Goat Simulator 3 Game Settings guide screenshot

Game Settings

Overview



This section covers all configurable settings in Goat Simulator 3 across platforms. Properly adjusting these settings can significantly improve your experience, whether you seek maximum performance on a low-end PC or the highest visual fidelity on a high-end system. Special attention is given to settings that are easy to misconfigure and can cause issues like stuttering, input lag, or unintended gameplay changes.

Graphics Settings



Display


  • Monitor: Select the correct monitor if using multiple. Misconfigured: Choosing a lower refresh rate monitor can cap FPS.

  • Fullscreen Mode: Recommend "Fullscreen" for best performance. "Windowed Borderless" may cause slight input lag.

  • Resolution: Set to native monitor resolution. Lowering can improve FPS but make UI tiny. Use scaling if needed.

  • V-Sync: Disable for lower input lag. Enable if screen tearing is severe. Note: In Goat Simulator 3, V-Sync can cause stutter due to physics.


    • Graphics Quality Presets


  • Low, Medium, High, Ultra. Use as starting point. Customize below.


    • Advanced Graphics


  • Field of View (FOV): Default 90. Increasing gives wider view but may impact performance slightly.

  • Shadow Quality: High impact on performance. Low reduces shadow detail. Set to Medium as a good balance.

  • Texture Quality: Affects clarity. High demands VRAM. Set to High if you have 4GB+ VRAM.

  • Anti-aliasing: TAA is default. FXAA is lighter but blurrier. MSAA heavy. Recommend TAA or Off.

  • Post-Processing: Enables bloom, motion blur, depth of field. Disable for performance. Motion blur can cause nausea.

  • Foliage Quality: Impacts grass and bushes. Low reduces density. Important for FPS in grassy areas.

  • Ambient Occlusion: SSAO or HBAO+. Adds depth. Medium impact. Disable if low FPS.

  • View Distance: Controls LOD. High draws more objects. Lower for performance.

  • Effect Quality: Controls particles and explosions. Chaos setting: high gives more visual mayhem but can drop FPS.


    • Audio Settings



  • Master Volume

  • SFX Volume

  • Music Volume

  • Voice Volume – for cutscenes? Not much dialogue.

  • Subtitles: Toggle on/off. Recommended on for accessibility.

  • Audio Output: Stereo, 5.1, 7.1. Set to your setup.

  • Mute on Minimize: Useful.


    • Controls Settings



    Keyboard & Mouse


  • Customizable keybindings for all actions. Defaults are standard.

  • Camera Sensitivity: Adjust for aiming during ragdoll? Not critical.

  • Invert Y Axis: Optional.

  • Mouse Smoothing: Disable for raw input.


    • Controller


  • Full controller support (Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro).

  • Vibration: Can be toggled. Some find it distracting.

  • Controller Dead Zone: Adjust if joystick drifts.

  • Button Mapping: Can remap via Steam Input or console options.


    • Accessibility Settings



  • Subtitle Size: Small, Medium, Large. Large recommended.

  • Subtitle Background: Opacity adjustment.

  • Color Blind Modes: Protanopia, Deuteranopia, Tritanopia. Changes UI colors.

  • Screen Shake: Reduce or disable if sensitive.

  • Camera Bobbing: Toggle.

  • Flash Intensity: Reduce for photosensitivity.


    • Language Settings



  • Select preferred language for UI and subtitles. Voiceover is English only (due to goat noises). Misconfigured: Switching language may require restart.


    • Network Settings



  • Online/Offline Mode: Toggle. Online enables multiplayer and leaderboards. Offline saves locally.

  • Invite Privacy: Friends only, Public, or Private.

  • Matchmaking Region: Set to nearest for lower latency.

  • Voice Chat: Toggle or push-to-talk.


    • Gameplay Settings



  • Difficulty: Only affects skill-based events? Actually, game is sandbox. There's no difficulty; events are physics-based.

  • Auto-Equip Items: Toggle. Some items auto-equip when picked up. Misconfigured: Can cause accidental equipment.

  • Ledge Grab Assist: Helps climbing. Enable for easier traversal.

  • Camera Lock-on: For targeting objects? Not common.

  • HUD Elements: Toggle minimap, objective markers, damage numbers, etc.

  • Show Tips: On by default. Disable if you've played before.

  • Auto-Save Interval: Every few minutes. Not changeable.


    • Recommended Settings for Hardware Levels



    Low-End (e.g., integrated graphics, 2GB VRAM)


  • Preset: Low

  • Resolution: 720p (1280x720)

  • FOV: 90

  • Shadow Quality: Off

  • Texture Quality: Low

  • Anti-aliasing: Off

  • Post-Processing: Off

  • Foliage Quality: Low

  • Ambient Occlusion: Off

  • View Distance: Low

  • Effect Quality: Low

  • V-Sync: Off

  • Goal: 30 FPS stable.


    • Mid-Range (e.g., GTX 1060, 4GB VRAM)


  • Preset: Medium

  • Resolution: 1080p

  • Shadow Quality: Medium

  • Texture Quality: High (if VRAM allows)

  • Anti-aliasing: TAA

  • Post-Processing: On (keep motion blur off)

  • Foliage Quality: Medium

  • Ambient Occlusion: SSAO

  • View Distance: High

  • Effect Quality: High

  • V-Sync: Off

  • Goal: 60 FPS.


    • High-End (e.g., RTX 3070, 8GB+ VRAM)


  • Preset: Ultra

  • Resolution: 1440p or 4K

  • Shadow Quality: Ultra

  • Texture Quality: Ultra

  • Anti-aliasing: TAA

  • Post-Processing: On

  • Foliage Quality: Ultra

  • Ambient Occlusion: HBAO+

  • View Distance: Ultra

  • Effect Quality: Ultra

  • V-Sync: Off (use G-Sync if available)

  • Goal: 60+ FPS.


    • Special Attention Points


  • Foliage Quality: This setting heavily impacts performance because grass and bushes are abundant in San Angora. Turning it down provides a significant FPS boost with minimal visual loss.

  • V-Sync: In this title, enabling V-Sync can cause inconsistent frame pacing due to the physics engine. It's better to use in-game frame rate cap or an external limiter (e.g., RivaTuner) or use Adaptive V-Sync in drivers.

  • Windowed Borderless: If you use multiple monitors or frequently alt-tab, borderless is convenient but may reduce performance slightly. Game may run at desktop refresh rate, causing tearing.

  • Controller vs Keyboard: The game is designed for controller. If using keyboard, adjust camera sensitivity and consider rebinding special abilities to easily reachable keys.

  • Language Settings: Changing language requires a restart. Ensure you select your preferred language before starting a play session.

  • Online/Offline: If you have a poor internet connection, switch to offline to avoid lag in physics synchronization. Offline also disables time-limited events.


Conclusion



Properly configuring your settings ensures a smooth, enjoyable goat rampage. Use the presets as a starting point and tweak based on your hardware and preferences. Pay special attention to Foliage Quality, V-Sync, and Windowed Mode to avoid common pitfalls.