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The best starting point for higher FPS and lower input lag in Destiny 2 is a stable, sustainable frame rate at your monitor’s native resolution, NVIDIA Reflex enabled on compatible NVIDIA hardware, and selective reductions to depth of field, foliage distance, ambient occlusion, shadows, and field of view. Keep textures and character detail high when your GPU has headroom, use SMAA for a sharper image or FXAA for a small performance saving, and cap FPS at the highest value your system can hold consistently below your display’s practical refresh ceiling.
The exact winning profile depends on resolution, GPU, CPU, monitor refresh rate, variable-refresh support, and whether you prioritize competitive PvP responsiveness or cinematic image quality. The figures below are directional: the detailed setting measurements come from NVIDIA’s 2017 test guide, while current operational advice for Reflex and CVARS comes from Bungie.
Use this baseline first
Apply these settings, then adjust one option at a time while watching frame-time consistency rather than only the FPS counter.
| Option | Starting value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | Monitor native resolution | Preserves correct image scaling and avoids unnecessary blur. |
| FPS target | Highest stable value below the display’s practical ceiling | A steady frame time usually feels better than a fluctuating maximum. |
| NVIDIA Reflex | Enabled (documented value 1) | Reduces click-to-display latency, especially when graphics performance is the bottleneck. |
| Depth of Field | Low or Off | Modest FPS gain with less cinematic blur. |
| Foliage Detail Distance | Medium when GPU-limited | Useful performance recovery with little noticeable gameplay loss in NVIDIA’s test. |
| Screen Space Ambient Occlusion | HDAO | Lower cost than the more expensive ambient-occlusion option. |
| Shadow Quality | High | Retains good shadow definition without the top setting’s cost. |
| Field of View | Comfortable competitive value; reduce only if needed | Higher FOV renders more of the scene and costs some performance. |
| Anti-aliasing | SMAA if headroom allows; FXAA if every frame matters | SMAA is sharper; FXAA is cheaper but softer. |
| Textures and character detail | High or highest on modern systems | NVIDIA found little or no performance penalty in its tested modern systems. |
| Motion blur and film grain | Off for clarity | These are primarily visibility preferences rather than major FPS levers. |
Match resolution, refresh rate and the FPS target
Keep native resolution unless you have a clear reason to lower it
Run Destiny 2 at the monitor’s native resolution first. A non-native resolution can introduce scaling softness, and lowering resolution is not always the best fix if the game is CPU-limited or if your monitor’s scaler produces a poor image. If the GPU is the limiting component, resolution is still the largest broad performance control: test a lower resolution only after recording your baseline and deciding that the image-quality trade-off is acceptable.
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Choose a sustainable target, not a fluctuating peak
Set a target your system can maintain during the busiest activities, not just in an empty zone. Compare average FPS with frame-time stability: a system that alternates between 180 and 90 FPS can feel less responsive than one that holds 120 FPS consistently. Your practical ceiling is also determined by the display. A 60 Hz panel cannot show every frame from a 200 FPS render loop, while a high-refresh panel can make a stable higher target worthwhile.
Variable-refresh displays need a tuned cap
With VRR, including G-SYNC-compatible or other adaptive-refresh modes, cap the game at the highest stable value that remains below the display’s practical ceiling. There is no universal number that is guaranteed to be optimal across monitors, GPUs, CPUs and Destiny 2 patches. If the frame rate repeatedly hits the cap and falls away, lower the cap until frame pacing is consistent. If it never approaches the cap, investigate GPU, CPU or thermal limits before raising it.
Configure NVIDIA Reflex for lower input lag
What Reflex changes
Bungie documents NVIDIA Reflex SDK integration for compatible graphics cards. Reflex is intended to improve responsiveness and reduce “click-to-display” latency, especially when graphics performance is the bottleneck. It addresses the time between an input and the rendered result appearing on screen; it does not create additional GPU performance.
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| Documented value | Mode | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Off | You are troubleshooting, comparing frame rate, or using hardware without Reflex support. |
| 1 | Reflex enabled | This is the recommended starting point on supported NVIDIA hardware. |
| 2 | Reflex enabled with Boost | Try it when the extra latency reduction is more valuable than additional power use. |
Boost overrides GPU power-saving behavior to keep the graphics processor in a more responsive state. Bungie describes the resulting latency reduction as slight, so test it rather than assuming it is always beneficial. It can increase power consumption and heat. Turning Reflex off may produce a small FPS increase in some situations, but it increases latency; for competitive play, that trade is usually unfavorable when your hardware supports Reflex.
Adjust the settings that deliver the largest FPS gains
NVIDIA’s test guide measured roughly 20 FPS of combined improvement after reducing several expensive settings in its test scenario. Those results are historical and directional, not a guarantee for a current patch or a specific PC. Use the individual deltas to prioritize changes.
Depth of Field
Lower or disable Depth of Field when FPS or visual clarity matters more than cinematic focus transitions. NVIDIA measured nearly 4 FPS saved during gameplay when reducing this setting. The cost is less background and foreground blur, which many PvP players consider an advantage because distant details remain easier to read.
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Foliage Detail Distance
Set Foliage Detail Distance to Medium when the GPU is constrained. NVIDIA measured about 4.1 FPS recovered by moving from High to Medium, and reported that the fidelity loss was not noticeable during gameplay in its test. Restore High if you have ample headroom and prefer denser distant vegetation.
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Use HDAO rather than the more expensive ambient-occlusion option when the GPU is limiting performance. NVIDIA measured about 5.4 FPS improvement in its tested scene. Ambient occlusion adds contact shading around surfaces; lowering it can make corners and object intersections look flatter, but it is one of the stronger single-setting changes in the cited measurements.
Shadow Quality
Use High instead of the top shadow setting for a practical balance. NVIDIA measured about 4.1 FPS saved. Lower shadows further only if you still miss your target, because shadow detail affects scene depth and can make environments look noticeably less natural.
Field of View
Keep a FOV that lets you track targets comfortably. If you are GPU-limited, reduce it gradually. NVIDIA’s example found 95 degrees about 2.4 FPS faster than 105 degrees. A lower FOV shows less peripheral space, so competitive players should test target visibility and aim comfort before making a large reduction.
Anti-aliasing
Choose SMAA when image sharpness matters and you have the headroom: NVIDIA measured about a 1.7 FPS cost in its test. FXAA cost about 0.5 FPS, but it blurred more detail. The practical choice is SMAA for a clearer image and FXAA when that small performance saving helps maintain a stable target.
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On modern systems, NVIDIA found little or no performance cost from the highest texture and character-detail settings. Keep them high if VRAM and frame times allow. Minimum-spec systems can behave differently, especially when memory pressure causes stutter. Destiny 2 requires a restart after texture changes, so group texture adjustments with a planned relaunch rather than judging them mid-session.
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Motion blur and film grain
Disable both if you want a clean competitive image. The cited guide treats them as preference toggles rather than primary FPS controls, so do not expect them to deliver the gains available from ambient occlusion, foliage or shadows.
Build a profile for your play style
Competitive PvP profile
Start at native resolution with a stable cap, Reflex enabled, Depth of Field off, Foliage Detail Distance Medium, HDAO, Shadow Quality High, and the lowest FOV you can use comfortably. Select SMAA if it does not threaten frame-time consistency; otherwise use FXAA. Keep textures and character detail high unless you see evidence of VRAM-related stutter. Turn off motion blur and film grain so target outlines remain clear during rapid movement.
PvE and cinematic profile
Retain a wider FOV, higher foliage distance, the stronger ambient-occlusion option and the highest shadow setting if your frame rate remains stable. Reflex can stay enabled because it improves responsiveness without requiring you to lower image quality. Use SMAA for sharper edges. If heavy encounters cause drops, lower ambient occlusion and shadows first, then foliage distance; these changes generally preserve texture detail and overall scene resolution.
4K profile
At 3840×2160, begin with High rather than automatically selecting every highest option. The historical NVIDIA measurements show why: a GTX 1080 Ti-class configuration averaged 96.7 FPS at High but 50.2 FPS at Highest in its 4K test. Use the same selective reductions—HDAO, High shadows, Medium foliage and lower Depth of Field—to protect frame pacing before sacrificing native resolution.
Historical hardware and resolution context
NVIDIA’s guide used specific graphics cards and test-era drivers, so these figures are reference points rather than current purchasing or performance guarantees. Drivers, game patches, CPU limits, thermals and the condition of used hardware can materially change results.
| Resolution target | Hardware in NVIDIA’s test | Reported result | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920×1080 | GeForce GTX 1060 6GB | 70–100 FPS; 87.1 FPS average at Highest | A historical 1080p baseline, not a current guarantee. |
| 2560×1440 | GeForce GTX 1070 | 60–70 FPS; 64.9 FPS average | Shows the performance class of a midrange 1440p test system. |
| 3840×2160 | GeForce GTX 1080 Ti-class card | 96.7 FPS at High; 50.2 FPS at Highest | Illustrates why 4K often benefits from a custom High/Highest mix. |
Use these numbers to understand the relative demand of each resolution, not to predict what a current graphics card will deliver. A modern GPU may be faster, while a weak CPU, thermal throttling or a background workload can still prevent a high-refresh target.
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How to cap Destiny 2 FPS
Prefer an in-game or driver-level cap for normal tuning
Use the game’s available frame-rate control or your graphics driver’s limiter when possible. Set the cap after choosing resolution and quality settings, then test the busiest activity you regularly play. Change only one variable at a time and watch for sustained drops, uneven frame times and input response.
Use CVARS only as an advanced path
Bungie documents CVARS behavior for cases where normal controls do not provide the result you need. A framerate value of 0 applies a default 200 FPS cap. A value well above the expected range, such as 10000, effectively uncaps the game in practice. An uncapped loop can increase power use and heat and may produce inconsistent frame times, so it is not automatically the lowest-latency choice.
- Close Destiny 2 completely before editing its configuration.
- Open
UsersUSER_NAMEAppdataRoamingBungieDestinyPCprefsand locateCVARS.xml. - Make the required CVARS change, then relaunch the game and test in a repeatable activity.
- If settings become unstable, close the game, delete
CVARS.xml, relaunch, and configure the options again in the game.
Deleting the file resets custom settings, so use this recovery step when an edit causes launch problems, unexpected caps or other configuration instability. Keep a note of your working values before experimenting.
Measure the result instead of guessing
- Record your native resolution, refresh rate, current cap, average FPS and the worst drops you notice in a representative activity.
- Enable Reflex at value 1 on supported NVIDIA hardware and retest before changing image quality.
- Lower Depth of Field, Foliage Detail Distance, ambient occlusion and shadows in that order if the GPU is the limiter.
- Test SMAA versus FXAA and confirm whether the sharper image is worth its measured performance cost on your system.
- Set a cap below the display’s practical ceiling, then verify that the frame rate remains stable during combat, effects-heavy encounters and busy social spaces.
- Change only one setting between tests, and restart after texture changes.
Frame-time stability, click-to-display latency, image sharpness, shadow and foliage quality, resolution, refresh rate, VRR behavior and available GPU/VRAM headroom are all part of the result. A higher average FPS is not an improvement if it comes with repeated hitching or a cap your system cannot sustain.
Common problems and fixes
FPS is high but aiming still feels sluggish
Check whether the GPU is saturated and whether Reflex is enabled. Reflex is most useful when graphics performance is the bottleneck. Also verify that the FPS cap is not forcing large oscillations and that VRR is operating as expected on the display.
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The game looks blurry after optimizing
Switch from FXAA to SMAA if you have headroom, restore a native resolution, and disable motion blur and film grain. Do not lower textures or character detail first; those settings generally have a smaller performance impact on modern systems than the major lighting and geometry controls.
Lowering settings does not raise FPS
You may be CPU-limited, cap-limited or thermally constrained rather than GPU-limited. Check whether the GPU is operating below full utilization, whether the selected cap is already being reached, and whether temperatures or background processes are restricting boost behavior. In that situation, further reducing shadows or ambient occlusion may not help.
Settings keep reverting or the game becomes unstable
Return to the documented reset path: close Destiny 2, delete CVARS.xml from the Bungie preferences folder, relaunch, and reconfigure through the game menus. Reapply changes gradually so you can identify the option or custom value that caused the problem.
Quick Recap
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