Best graphics settings to run Cities Skylines 2 on PC

on

The long-awaited Cities: Skylines II is finally here! If you're a fan of city-building games, the sequel to the critically acclaimed Cities: Skylines offers an expanded and more refined experience. Developed by Colossal Order and published by Paradox Interactive, Cities: Skylines II introduces a new level of simulation depth, including larger cities, improved traffic AI, and more detailed management systems. However, with its enhanced features, you may need to adjust your graphics settings for optimal performance, especially if you're running the game on a PC with varying hardware capabilities.

In this guide, we will share the best in-game graphics settings to ensure smooth gameplay on both low-end and high-end PCs.

Graphics Settings for Smooth Gameplay

To run Cities: Skylines II efficiently, you'll want to tweak various graphical settings to strike the balance between visual quality and performance. Below are the recommended settings for different types of PCs:

1. Screen Resolution: Native

Best for: All PCs

  • Set your resolution to your monitor's native resolution for the sharpest and clearest image. If you're struggling with performance, you may want to lower the resolution slightly, but it's recommended to keep it as close to native as possible for the best visual experience.

2. Display Mode: Fullscreen

Best for: All PCs

  • Always play in Fullscreen mode. This helps with performance, as it gives the game exclusive access to the GPU. It also minimizes input lag, which is crucial when you're managing complex cities.

3. VSync: On

Best for: Mid-range to high-end PCs

  • Turning on VSync ensures your frame rate stays in sync with your monitor’s refresh rate. This can eliminate screen tearing, which often happens during fast movements in games like Cities: Skylines II. If you're aiming for a smoother visual experience, enable VSync.

4. Depth of Field Mode: Disabled

Best for: All PCs

  • Depth of field can blur distant objects and add a cinematic effect, but it can significantly impact performance. It's best to disable this setting unless you have a high-end GPU that can handle it without performance loss.

5. Global Graphics Quality: Custom

Best for: All PCs

  • Rather than using pre-configured "Low," "Medium," or "High" settings, the Custom option allows you to adjust specific settings for the best balance between visuals and performance.

6. Dynamic Resolution Scale Quality: Disabled

Best for: All PCs

  • Dynamic resolution scales the game's resolution to maintain a stable frame rate when your PC is struggling. While this is helpful on lower-end PCs, it can result in blurry visuals. It's recommended to disable it if you want to preserve image sharpness, especially if your PC is capable of handling the game without needing dynamic scaling.

7. Anti-Aliasing Quality: FXAA

Best for: Low to mid-range PCs

  • Anti-aliasing smooths out jagged edges in the game, but it comes at a performance cost. FXAA (Fast Approximate Anti-Aliasing) is a lightweight form of anti-aliasing that provides good results without causing too much of a performance hit. This is ideal for low to mid-range PCs.

8. Cloud Quality Settings: Low
Best Graphics Settings, Cities Skylines 2, PC

Best for: All PCs

  • Clouds can add atmosphere to your city, but they are a heavy drain on performance. Set this to Low to improve FPS, especially if you’re on a budget system.

9. Fog Quality Settings: Disabled

Best for: Low to mid-range PCs

  • Fog can enhance the ambiance of your city, but it can also lower performance. Unless you have a high-end PC, it's best to disable this setting.

10. Volumetric Quality Settings: Disabled

Best for: Low to mid-range PCs

  • Volumetric effects like lighting and fog can look great but are resource-intensive. Disabling this feature will help improve frame rates on most systems, especially on lower-end hardware.

11. Ambient Occlusion Quality: Low

Best for: All PCs

  • Ambient Occlusion adds depth to scenes by simulating how light interacts with objects in the environment. However, it's not critical to gameplay and can be set to Low to boost performance without a noticeable visual difference.

12. Global Illumination Quality: Custom

Best for: High-end PCs

  • Global Illumination simulates realistic lighting in your city. In the Advanced Settings, set the Ray Steps to the lowest figure (16) to improve performance without sacrificing too much visual fidelity.

13. Reflections Quality: Low

Best for: Low to mid-range PCs

  • Reflections, especially on water and wet surfaces, can look stunning but are quite demanding. Set this to Low to reduce the strain on your system, especially on lower-end hardware.

14. Motion Blur: Disabled

Best for: All PCs

  • Motion blur is often a divisive effect that can make motion feel smoother. However, it can also make things look a bit unnatural and can drop your frame rate. Disable motion blur for the best performance and visual clarity.

15. Shadow Quality: Low

Best for: All PCs

  • Shadows can add realism, but they are a significant performance killer. Set shadow quality to Low to maintain higher frame rates, especially on mid-range or lower-end systems.

16. Terrain Quality Settings: Medium

Best for: Mid-range to high-end PCs

  • The terrain in Cities: Skylines II is detailed and can be demanding on your GPU. Set it to Medium for a good balance between visual quality and performance.

17. Water Quality Settings: Medium

Best for: Mid-range to high-end PCs

  • Water effects, like rivers, lakes, and oceans, can be quite detailed. Setting the water quality to Medium will help avoid stuttering without sacrificing too much visual quality.

18. Level of Detail: Medium

Best for: Mid-range to high-end PCs

  • Level of Detail (LOD) affects how much detail is visible on objects as you zoom in or out. Set it to Medium for the best performance while maintaining enough detail when zoomed in.

19. Animation Quality: Medium

Best for: Mid-range to high-end PCs

  • Animation quality affects the smoothness and detail of moving objects, like vehicles and pedestrians. Setting it to Medium ensures good performance and smooth animation without overloading the system.

20. Texture Quality Settings: High

Best for: High-end PCs (depending on VRAM)

  • If you have a powerful GPU with ample VRAM, you can set texture quality to High for crisp, detailed textures. For lower-end systems or those with limited VRAM, you may need to lower this setting to maintain performance.

Final Thoughts

Optimizing your settings for Cities: Skylines II is essential to ensuring a smooth and enjoyable gameplay experience. By following this guide, you can achieve the best balance of visuals and performance on your PC, whether you're running a high-end rig or a more modest system. Remember that performance can vary based on your specific hardware, so feel free to adjust these settings to suit your needs.

Happy city building!

Comments

Post a Comment