Red Dead Redemption 2 was a technical marvel at its release in 2018, and even today it remains one of the most visually impressive open-world games available. With a vast selection of graphical settings and extensive hardware compatibility, it’s also one of the most scalable titles on PC. This guide will walk you through every major setting, explaining what it does, how it impacts visuals and performance, and offering optimized recommendations for a balanced experience.

API Comparison: DX12 vs Vulkan

Before diving into individual settings, it’s important to note that RDR2 supports both DirectX 12 and Vulkan APIs. In general, Vulkan offers better performance and stability, though results may vary based on your specific hardware. It’s worth testing both to see which performs best for your system.

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Image Quality & Anti-Aliasing

• DLSS vs FSR: The game supports DLSS 2.2.10, but this older version introduces noticeable shimmering. FSR provides clearer results and overall better image stability.
• Anti-Aliasing Options:
  • FXAA: Minimal performance hit but poor quality.
  • MSAA: High visual quality but expensive—x2 costs 24%, x4 42%, x8 61% at 1440p.
  • TAA: Balanced and low impact; recommended for most users.

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Textures & Geometry

• Texture Quality: Only Ultra delivers crisp visuals. Lower settings cause noticeable degradation.
• Anisotropic Filtering: Minimal performance cost. Use 16x.
• Geometric Level of Detail: Higher values reduce pop-in. GPU-bound systems see minimal impact; CPU-bound can cost up to 5%. Recommended: 3/5.
• Tessellation: Adds detail to snow/mud tracks. Costs ~3%. Recommended: Ultra.
• Parallax Occlusion Mapping: Adds depth to flat surfaces. Use Medium or High. Ultra offers no real visual gains for added cost.

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Shadows

• Shadow Quality: Higher quality improves sharpness. High or Ultra recommended (4% cost).
• Far Shadow Quality: Impacts distant shadows; only ~2% cost. Recommended: Ultra.
• Soft Shadows: Personal preference. Minimal impact. Use or disable based on taste.
• Grass Shadows: Low impact. Recommended: Ultra.
• Long Shadows: Improves lighting at sunrise/sunset. Recommended: On.
• Ambient Occlusion (SSAO): Adds depth to contact points. High recommended (Ultra offers little gain).
• Full-Res SSAO: No visual improvement, costs 4%. Recommended: Off.

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Volumetrics & Lighting

• Lighting Quality: A major performance hit. Medium offers good visuals with huge gains. Recommended: Medium or High.
• Global Illumination: Indirect lighting. Low cost, good visuals. Recommended: Ultra.
• Near Volumetric Quality: Controls nearby lighting volume. Medium balances quality and cost. Recommended: Medium.
• Far Volumetric Quality: For distant clouds/lights. Minimal cost. Recommended: High or Ultra.
• Volumetric Lighting Quality: Removes banding. Low impact. Recommended: Ultra.
• Unlocked Volumetric Raymarch: No noticeable difference; costs 6%. Recommended: Off.

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Reflections

• Reflection Quality: One of the heaviest settings. Medium is optimal. Ultra costs 21% with minor visual gain.
• Reflection MSAA: Very demanding. OFF to x8 can cost 24%. Recommended: Off.
• Mirror Quality: Aesthetic-only. No impact. Recommended: Ultra.

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Trees & Foliage

• Grass LOD: High settings reduce pop-in. Recommended: 5 or 6 out of 10.
• Tree Quality: Negligible impact. Recommended: Ultra.
• Tree Tessellation: Heavy performance cost (up to 15%). Recommended: Off.

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Water Settings

• Water Refraction Quality: Visual clarity in water bodies. Recommended: Medium.
• Water Reflection Quality: Improves SSR in water. Recommended: Medium.
• Water Physics Quality: High CPU/GPU cost. 4/4 costs up to 43% when CPU-bound. Recommended: 2/4.

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Additional Settings

• Particle Quality / Particle Lighting: No visible difference across settings. Recommended: Medium or High.
• Decal Quality: Affects bullet holes and blood. Recommended: Ultra (no performance hit).
• Fur Quality: Slight improvement in animal fur. High costs ~7%. Recommended: Medium.

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Optimized vs Max Settings

Testing shows that optimized settings can deliver up to 90% performance improvement over max settings with minimal loss in visual fidelity. The in-game benchmark supports this, especially when using TAA and removing MSAA. Key demanding options to adjust for gains:

• Water Physics
• Tree Tessellation
• Lighting Quality
• Reflection Quality with MSAA

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Final Thoughts

Red Dead Redemption 2 remains a benchmark for visual excellence, with detail, lighting, and world design that still surpass many modern releases. The game’s PC port is impressively flexible, allowing players to tweak settings for stunning visuals or high performance depending on their hardware. Focus your optimizations around a few key settings, and you’ll get the most out of this iconic open-world masterpiece.

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