How to improve FPS in Battlefield 2042
To access the Battlefield 2042’s list of hidden settings, we’ll need to locate the system folder where the game keeps them. We’re looking for the PROFSAVE_profile ini document, which is found under your user profile > Documents > Battlefield 2042 > Settings. Alternatively, you can just type this into your Start menu: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Battlefield 2042\settings\PROFSAVE_profile. Once you locate the file, use Notepad or Notepad++ to open it. We’re looking for GstRender.ShadowQuality, and we need to change its value to 0. This setting does appear to make shadow resolution a little worse, but the FPS boost is worth it.
How to force Battlefield 2042 to use DirectX 12
Another hidden setting tweak can be made in the same file. We’re looking for GstRender.Dx12Enabled, which controls whether the game uses DirectX 12 or not. We’re simply going to put the value to 1 to force DirectX 12. This should also give a decent performance uplift, particularly for players on Nvidia RTX 20 and 30-series cards, or equivalent AMD GPUs. Once both edits have been made, save the file and re-launch the game. Jumping into a solo game with bots on the same map is a good way of testing, since you can at least control variables in those instances. As a general note, it’s always worth backing up the original PROFSAVE_profile file before making any tweaks. This way, in case you don’t like the effect of the new changes, you can always revert back to the default set. You should also install the latest Nvidia and AMD drivers, both of which have launch drivers now ready. For the long list of Battlefield 2042 known issues on DICE’s radar, see the link.
