The graphics options that PUBG's official support pages tie directly to frame rate are anti-aliasing, shadows and Vertical Synchronization: if you need more FPS, lower anti-aliasing and shadows, and on a low-performance PC test with Vertical Synchronization off. As of September 30, 2026, the official article lists 10 quality options, and update 43.1 (September 9) added DLSS and FSR resolution upscaling for PC. If your frame rate also dips while you record, fixing frame drops while recording games covers the capture side of the problem.
Bottom line: what to change first and what to leave alone
This guide covers the PC version only; console-only graphics modes are not included. Four conclusions have official backing. First, the support article recommends keeping anti-aliasing on, but a separate page says it can affect frame rate, so it should match your PC. Second, the official page on lowering game settings says that if you need more performance, you should lower advanced graphics settings such as anti-aliasing, shadows and FOV. Third, the option list warns that Vertical Synchronization may cause frame drops on low-performance machines. Fourth, the Resolution Upscaling option from update 43.1 (Disable, NVIDIA DLSS or AMD FSR) only appears when Anti-Aliasing is Medium, High or Ultra, and what you can choose depends on your graphics card and system. What is not official: per-option FPS gains, an option ranking, or any pro settings preset, so this guide gives directions and a test method instead of numbers. If you also record, reducing GPU load while recording explains how to budget the extra load.
Six steps, changing one thing at a time
- 1Open the menu and record your starting values — Start the game and open Settings > Graphics > Quality, the path given in the support articles. According to the official page, the game adjusts itself to recommended settings for your PC when it first starts, so the current values are your starting point. Note down or screenshot all 10 options before touching anything. Per the 42.2 patch notes, the lobby always renders at high quality regardless of your in-game settings, so judge frame rate in a real match, not in the lobby.
- 2Measure a baseline in the same spot — Stand in, or run the same route through, the same place on the same map each time, and read your frame rate with whatever overlay you already use. This guide does not prescribe a tool. Keep background programs the same between tests; the official lag article also lists closing programs that use the network. If the conditions change every time, you cannot tell which option actually helped.
- 3Start with the performance options — Look first at the three options the official pages tie to frame rate. Lower anti-aliasing one step, lower shadows, and on a low-performance PC turn Vertical Synchronization off. After each single change, repeat the baseline from step 2. Because anti-aliasing is an option the support page recommends keeping on, also check whether outlines look rougher after you lower it. If an option gives no visible gain, put it back.
- 4Check Resolution Upscaling — Open Settings > Graphics > Advanced and look for Resolution Upscaling. Its choices are Disable, NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR, and the 43.1 notes mention DLSS 4.5 and FSR 4.1. If it is missing, check that Anti-Aliasing is Medium, High or Ultra, since the option only shows at those levels. That clashes with step 3: lowering anti-aliasing below Medium hides it, so compare both combinations. You can set the quality yourself or let the game pick one to match your screen resolution, and the available options vary with your graphics card and system. If the image looks soft or smeared, set it back to Disable.
- 5Check the visibility options — View distance controls how far you see, and higher makes distant objects clearer. Screen scale that is too low makes objects look blurry; the official Korean and Chinese pages recommend 90 or higher, while the English page gives no number. If the picture is too dark, the official page says to open Settings > Graphics from the lobby and use the brightness slider, and to check your monitor brightness as well. Some language versions of that page warn against adjusting brightness with unofficial third-party tools, so avoid them. There is no official statement that lowering foliage, shadows or effects makes enemies easier to see, so judge that on your own monitor.
- 6If it still stutters, check the system — When settings alone do not fix the stutter, the official lag article lists the rest: reduce overheating by improving cooling and cleaning dust from the vents, update to the manufacturer's official graphics driver rather than a generic one, and close programs that use the network. If the problem continues, it says to contact support with your Match ID and replay attached.
Option by option: what it does and which way to lean (support-page names)
| Option (official name) | What it does | Direction in this guide |
|---|---|---|
| Screen scale | Adjusts how sharp the game graphics look; set too low, objects can look blurry. | Keep it rather than trading it for FPS. The official Korean and Chinese pages recommend 90 or higher; the English page gives no number. |
| Anti-aliasing | Smooths the edges of objects. | Official advice is to keep it on, but it can affect frame rate. If you are short on FPS, lower it a step and compare. |
| Post-Processing | Adjusts the amount of shadow (shading) effects. | No official figures. If frames are short, lower it and compare directly. |
| Shadows | Quality of character and object shadows. | Named by the official page as something to lower when you need more performance. |
| Texture | Overall graphics quality of the game. | No official figures. Compare sharpness against frame rate. |
| Effects | Quality of various effects. | No official figures. Check whether fights look cluttered, then compare. |
| Foliage | Quality of the vegetation on the map. | Official text says nothing about visibility. Check for yourself whether enemies are easier to see. |
| View distance | Sets how far you can see; higher makes distant objects clearer. | Higher matches the official description for visibility. If frames are short, lower it last and compare. |
| Motion blur | Leaves an afterimage depending on movement speed. | Official text mentions no FPS impact. It is a preference option: turn it off if the picture looks smeared. |
| Vertical Synchronization | Forces frame synchronization; may cause frame drops on low-performance machines. | On a low-performance PC, test with it off. |
| Resolution Upscaling | Choose Disable, NVIDIA DLSS or AMD FSR where supported (update 43.1). | If it appears, compare on and off. The official notes give no FPS percentage. |
Checklist after changing settings
- Did you note or screenshot the values of all 10 options before changing anything?
- Did you compare in the same spot on the same map, changing only one option at a time?
- Did you check anti-aliasing, shadows and Vertical Synchronization for both frame rate and picture quality?
- If Resolution Upscaling is missing, did you confirm Anti-Aliasing is Medium or higher?
- Is Screen scale low enough to make the picture blurry? (The official Korean and Chinese pages recommend 90 or higher.)
- Did you set brightness with the in-game slider rather than a third-party brightness tool?
When you turn recording on after lowering settings
Once your graphics options leave you some frame-rate headroom, remember that recording PUBG will spend part of it. DOR is a free Windows app that automatically records full PUBG matches and saves them as mp4, and it also cuts kills into automatic highlight clips. On an NVIDIA graphics card it uses NVENC hardware encoding by default, which moves the encoding work onto the card's dedicated encoder, and it captures game sound and your microphone at the same time so your own callouts end up in the same file. Re-check your frame rate with recording running, because the comparisons above were made without it. After that, the next practical question is disk space, covered in how much space PUBG recordings take.
Official sources (checked September 30, 2026)
The 10 options are described in PUBG Support: what all the graphic settings mean, what to lower when you need performance is in PUBG Support: lowering game settings, and DLSS/FSR Resolution Upscaling comes from the update 43.1 patch notes. Support articles can differ slightly by language and edit date, and if a patch changes the menus, the latest content at these links takes priority.
