uses video memory, not GPU time. Drop it only if you stutter.
V-Sync	Medium	Off	Adds input delay. Cap FPS instead (see below).
NVIDIA Reflex / AMD Anti-Lag	Low	On	Lowers input latency; little effect on FPS.
Display mode	Low	Fullscreen	Fullscreen usually has the lowest latency; borderless is easier for alt-tabbing.

Launch options: what works and what's a myth

Steam → right-click Deadlock → Properties → General → Launch Options. Separate options with spaces. Don't combine -dx11 and -vulkan.

Option	Verdict	What it does
`-dx11`	Fix	Forces DirectX 11. The standard fix if the game crashes on start-up with Vulkan.
`-vulkan`	Experimental	Switches to the Vulkan renderer. Some AMD players report better FPS, others more stutter — test it.
`-console`	Works	Opens the developer console at launch.
`-novid`	Works	Skips the intro video. Faster start, no FPS change.
`+fps_max 0`	Works	Sets the frame cap from the start (0 = uncapped). Replace 0 with your own cap.
`+exec autoexec`	Works	Runs game\citadel\cfg\autoexec.cfg — your own list of commands — every launch.
`-high`	Myth	Only raises Windows process priority. No measured FPS gain; can hurt Discord/OBS.
`-noassert / -fullscreen`	Myth	Often copied from other games; no evidence they change Deadlock performance.

Safe starting launch options

-novid -console

Console, FPS cap and autoexec

Open the console: enable the developer console in Settings, then press F7 (or launch with -console).
Show FPS: Steam → Settings → In Game → In-game FPS counter. It's free and works in every mode.
Cap FPS: fps_max followed by a number — a few frames under your refresh rate (141 on a 144 Hz screen) keeps frame times even. fps_max 0 removes the cap.
Save commands in game\citadel\cfg\autoexec.cfg and add +exec autoexec to your launch options so they run every time.

Cap at 141 FPS (144 Hz screen)

fps_max 141

Example autoexec.cfg

// game\citadel\cfg\autoexec.cfg — one command per line
fps_max 0

Settings & FPS FAQ

What are the best settings for FPS in Deadlock?＋

Turn on FSR or DLSS at Quality, set shadows to Low or Medium, turn ambient occlusion and V-Sync off, set particles to Low and keep textures High if your GPU has 6 GB or more of video memory. Then cap FPS a few frames below your monitor's refresh rate.

How do I show FPS in Deadlock?＋

The simplest way is Steam's counter: Steam > Settings > In Game > In-game FPS counter. It works in every match and costs nothing.

How do I open the console in Deadlock?＋

Enable the developer console in the game's settings, then press F7. You can also add -console to your launch options.

How do I add launch options in Deadlock?＋

In Steam, right-click Deadlock > Properties > General > Launch Options, type the options separated by spaces (for example -dx11 -novid) and close the window.

Should I use Vulkan or DirectX 11 in Deadlock?＋

Start with the default. If the game crashes on launch, add -dx11. Try -vulkan only if you want to test; results differ by GPU and Vulkan is still treated as experimental.

How do I cap FPS in Deadlock?＋

Use the in-game frame limit, the fps_max console command (for example fps_max 141 for a 144 Hz screen), or your GPU driver's limiter, which some players find the smoothest.

Does -high improve FPS in Deadlock?＋

There is no measured gain. It only raises Windows process priority and can make background apps like Discord stutter.

Why is Deadlock stuttering?＋

Common causes are shader compilation in the first matches after a driver or game update, V-Sync on, and running out of video memory. Let a match or two finish, turn V-Sync off and lower texture quality if it persists.

Want to change how the game looks instead? See how to install Deadlock mods. Then pick a strong hero from the tier list or read the latest patch notes.