A performance guide for Low End PCs

Overview

A quick guide on how to boost performance on older/weaker systems that struggle to achieve playable fps.

Introduction

Before we get on with the guide, I would like to apologise for the quality of the pictures.

The game is still new so there aren’t many tweaks to help improve performance. However with the few that we do have, they can greatly improve your fps.

In-game Settings

• General rule of thumb for low end users – ALWAYS start at the lowest. That means using the lowest settings the game allows.

  

• Most of the settings are turned down to their absolute lowest other than a select few. Some options such as Bloom and VFX Culling Bias currently aren’t toggleable or just resets themselves.

Display Settings

• If you are still struggling for performance, you can try changing your display resolution.

  

• I advise you to experiment with this but for the sake of MAXIMUM performance, we’ll be using both 1366×768 and 800×600. The smaller the resolution, the lesser the load put on your computer. This allows it to direct more of its resources towards running the game.

Launch Options

Most of the well-known launch options such as -high don’t work. The only launch command that works as of right now is -window-mode exclusive which essentially puts your game into TRUE fullscreen.

• What’s true fullscreen and why do I need it?
  Well, the game was made on the Unity engine and Unity games don’t have a fullscreen mode, The given ‘fullscreen’ option is actually Windowed Borderless Fullscreen.

• How is that different from true fullscreen?
  Windowed Borderless Fullscreen imitates fullscreen but is actually a window without borders (hence, windowed borderless). That means your desktop is still running in the background so the resources of your computer are being directed to BOTH the game and your desktop. While this is useful for those who alt+tab frequently, it consumes performance alot.

• So how do I actually enable true fullscreen?
  It’s simple. Launch the game and once you’re in the main menu, press alt+enter twice. The first ‘alt+enter’ should put your game in windowed mode and the second ‘alt-enter’ puts your game into true fullscreen mode.
  (Note: You will have to do this manually everytime you launch the game.)

By enabling true fullscreen, your computer is focusing ALL of its resources towards running the game. This allows you to achieve higher and perhaps, stabler fps. The downside is that when you alt+tab, you’ll have a second or two of blackscreen as it transitions between the game and your desktop. But hey, we just want to play the game, right?

Autoexec

Thank you to Xepra for providing the console commands used in the autoexec.

There are a couple of console commands that can be used to change the settings. To avoid the hassle of needing to input the commands manually everytime, we can utilise an autoexec.

• What’s an autoexec and what does it do?

  An autoexec is a config file that is automatically executed, typically on launch. The use of an autoexec usually adds and overwrites the existing config file.

• How do I make an autoexec?

  Using the “Executable for dummies” guide, it’s quite easy.

• Navigate to your config folder located at [E:SteamLibrarysteamappscommonRisk of Rain 2Risk of Rain 2_DataConfig]
  (Note: It may be located in a different drive for you so make sure you go to where you have your games installed.)

  There should be a config.cfg file in that folder and nothing else.

• Create a text file and paste in the following lines of text.
  

  resolution 800x600x60;
  pp_motionblur 0;
  pp_bloom Disable;
  anisotropic_flitering=Disable;
  pp_ao 0;
  pp_sobel_outline 1;
  r_foliagewind 0;
  r_shadows 0;
  r_softparticles 1;

• Afterwards, save it by going to File > Save As…
  Name the file “autoexec.cfg” and set the file type to “All Files”.
  You should now have an autoexec.cfg along with your config.cfg in your folder. The text file can be deleted since we don’t need it anymore.

Performance

So, you just followed the words of a stranger on the internet who claims that he can help you get better fps. Are his claims bogus? Well…

• Display resolution: 1366×768 / In-game resolution: 1366×768
  
• Display resolution: 1366×768 / In-game resolution: 800×600
  
• Display resolution: 800×600 / In-game resolution: 800×600
  
• Display resolution: 800×600 / In-game resolution: 800×600 in True Fullscreen
  
  Display resolution

  In-game resolution

  Average FPS

  1366×768

  1366×768

  10 – 12

  1366×768

  800×600

  13 – 14

  800×600

  800×600

  19 – 21

  800×600

  800×600 (True Fullscreen)

  30 – 34

  (Tested using Intel i7-3517U 1.90GHz and AMD Radeon HD 7570M)

Final words

Hopefully these tweaks helped you in improving your performance, even if a little bit.

If you have any tweaks that weren’t listed in this guide, feel free to leave a comment letting me know and I’ll try to add it to the guide whenever I can.

Until then, keep on stacking those syringes and teddy bears.