Game Settings - Dark Souls III

Dark Souls III Game Settings Guide

This guide covers every important setting in Dark Souls III. Proper configuration can significantly improve performance, clarity, and gameplay comfort. Settings are grouped into Graphics, Audio, Controls, Accessibility, Language, Network, and Gameplay sections. We also provide optimal recommendations for low, medium, and high-end PCs, plus tips for console players.

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Graphics Settings

Graphics are the most impactful settings for performance and visual quality. Dark Souls III uses the FromSoftware engine, which scales well on PC but has some specific tweaks.

Key Settings & Recommendations

Setting	Options	Low-End PC	Medium PC	High-End PC	Notes
Screen Mode	Fullscreen / Windowed / Borderless	Fullscreen	Fullscreen	Fullscreen	Always use Fullscreen for best performance and reduced input lag. Windowed mode adds overhead.
Resolution	Native monitor resolution or lower	1280x720 or 1600x900	1920x1080	2560x1440 or 4K	Match your monitor’s native resolution for clarity. Lowering resolution can help low-end systems.
V-Sync	On / Off	Off (if screen tearing bothers you, enable in GPU control panel)	On or Off	On (use GPU control panel Fast Sync for less input lag)	V-Sync caps framerate and adds input lag. For competitive multiplayer, turn V-Sync off and use driver-level frame rate limiter. On consoles V-Sync is forced.
Anti-Aliasing	Off / FXAA / SMAA / MSAA x2 / x4	FXAA	SMAA	SMAA or MSAA x2	FXAA is blurrier but cheapest. SMAA offers better quality/performance balance. MSAA is heavy on GPU memory. If you need performance, use FXAA or turn off.
Texture Quality	Low / Medium / High	Low	Medium	High	VRAM dependent: Low (512MB), Medium (1GB), High (2GB+). Textures affect sharpness but not FPS heavily (unless VRAM is full).
Shadow Quality	Low / Medium / High	Low	Medium	High (or Medium)	Shadows are very GPU-intensive. Low reduces distance and resolution. Medium is a good trade-off. High can cost 5–10 FPS.
Lighting Quality	Low / Medium / High	Low	Medium	High	Affects dynamic lights, volumetric effects. High on low-end causes stutter.
Effects Quality	Low / Medium / High	Low	Medium	High	Controls particles (fire, magic, fog). Low may look very basic but helps FPS.
Depth of Field	On / Off	Off	Off	On (if you like cinematic blur)	DOF blurs distant objects. Disabling improves clarity and performance slightly. Many competitive players turn it off.
Motion Blur	On / Off	Off	Off	On (personal preference)	Blurs screen during movement. Off gives clearer image and marginally better performance.
Blood & Gore	On / Off	On	On	On	Has negligible performance impact. Only affects visual fidelity.

Optimal PC Presets

Low-End (e.g., Intel HD 530, GTX 750 Ti, 4GB RAM): 720p resolution, Fullscreen, V-Sync Off (use driver limiter to 30 FPS), textures Low, shadows Low, lighting Low, effects Low, anti-aliasing FXAA or Off, DOF/Motion Blur Off. Expect 30–40 FPS. Cap at 30 FPS for stable play.

Medium (e.g., GTX 1060 6GB, RX 580, 8GB RAM): 1080p, Fullscreen, V-Sync On (or Off with driver limiter 60 FPS), textures High, shadows Medium, lighting Medium, effects Medium, anti-aliasing SMAA, DOF/Motion Blur Off. Consistent 60 FPS with occasional dips in heavy areas.

High-End (e.g., RTX 2070 Super, 16GB RAM): 1440p or 4K, Fullscreen, V-Sync On (or Fast Sync/GSync), textures High, shadows High, lighting High, effects High, anti-aliasing SMAA or MSAA x2 (x4 only if GPU headroom), DOF/Motion Blur On if preferred. Maintains 60 FPS at 1440p, 4K may need some setting reduction to keep 60 FPS.

Console Graphics

PS4 / Xbox One: 1080p, 30 FPS capped. No options to adjust.

PS4 Pro / Xbox One X: 1800p checkerboard on PS4 Pro, 2160p on Xbox One X, both 30 FPS. Some players prefer PS4 Pro’s “Favor Performance” mode? (Not present; both are locked. The Pro has slightly better frame pacing but still 30 FPS).

PS5 / Xbox Series X|S: Backward compatible. Higher resolution (usually 2160p) and a much more stable 60 FPS (unlocked through backward compatibility, not a native patch). No official enhancement, but performance mode is smoother on PS5/XSX due to higher CPU/GPU.

Special Attention: On PC, disable V-Sync and cap frame rate to 60 FPS via GPU control panel (e.g., NVIDIA Control Panel or Radeon Software) to avoid the game’s internal V-Sync input lag. Also, turn off “Depth of Field” if you want a sharper image – it can obscure distant enemies.

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Audio Settings

Setting	Options	Recommendation	Notes
Master Volume	0–10	8 (adjust for your headset)	Controls overall volume. Never max out speakers.
Sound Effects Volume	0–10	10	Keep at max to hear enemy footsteps, attacks, and environmental cues.
Music Volume	0–10	7–8	Boss music is important, but not too loud to mask sounds.
Voice Volume	0–10	10	Essential for NPC dialogue and boss taunts.
Subtitle Display	On / Off	On (first playthrough)	Even if you understand English, subtitles help catch dialogue during tough fights.
Voice Language	English / Japanese	Personal preference	Can be changed here. Japanese voices offer a different feel; English voice acting is solid.

Special Attention: In Dark Souls III, audio cues are critical for combat. Keep sound effects and voice high. Do not reduce them. If you use a surround headset, ensure your system audio is in stereo or Dolby – the game uses stereo positioning effectively.

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Controls Settings

Dark Souls III supports keyboard & mouse and controllers. The game is designed for a controller, but KB&M can work with configuration.

Controller (Recommended)

Setting	Recommendation	Notes
Control Icons	Xbox / PlayStation	Match your controller type for on-screen prompts.
Invert Y-Axis	Off (default)	Only invert if you prefer flight sim style.
Camera Speed	3–5 (out of 10)	Higher speed for quick 180-degree turns. Start at 4.
Lock-On Auto-Reset	Off (preferred by many)	If On, camera will snap behind you when lock-on breaks. Many turn it Off for manual control.
Auto-Target Lock	On (default)	Automatically chooses nearest enemy when pressing lock-on. Leave On unless you want manual only.
Reset Camera	Tap R3 (right stick click)	Useful to center camera behind character quickly.

Keyboard & Mouse

If you play KB&M, remap keys for comfort. Default layout is awkward. Essential rebinds:

Light Attack: Left Mouse Button (default) – keep.

Strong Attack: Right Mouse Button – keep or move to mouse thumb button.

Block: Shift (default) – keep or move to left Alt.

Parry: Right Mouse Button (default) – but using mouse thumb button can be easier.

Use Item: E (default) – fine.

Switch Weapon: Mouse wheel up/down or 1/2 keys.

Lock-On: Middle Mouse Button or Q.

Roll/Sprint: Spacebar (default) – keep.

Interact: E (default) – fine.

Menu: Esc (default).

Special Attention: The game has no “hold to crouch” – crouching is not a mechanic. Also, disable “Auto-Target Lock” if you find yourself locking onto the wrong enemy in groups. Many experienced players prefer to manually lock on with L3 (or Q on keyboard).

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Accessibility Settings

Dark Souls III has very limited built-in accessibility options. Here’s what exists:

Setting	Options	Notes
Subtitle Display	On / Off	Turn On for dialogue. No option for closed captions (sound effects).
Colorblind Options	None	No colorblind modes. Rely on item descriptions and player icons.
Difficulty	None	No difficulty settings. The game is fixed challenge.
Text Size	Not adjustable	Small text on menus. No scaling.
Controller Remapping	In-game (limited)	You can remap controller buttons within the game from the Controls menu. This is a form of accessibility.
Keyboard Remapping	Full customisation	PC version allows full keyboard remap in the Controls menu.
Button Hold vs Toggle	Toggle for running (single press dodge)	You can switch between “Hold” (keep button pressed to run) and “Toggle” (press once to run). Toggle can reduce finger strain.
Camera Auto-Adjust	On / Off	Turn Off if camera sway makes you motion sick.
Controller Vibration	On / Off	Off can help if vibration is distracting or causing discomfort.

Special Attention: For players with motor impairments, use the “Toggle” option for sprinting/dodging to avoid holding down buttons. Remap buttons to comfortable positions (e.g., put dodge on L3 if it is easier). The game does not allow analog stick deadzone adjustment, so if you have drift, it may affect camera movement.

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Language Settings

Setting	Options	Recommendation
Text Language	Multiple (system-dependent)	Set to your preferred language. Changes all menus and item descriptions. Must be selected at first launch (cannot be changed in-game without editing ini files on PC – so choose carefully).
Voice Language	English, Japanese	Can be changed in Audio settings at any time.

Special Attention: On PC, the text language is locked after starting a new game unless you manually edit the game’s configuration file (`DarkSoulsIII.ini` in `%APPDATA%\DarkSoulsIII\`). If you accidentally set a language you don’t understand, you can change it there. For consoles, you must change the system language, then reinstall or redownload language packs (annoying). Double-check text language at the start.

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Network Settings

Network settings affect online matchmaking, summoning, and invasions.

Setting	Options	Recommendation	Notes
Launch Setting	Play Online / Play Offline	Choose Online if you want multiplayer. Offline disables all online features (messages, invasions, co-op).	Special: You can set the game to offline to avoid invasions while still being able to summon NPC phantoms.
Matchmaking Region	Worldwide / Local	Worldwide for faster matchmaking, but may increase lag. Local gives lower latency but fewer players. Choose based on your region.
Password Matching	On / Off (enter password)	Turn On to set a password for co-op with friends. Same password required for both players. Also works for PvP arena (no password needed for duels).
Summon Sign Visibility	Unrestricted / Restricted	Unrestricted shows signs from all players. Restricted shows only signs from players in your level/weapon range. Leave Unrestricted unless you want to filter.
Voice Chat	On / Off	Off recommended – voice chat is rarely used and can be annoying.
Cross-Region Play	On / Off (PC only? Actually it’s part of matchmaking region)	If you want to play with players from other continents, enable. May cause lag.

Special Attention: Password Matching does not bypass level/weapon range – it removes level and weapon level restrictions completely, but it does not boost summoning for high-level phantoms into low-level hosts; it will downscale the phantom’s stats (not very effective). Also, if you are struggling with invasions, you can play offline by selecting “Play Offline” in the main menu. This does not affect NPC summons.

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Gameplay Settings

These settings change core gameplay behavior.

Setting	Options	Recommendation	Notes
Auto-Target Lock	On / Off	On for beginners; Off for advanced players (manual lock)	Automatic lock-on may switch to a closer enemy mid-fight. Turn Off to maintain target.
Lock-On Auto-Reset	On / Off	Off	When On, after a lock-on breaks (e.g., enemy died), camera snaps behind you. Off gives you control.
Show Weapon & Equipment at Bonfire	Enabled / Disabled	Disabled (to improve menu speed)	When enabled, the game shows your character model and weapons in the bonfire menu, causing slight delay. Disable for faster menu navigation.
Auto-Sort Item Box	On / Off	Off	On will auto-sort your storage box; Off lets you manually arrange.
Control Type	Normal / Special	Normal	Special is only used for specific controller patterns – leave Normal.
Button Input Display	On / Off	Off	Shows button prompts on screen – useful for tutorial, but off for immersion.
Hide Helm	On / Off	Personal preference	Hides your helmet during gameplay but still keeps its stats. Useful for fashion.
Camera Distance	Near / Far	Far (default)	Gives a wider field of view; helps awareness.
Camera Auto-Adjust	On / Off	Off (for manual control)	When On, camera may auto-adjust when running along walls or cliffs – can cause disorientation.

Special Attention: “Show Weapon & Equipment at Bonfire” – this setting is commonly overlooked but significantly affects menu loading speed. When enabled, each time you rest at a bonfire and open the menu, the game renders your full character model with equipment, causing a slight pause. Disable it for smoother menu navigation, especially when swapping items frequently.

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Summary of Easy-to-Misconfigure Settings

1. Text Language – Cannot be changed easily after first boot. Double-check initial language selection.
2. V-Sync – Default On creates input lag; recommend turning Off and capping FPS externally.
3. Auto-Target Lock – Many players inadvertently lock onto the wrong enemy; consider turning Off.
4. Show Equipment at Bonfire – Slows down menu; disable for faster swapping.
5. Depth of Field – Blurs distance; disable for clarity.
6. Launch Setting (Online/Offline) – If you want to avoid invasions but still want messages, you cannot. Either play online and deal with invasions, or go offline completely.
7. Password Matching – Does not perfectly scale phantoms; use carefully for co-op.

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Final Tips

Test settings in the first area (Cemetery of Ash) to gauge performance before proceeding.

For PC, use NVIDIA DLDSR or AMD VSR to render at higher resolution and downsample if you have headroom – improves anti-aliasing.

Dark Souls III has a 60 FPS cap on PC; going above causes physics glitches (e.g., falling through floors). Use a frame limiter to cap at 60 FPS.

Consoles: No settings. Accept 30 FPS or play on PS5/XSX for near-60 FPS via backward compatibility.

With these settings, you will have an optimized, comfortable, and visually pleasing experience in Dark Souls III.