How to get a stable 60 FPS in the new iteration of the most popular online hero shooter
With the graphics of the restart of Overwatch, which received a deuce in the title, there was an ambiguous situation. On the one hand, the lighting and color correction are noticeably better, baked reflections have been replaced with more honest ones in screen space (but this is still not ray tracing), and particle effects and other special effects have become more detailed. However, the difference in direct comparison has to be looked for with a magnifying glass, and system requirements have increased three times! Now, for a stable 60 frames at high settings (not even maximum) at 1080p resolution, a GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card is required, although the GTX 660 used to be enough. And if you want to play your favorite shooter on a modern 2K monitor with a frequency of 144 hertz, you will need something like RTX 2080 Ti or 3070!
About the same jump in system requirements was between Borderlands 2 and 3. However, the changes in Troika’s graphics were far from cosmetic. The cartoony visual style could be confusing at first, but in direct comparison, the difference in detail and manufacturability of the picture was very noticeable . Of course, it’s good that Overwatch 2 has refreshed the picture a little, but it’s unlikely that anyone pays attention to small touches (and even new lighting) in a dynamic online shooter. But everyone noticed how much the FPS dipped. Well – let’s try to figure it out in our guide.
What kind of computer is needed for Overwatch 2 (system requirements)
Requirements for the central processor also increased significantly. The game can load up to 12 threads. Therefore, a processor not lower than the modern Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5, or at least the old Core i7, is recommended. In addition, a stable 60 FPS at maximum settings at 1080p requires a GeForce GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 570 graphics card.
As for the official system requirements, they are only for 1080p (1920×1080) resolution. We’ve reviewed independent benchmarks of the game and added recommendations for 2K (2560×1440) and 4K (3840×2160) play.
Official minimum system requirements (720p @ 60 FPS, low preset):
- Operating system:Windows 10 (64-bit only!).
- Processor:Intel Core i3 / AMD Phenom X3 8650.
- Video card:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 600 Series / AMD Radeon HD 7000 Series.
- RAM:8 gigabytes.
Official recommended system requirements (1080p @ 60 FPS, high preset):
- Operating system:Windows 10 x64.
- Processor:Intel Core i7 / AMD Ryzen 5.
- Video card:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060.
- RAM:16 gigabytes.
How Overwatch 2 works on the GeForce GTX 1060, the most popular graphics card among Steam users
Computer to play at 1440p @ 60 FPS (tested):
- Operating system:Windows 10 x64.
- Processor:Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 7 2700X.
- Video card:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 / Radeon RX 5600 XT.
- RAM:16 gigabytes.
4K @ 60 FPS PC (tested):
- Operating system:Windows 10 x64.
- Processor:Intel Core i7-9700K / AMD Ryzen 7 3700X.
- Video Card:NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 / Radeon RX 5700 XT.
- RAM:16 gigabytes.
Overwatch 2 graphics settings / how to increase FPS (frame rate) in the game
Comparing graphics of the original with the relaunch
Next, we will analyze in detail all the graphical settings of Overwatch 2. Where applicable, we have indicated in brackets the maximum impact on the current performance as a percentage.
Testing was conducted on a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti graphics card in conjunction with a Core i5-10400F processor, the game was installed on an SSD.
- Screen mode. As always, we select full-screen mode so that the system allocates maximum resources to the game itself, without maintaining the desktop. And if you are a streamer – windowed without frames. This will make it easy to move the mouse cursor between two monitors.
- “Permission”. Here you should always select the native resolution of your display (the maximum available). So the picture will be as clear as possible. Also, set the correct refresh rate (60 / 75 / 144 etc.). And if you want to lower the resolution to increase FPS, it’s better to just lower the render scale further.
- “Line of sight”. On a very weak PC, you can lower it to 90. This will still fit enough space on the screen, and the FPS will increase a little. But in general, in a competitive shooter, it is better to set the maximum field of view – 103.
Frame from Destiny 2, but the essence, we think, is clear
- “Dynamic drawing scale”. Can be enabled on a very weak video card. The render resolution will be automatically reduced (without affecting the interface) to maintain 60 FPS. In other cases, we do not recommend – the picture will be very “soapy” during the battles.
- “Scale of drawing”. If the option above is not enabled, then set this to Selectable, and then move the slider to 100%. So the render resolution will always be full.
- Frame rate. Set to “Automatic”. So the maximum frame rate will be equal to the refresh rate of your monitor, which will reduce the load on the processor.
- “Vertical Synchronization”. It’s best to always turn it off in first-person shooters. Especially if you play with a mouse and not a gamepad. V-sync makes the footage smoother, but due to the aligned frame time, input lag ( input lag) increases.
- “Triple buffering”. This option is only useful when vertical sync is enabled – turn it off.
- “Reducing Buffering”. Reduces input latency by reducing queued frames to a minimum. On most systems, it has little to no effect on performance and slightly improves control responsiveness. Try turning it on.
- NVIDIA Reflex. Reduces system latency in games, which improves control responsiveness. However, a powerful processor is required (from 6 cores with a frequency of 4 GHz for everything). With a weak CPU, friezes may appear due to its overload. Option “On. + Boost” is only suitable for owners of modern Core i7 or Ryzen 7. Therefore, if you have a weak or outdated processor, it is better to turn it off.
- “High Quality Resampling”. Only AMD FSR technology of the first version is available, which strongly “soaps” the image. This can be slightly compensated by increasing the clarity using the appropriate slider, but this will not add detail to the picture. It is better to turn it off, leaving the option “Default”.
- Texture Quality (VRAM up to 3 GB at 1080p). Fortunately, the new version of Overwatch does not consume much video memory. For a resolution of 1920×1080, 3 gigabytes will be enough, and for 4K – 4 gigabytes. Therefore, most will be able to supply high quality textures. Worst case, average. True, at medium quality, the surfaces look noticeably more “blurred” and less detailed.
- “Texture filtering” (up to 1%). Not too resource-intensive task for at least some modern video cards. You can set the maximum value to 16X.
- Fog Detail (5-10%). Fog is not present on all maps, usually it is only a haze in the distance for depth effect. On most cards, it has little effect on performance. Set the quality to low or medium so that the FPS does not sag due to fog on some maps.
- “Dynamic reflections” (up to 20%). As mentioned in the intro, the game has replaced cubemap reflection technology with screen space reflections. Their dynamic part is responsible for reflections of special effects in surfaces. Therefore, FPS will sag most of all during battles. Recommended quality is not above average.
- “Shadows” (up to 15%). Along with lighting, shading has also been improved. Apparently, therefore, the shadows began to eat off a noticeable amount of productivity. If you want quality at the level of the original Overwatch, set the quality to medium – it looks more than acceptable, and the FPS will grow by 10 percent.
- “Detailing models” (5-15%). When there are a lot of characters in the frame, the maximum quality can squander FPS by 15 percent. And when there are few characters, by 5–10 percent. The low quality of detailing of models looks bad already at a short distance, so we recommend medium.
- “Detail effects” (up to 10%). The updated special effects are available at high quality, but it will cost about 10 percent of the performance. At the same time, even low looks normal – put it or the middle one.
- “Lighting quality” (up to 10%). Lighting can be adjusted from flat and expressionless (low and medium quality) to 3D with good color correction (high and ultra) and a smooth transition between light and shadow. The difference is especially noticeable indoors and on night maps. If this aspect of graphics is not so important for you, then set the quality to medium or low – another five FPS will be added (and on older video cards it can add much more).
- “Smoothing”. For older graphics cards, FXAA is a good option. It smoothes the “ladders” and almost does not consume FPS, but noticeably “soaps” the picture. And for relatively modern – SMAA at medium quality.
- “Quality of refraction” (up to 5%). Responsible for detailing transparent surfaces. In the game, these are mainly force fields and shields. True, when testing, we did not notice a difference in quality between low and high. At the same time, the FPS was slightly different. Set it low.
- Screenshot quality. It does not affect performance, but the size of saved screenshots. If you’re playing at 1920×1080 and you want maximum quality screenshots, you can increase the value. But screenshots will take up much more disk space.
- “Shading the environment” (up to 15%). This is Ambient Occlusion or diffuse shading. Adds additional shadows in corners, recesses and at the junctions of surfaces. Makes the picture more voluminous, but reduces FPS quite a lot at maximum quality. Therefore, medium or even low is recommended.
- “Local reflections” (up to 10%). Due to the cartoonish visual style, the static reflections are not too different from those of the old cubemap technology. At the same time, they also became more demanding. Locations will look slightly worse if turned off, but in a dynamic shooter you are unlikely to have time to look at them – turn it off.
- “Quality of damage effects” (up to 10%). If the quality of all special effects was adjusted in the “Detailed effects” parameter, then here only the effects of hitting characters. Sometimes it can noticeably sag performance, so it’s better to lower it to low or at least medium quality.
The final optimal Overwatch 2 settings for a weak (and not only) PC
IMPORTANT: All recommendations below are for 1920×1080 resolution.
Optimal settings for a weak PC (GTX 660 / HD 7850):
- Screen mode:full screen.
- Field of view:
- Dynamic draw scale:
- Drawing scale:
- Frame Rate:
- Vertical sync:
- Triple buffering:
- Reduce Buffering:
- NVIDIA Reflex:
- High Quality Resampling:
- Texture quality:
- Texture Filtering:High – 4x.
- Fog Detail:
- Dynamic reflections:
- Shadows:
- Detailing of models:
- Effects Detail:
- Lighting quality:
- Anti- Aliasing:Low – FXAA.
- Refractive quality:
- Screenshot quality:X1 resolution.
- Environment shading:
- Local reflections:
- Damage effects quality:
Optimal settings for an entry-level gaming PC (GTX 1660 / RX 590):
- Screen mode:full screen.
- Field of view:
- Dynamic draw scale:
- Drawing scale:
- Resolution in the game:100%.
- Frame Rate:
- Vertical sync:
- Triple buffering:
- Reduce Buffering:
- NVIDIA Reflex:enable (no Boost!).
- High Quality Resampling:
- Texture quality:
- Texture Filtering:Epic – 16x.
- Fog Detail:
- Dynamic Reflections:
- Shadows:
- Model detail:
- Effect Detail:
- Light quality:
- Anti- aliasing:high – SMAA (medium).
- Refractive quality:
- Screenshot quality:X1 resolution.
- Environment Shading:
- Local reflections:
- Damage Effect Quality:
Optimal settings for a mid-range PC (RTX 2070 / RX 5700 XT):
- Screen mode:full screen.
- Field of view:
- Dynamic draw scale:
- Drawing scale:
- Resolution in the game:100%.
- Frame Rate:
- Vertical sync:
- Triple buffering:
- Reduce Buffering:
- NVIDIA Reflex:enable (no Boost!).
- High Quality Resampling:
- Texture quality:
- Texture Filtering:Epic – 16x.
- Fog Detail:
- Dynamic Reflections:
- Shadows:
- Detailing of models:
- Effect Detail:
- Lighting quality:
- Anti- aliasing:high – SMAA (medium).
- Refractive quality:
- Screenshot quality:X1 resolution.
- Environment Shading:
- Local reflections:
- Damage effects quality:
Optimal settings for a pre-top PC (RTX 3070 / RX 6700 XT):
- Screen mode:full screen.
- Field of view:
- Dynamic draw scale:
- Drawing scale:
- Resolution in the game:100%.
- Frame Rate:
- Vertical sync:
- Triple buffering:
- Reduce Buffering:
- NVIDIA Reflex:enable (no Boost!).
- High Quality Resampling:
- Texture quality:
- Texture Filtering:Epic – 16x.
- Fog Detail:
- Dynamic reflections:
- Shadows:
- Detailing of models:
- Effect Detail:
- Lighting quality:
- Anti- aliasing:high – SMAA (medium).
- Refractive quality:
- Screenshot quality:X1 resolution.
- Ambient Shading:
- Local reflections:
- Damage effects quality:
That’s all. Let us know in the comments if you have any questions about setting up graphics in Overwatch 2 or if you have technical problems with the game – we will try to help you!