What “Best Settings” Means in Deadlock (Pick Your Goal First)

Before you change anything, decide what you want your settings to do. In Deadlock, there are usually three “best settings” goals:

1) Competitive Performance (recommended for most players)

• Stable FPS during teamfights
• Low input delay
• Clear visuals (less bloom, blur, and lighting noise)

2) Competitive Clarity + Some Beauty (for strong PCs)

• High textures (nice readability on surfaces)
• Medium shadows/AO if it doesn’t distract you
• Still keeps motion blur, bloom, and heavy post-processing low/off

3) Low-End Stability (for weaker PCs)

• Maximum FPS stability and minimal stutter
• Aggressive reductions to lighting/shadows/effects
• Often uses lower Render Quality or stronger upscaling

Most players should aim for Competitive Performance because it helps you in every situation: laning denies/secures, tracking targets in fights, and reading ability effects during chaos.

The One Rule That Matters Most: Stable FPS Beats High FPS

Deadlock feels great at very high FPS, but it feels awful when FPS swings hard during fights. A stable 120 FPS is usually better than bouncing between 200 and 90.

Your target should be based on your monitor:

• 60 Hz monitor → stable 60–90 FPS
• 120/144 Hz monitor → stable 120–144 FPS
• 165/240 Hz monitor → stable 165–240 FPS if your PC can hold it in fights

If your FPS drops during large fights, your first priority is to reduce the settings that spike CPU/GPU load the most: shadows, AO, reflections, lighting features, and heavy post processing.

Quick Preset: Best Deadlock Settings for Competitive Performance (Most PCs)

Use this as a “plug-and-play” baseline. You can raise quality later if you still keep stable FPS.

Display / Window

• Window Mode: Full Screen (or Borderless if you alt-tab constantly)
• Aspect Ratio: match your monitor (commonly 16:9)
• Resolution: Native (start here; lower only if needed)

Rendering

• Rendering API: Direct3D 11 (DX11) if you want the most common stability baseline
• Use Advanced Settings: On
• VSync: Off
• Max FPS allowed: set to your monitor refresh (or slightly above), or cap lower if you get spikes/tearing

Clarity / Performance heavy-hitters

• Motion Blur: Off
• Post Process Bloom: Off
• Effects Bloom: Off
• Depth of Field: Off
• Screen Space AO: Off
• Distance Field AO: Off
• Distance Field Reflections: Off
• MBOIT: Off

Textures / Shadows

• Texture Quality: Medium (Low if you need FPS)
• Shadow Quality: Low (or Medium if your PC holds stable FPS)

This setup removes the biggest “visual noise” options while protecting your FPS in the moments that matter most.

Best Video Settings Explained (So You Know What to Change First)

This section tells you what each major video setting really does — and what to do with it for FPS + visibility.

Resolution, Render Quality, and Upscaling (The FPS Trinity)

These three settings decide your raw GPU load more than anything else.

Resolution

• Native resolution gives the cleanest image and best enemy readability at range.
• If you are stuttering or dropping heavily in fights, try lowering resolution one step or use upscaling.

Render Quality (Render Scale)

• This is one of the strongest FPS levers.
• Lower Render Quality reduces internal rendering resolution even if your monitor resolution stays the same.
• If you need a big FPS boost, reduce Render Quality before you destroy everything else.

Upscaling Technology (FSR2 vs Stretch)

You’ll generally see two common approaches:

• FSR2 (TAA): often helps frame stability and smoothness, but can look softer or introduce some shimmering/ghosting depending on settings and motion.
• Stretch: a simpler approach that can look sharper in motion for some players when paired with low/none AA, but may be less “stable-looking” on edges depending on your render quality.

Practical advice

• If your game feels “stuttery” or inconsistent, try FSR2 (TAA) first.
• If you hate temporal softness and want a sharper feel, try Stretch with Anti-Aliasing: None or FXAA.
• Don’t guess — test in the same area and the same kind of fight. Deadlock performance changes drastically in big teamfights.

Anti-Aliasing (AA): Clarity vs Clean Edges

Anti-aliasing smooths jagged edges, but it can also blur the image or cost FPS.

• None: sharpest look, best for clarity purists, often best FPS
• FXAA: light smoothing, usually low cost
• Temporal methods (via upscaling): can look stable but may soften detail

Recommended

• Competitive clarity: None or FXAA
• If you use FSR2 (TAA), use its sharpening to keep the image readable.

Motion Blur, Bloom, and Depth of Field (Turn Off for Competitive)

These are the settings that make Deadlock “cinematic,” but they’re also the settings that make fights harder to read.

• Motion Blur: Off (always)
• Post Process Bloom / Effects Bloom: Off (recommended)
• Depth of Field: Off (recommended)

Turning these off improves visibility, reduces visual clutter, and often improves FPS.

Ambient Occlusion (AO) and Lighting Options (The Hidden FPS Killers)

AO and advanced lighting can look good — but they commonly cost frames and make scenes darker or “muddy.”

• Screen Space AO: Off
• Distance Field AO: Off
• Area Lights: Off (for competitive)
• Distance Field Shadows: Off
• Distance Field Reflections: Off

If you have a high-end PC and you care about visuals, you can experiment with small increases — but always check big fight FPS, not just empty lanes.

Textures and Shadows (The “Safe” Quality Upgrades)

If you want the game to look nicer without destroying FPS:

• Texture Quality is often safer to raise than effects/lighting (especially if you have enough VRAM).
• Shadow Quality can be expensive; keep it Low or Medium if you care about stable FPS.

A good “looks better without griefing performance” combo is:

• Texture Quality: High (if your GPU VRAM can handle it)
• Shadow Quality: Medium
• Keep bloom/DoF/motion blur OFF

VSync, Frame Caps, and Tearing (How to Make the Game Feel Responsive)

VSync Off is the default competitive choice because VSync can increase input delay.

But what about screen tearing?

• If tearing is minor, ignore it and keep VSync off.
• If tearing is distracting, use a frame cap instead of VSync.

Practical cap method

• Cap your FPS slightly below your monitor refresh rate (example: 141 on 144 Hz).
• This often reduces tearing while keeping input delay low.

Also remember: Deadlock includes a Dashboard maximum FPS setting that doesn’t affect gameplay. You can set that high to keep menus smooth without worrying about match performance.

Visibility Settings: Make Enemies and Effects Easier to Read

Deadlock can get visually loud in mid-to-late fights. Visibility settings aren’t only about “brightness” — they’re about reducing distractions and increasing contrast.

Reduce Flashing Effects (Use It If Fights Feel Overwhelming)

Deadlock includes Reduce Flashing Effects, which helps some players deal with heavy strobing and intense ability visuals.

• If teamfights feel like a flashbang festival, turn it On.
• If you’re not bothered and want the “full” effects, you can leave it Off — but competitive players often prefer less visual noise.

Brightness (Set for “Shadow Detail,” Not for Aesthetic)

Brightness should help you see detail in darker areas without washing out the whole map.

A practical way to set it:

• Stand in an area with shadow + bright background.
• Raise brightness until you can still see enemy silhouettes clearly in shadow, without turning highlights into a white haze.

If your game sometimes loads dimmer than expected, re-check brightness quickly in the first minute so you’re not playing a whole match in “night mode.”

Enemy Highlight / Outline Color (Huge Visibility Upgrade)

If Deadlock’s default enemy outline color blends into the environment for you, check the Accessibility settings. Many players improve target tracking by switching enemy highlights to a higher-contrast color (yellow is a common pick because it stands out against many map tones).

This is especially important if:

• you’re colorblind,
• you struggle tracking enemies in orange/purple lighting,
• or you lose targets in crowded effects.

Crosshair: Make It Visible Without Covering Targets

Your crosshair is part of “settings,” too — and it impacts aim consistency and deny/secure accuracy.

A strong competitive crosshair is:

• visible in bright and dark areas,
• thin enough to not hide heads,
• stable enough to track movement without distraction.

A clean starter crosshair style

• Small pip crosshair (thin lines) with a small gap
• Or a minimal dot crosshair if you like precision

If you find yourself losing the crosshair in effects, switch color to something that contrasts most backgrounds (cyan/green/yellow are popular) and avoid overly transparent settings.

Audio Settings: Hear Rotations, Abilities, and Threat Direction

Audio wins fights in Deadlock because it tells you what you can’t see: rotations, ziplines, ability casts, and enemy movement.

Best In-Game Audio Settings (Competitive Baseline)

A simple baseline that works for most players:

• Master Volume: set to a safe, clear level (not painful)
• Game Sound: 100
• Menu Music: 0 (or very low)
• Voice Chat: ~50 (adjust to comfort)
• Speaker Configuration: Headphones
• Open Mic: Off
• Push To Talk: On (pick a key you can press easily)
• Mic Trigger Threshold: low (commonly 0%) if you use push to talk

The key idea: keep game audio strong, remove music distractions, and keep voice chat at a level that doesn’t mask important cues.

Headphones vs Speakers (Don’t Sabotage Directional Cues)

For competitive play, headphones are strongly recommended because directional cues matter:

• footsteps and movement
• zipline travel
• nearby ability casts
• “who is pushing what angle”

If you use speakers, you’ll often lose direction accuracy and confuse left/right positioning during fights.

Windows Audio Tips (Simple, Safe Changes)

If your directional audio feels weird or muddy:

• Use Stereo/Headphones output
• Avoid stacking multiple “virtual surround” layers at once (headset software + Windows spatial + other enhancers)

If you use an EQ:

• Keep changes small — over-EQ often makes things worse
• Reduce booming bass slightly if it masks detail
• Keep mids clear so movement and ability textures don’t get buried

Sensitivity Settings: How to Find the “Right” Sens in Deadlock

Sensitivity is personal, but it’s not random. The “right” sensitivity is the one that lets you:

• track targets smoothly,
• flick to nearby threats,
• and keep control in panic moments.

DPI and In-Game Sensitivity (Start With a Stable Foundation)

A simple competitive starting foundation:

• DPI: 400–800 (common range for consistent control)
• In-game sensitivity: choose a value that lets you do a comfortable 180° turn with a medium swipe, without lifting constantly

If you change DPI, adjust in-game sens accordingly so your effective sensitivity stays similar.

Zoom Sensitivity Ratio (Set to Feel Natural)

Many players prefer Zoom Sensitivity Ratio: 1.00 because it keeps zoomed aim feeling consistent with hip-fire aim. If zoom feels too fast or too slow, adjust slightly — but don’t change it constantly. Consistency beats perfection.

A Simple Method to Tune Sensitivity in 10 Minutes

Do this once, then stop touching sens for a week.

Step 1: Pick a baseline

• Choose your DPI (400 or 800 is common).
• Set in-game sensitivity so a full mousepad swipe ≈ 270° to 360° (depending on your pad size). If your pad is small, aim closer to 270°. If large, closer to 360°.

Step 2: Tracking test

• In a practice area, track a moving target while strafing.
• If you constantly over-correct and shake: sensitivity is too high.
• If you can’t keep up and “drag behind”: sensitivity is too low.

Step 3: Deny/Secure precision test

• Practice hitting small, precise targets (Soul orb sized) quickly.
• If micro-adjustments feel impossible, lower sensitivity slightly.

Step 4: Commit

• After small changes, lock it in.
• Your brain adapts best when settings stop moving.

Mouse Feel Settings That Matter (Raw Input, Acceleration, Polling)

These aren’t “Deadlock-only,” but they affect how Deadlock feels.

• Use Raw Input if available (or enable it if the game supports it through settings/launch options).
• Turn off mouse acceleration in your OS for consistency.
• Polling rate: 500–1000 Hz is common (use what your mouse handles reliably).

The goal is predictable aim, not “fastest numbers.”

Best Deadlock Settings by PC Tier (Copy-Paste Presets)

If you don’t want to tweak forever, choose the preset closest to your PC and adjust from there.

Low-End / Stable FPS Preset

Use when you get stutters or big drops in fights.

• Rendering: Direct3D 11
• Upscaling: FSR2 (TAA) or Stretch (test which feels smoother)
• Render Quality: 50–70%
• Anti-Aliasing: None or FXAA
• Screen Space AO: Off
• Distance Field AO: Off
• Shadow Quality: Low
• Texture Quality: Low/Medium
• Motion Blur: Off
• Bloom (both): Off
• Depth of Field: Off
• Reflections: Off
• Area Lights: Off
• VSync: Off
• Max FPS allowed: cap to a stable value you can actually hold in fights

Mid PC / Competitive Performance Preset

A balanced “looks good but plays clean” setup.

• Render Quality: ~70–90% (increase if stable)
• Textures: Medium/High (if VRAM allows)
• Shadows: Low/Medium
• AO: Off/Low (only if it doesn’t hurt stability)
• Bloom/DoF/Motion Blur: Off
• VSync: Off
• Cap FPS to your monitor refresh if stable

High-End PC / Clarity + Quality Preset

If you have a strong PC and want better visuals without sacrificing competitive clarity:

• Render Quality: ~90%
• Textures: High
• Shadows: High (only if stable in fights)
• Screen Space AO: Medium (optional)
• Distance Field AO: High (optional, but watch performance)
• Keep Bloom/DoF/Motion Blur Off
• VSync Off
• Cap FPS to your refresh (or 240 if you can hold it)

Important: even on high-end, effects-heavy fights can spike. Always judge the preset by late-game teamfights, not by empty lanes.

Input Delay Checklist (Small Changes That Feel Huge)

If the game feels “floaty” or delayed, run this checklist:

• VSync Off
• Full Screen (or Borderless if you must, but test)
• Stable FPS cap (avoid wild swings)
• Lower the settings that spike during fights (shadows/AO/lighting)
• Close heavy background apps while playing
• Make sure your monitor is actually set to its refresh rate in your OS

Deadlock is fast; input delay feels worse here than in slower shooters.

Communication Audio Settings (So Your Team Doesn’t Ruin Your Focus)

Voice chat is useful — but not if it’s so loud you miss ability cues.

Practical approach:

• Voice Chat Volume around 40–60
• Push-to-talk on a comfortable key
• Open mic off unless your mic is clean and quiet
• Mic threshold low if you use push-to-talk (so you’re not cutting out)

If you’re trying to climb, you want comms audible but not dominant.

Troubleshooting: If FPS Is Still Bad

If you’ve already lowered settings and it still stutters:

• Lower Render Quality further (this is usually the biggest help)
• Switch Upscaling mode (FSR2 vs Stretch)
• Try a different rendering mode if available (many players start with DX11 for stability)
• Cap FPS lower (stability first)
• Reduce background load (browser tabs, overlays, recording software)

Deadlock patches can also change performance over time, so if you suddenly lose FPS after an update, re-check the heavy-hitter settings first.

BoostRoom: Get Your Settings + Aim + Clarity Tuned for Your Playstyle

If you want faster improvement, settings are a high-leverage fix — but only when they match how you play. BoostRoom helps you stop guessing and build a setup that supports your role and strengths.

What BoostRoom-style support can do for settings:

• Identify the exact settings that cause stutter on your PC (especially during teamfights)
• Tune visibility so you track targets and read fights faster
• Lock in sensitivity and zoom ratio so aim feels consistent
• Build a “two preset” system (Ranked preset + Warmup/Practice preset)
• Pair your settings with practical drills (tracking, orb denies/secures, recoil control)

Better settings won’t replace practice — but they remove friction so your practice actually sticks.

FAQ

Should I use Fullscreen or Borderless in Deadlock?

Fullscreen is usually the competitive choice for responsiveness, but borderless is fine if it doesn’t add noticeable delay and you alt-tab often. Test both and keep the one that feels more responsive.

Is VSync good in Deadlock?

Most competitive players keep VSync off to avoid added input delay. If tearing bothers you, cap FPS slightly below your monitor refresh instead.

What’s the best setting to increase FPS the most?

Render Quality (render scale) and heavy lighting features (AO, shadows, reflections). Start with Render Quality first if you need a big boost.

FSR2 (TAA) or Stretch — which is better?

FSR2 often helps stability and smoothness, while Stretch can feel sharper for some players. The best choice depends on your hardware and what looks/feels clearer to you.

How do I pick the right sensitivity?

Pick a baseline that allows comfortable 180° turns, then test tracking and precise micro-adjustments. If you over-correct, lower sens. If you can’t keep up, raise slightly. Then commit for a week.

What audio setting matters most?

Speaker Configuration: Headphones, plus turning menu music down/off. After that, keep game sound strong and voice chat balanced so it doesn’t mask cues.

How do I improve visibility in chaotic fights?

Turn off motion blur/bloom/depth of field, consider Reduce Flashing Effects, and adjust enemy outline/highlight color for contrast.