Game Settings - Horizon Zero Dawn

Game Settings: Horizon Zero Dawn

This guide covers all in-game settings for Horizon Zero Dawn on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. It provides detailed explanations, optimal configurations for different hardware tiers, and highlights settings that are easy to misconfigure or require special attention.

1. Graphics Settings

The graphics menu is the deepest and most impactful for performance and visual quality. Below is a breakdown of each setting, followed by recommended presets.

#### Key Graphics Settings (PC)

Setting	Options	Performance Impact	Notes
Display Mode	Fullscreen, Borderless Windowed, Windowed	Low	Use Fullscreen for best performance. Borderless Windowed may introduce input lag. Windowed reduces performance.
Resolution	Native, lower options	High	Run at your monitor's native resolution (e.g., 1920×1080, 2560×1440). Lowering gives significant FPS boost but reduces clarity.
Field of View (FOV)	60-100 (default 70)	Low	Wider FOV helps situational awareness but can slightly reduce performance. Set between 80-90 for comfortable gameplay. Beyond 90 may cause fisheye effect.
Adaptive Performance FPS	Off, 30, 45, 60	Medium	Locks FPS to a target to maintain consistency. Recommended: Off if you have a variable refresh rate monitor; otherwise set to match your display's refresh rate.
Brightness	0-100	None	Calibrate using the in-game test image. Default 50 is usually fine.
Graphics Quality Preset	Very Low, Low, Medium, High, Very High, Ultra	High	Start here, then fine-tune individual settings. Ultra is for top-end hardware (RTX 3080+).
Texture Quality	Low, Medium, High, Very High	Medium (VRAM)	Important for visual detail. High and Very High require 4-6 GB VRAM. If you run out, textures will blur.
Model Quality	Low, Medium, High, Very High	Low	Affects polygon detail on characters and machines. High/Ultra for close-ups.
Shadows	Off, Low, Medium, High, Very High, Ultra	High	Major FPS hit at high settings. Medium to High balances quality and performance. Off looks terrible.
Reflections	Off, Low, Medium, High, Very High, Ultra	High	Screen-space reflections. Very performance-intensive on water/metal. Medium is recommended for most systems.
Clouds	Low, Medium, High, Ultra	Medium	Dynamic volumetric clouds. High/Ultra look beautiful but cost FPS. Medium is a good compromise.
Ambient Occlusion	Off, SSAO, HBAO, High Quality HBAO	Medium	Adds depth to shadows. High Quality HBAO is best but heavier. SSAO is fine on lower systems.
Anti-Aliasing	Off, FXAA, SMAA, TAA, TAA+SMAA	Low	TAA is best for image stability. Off causes jagged edges. TAA+SMAA is slightly sharper but costs FPS.
Motion Blur	Off, Per Object, Full	Low	Blurs movement. Many players disable this because it can cause nausea or make fast turns confusing. Get used to off for clarity.
Depth of Field	Off, On	Low	Blurs distant objects. Can hide distant detail and cause headaches. Recommended: Off.
Bloom	Off, On	Low	Adds light glow. Personal preference; on for atmosphere, off for clarity.
Lens Flares	Off, On	Low	Similar to bloom. Can be distracting in bright scenes.
HDR Calibration (if supported)	Brightness, White Point, Black Point	None	Required only on HDR displays. Use in-game hints to set correctly. Wrong calibration washes out colors.

#### Recommended Graphics Presets by Hardware Tier

Hardware Level	Resolution Target	Preset	Key Adjustments for 60 FPS
Budget (GTX 1050, RX 560, 8GB RAM)	1080p	Medium	Lower Shadows to Low, Reflections to Low, Adaptive FPS to 30 if unstable.
Mainstream (GTX 1660 Super, RX 580, 16GB RAM)	1080p	High	Disable Motion Blur and Depth of Field. Set Ambient Occlusion to SSAO.
High-End (RTX 2070, RX 5700 XT, 16GB RAM)	1440p	Very High	Lower Clouds to High, Reflections to High, Shadows to High.
Enthusiast (RTX 3080+, 32GB RAM)	4K	Ultra	Consider enabling HDR, keep Motion Blur off for clarity. Lock to 60 FPS if needed.

Special Attention:

FOV: Increasing FOV past 80 can reduce immersion for some. Test in combat – a wider view helps see machines but may make aiming feel different. Default 70 is safe.

Motion Blur & Depth of Field: These are commonly disabled by experienced players. They obscure important visual cues and can cause motion sickness. Turn them off immediately.

Shadows & Reflections: These are the biggest FPS hogs. Lowering them one step often gains 10-15 FPS without ruining visuals.

2. Audio Settings

Setting	Options	Notes
Master Volume	0-100	Global loudness. Start at 100 and adjust other sliders.
Sound Effects Volume	0-100	Covers combat, machines, environment. Keep high to hear enemy cues.
Music Volume	0-100	Atmospheric background music. Lower to focus on sounds.
Dialogue Volume	0-100	Important for story and hints. Keep at 100.
Voice Language	English, French, German, etc. (varies by region)	Applies to spoken dialogue.
Subtitles	Off, On	Recommended: On, especially for lore and audio logs.
Cinematics Subtitles	Off, On	Separate toggle for cutscenes.
Dynamic Range	TV, Home Theater, Headphones	Select based on your audio setup. Headphones compresses loudness for clear quiet sounds. Home Theater keeps wide range.

Special Attention: Set Dynamic Range to Headphones if you use a headset; this enhances machine footsteps and distant whispers. For TV speakers, use TV mode. Home Theater is best for surround systems.

3. Controls Settings

#### Controller Settings (PS4/PS5/PC with gamepad)

Setting	Options	Recommended	Notes
Controller Vibration	On, Off	On for immersion; Off for precision aiming	Vibration can interfere with fine aim.
Invert Y-Axis	Off, On	Off unless you prefer inverted	Common for flight sim fans; not recommended for third-person.
Aim Assist	Off, Low, High	Low or High	High helps new players lock onto machines. Low is better for skilled players.
Stick Deadzone Inner	0-100	5-10%	Reduce if your sticks drift. Too high causes slow response.
Stick Deadzone Outer	0-100	0%	Leave at minimum for full range.
Horizontal Sensitivity	1-100	50-70	Adjust to your comfort. Lower for precision, higher for quick turns.
Vertical Sensitivity	1-100	Same as horizontal for consistency	Some prefer slightly lower for aiming.
Aim Sensitivity	1-100	50-70	Separate multiplier when aiming down sights.
Swap Shoulder Cam	Hold/Toggle	Toggle (if available)	Allows switching Aloy's shoulder view with a button. Useful for peeking corners.

#### Keyboard & Mouse Settings (PC)

Setting	Options	Recommended	Notes
Mouse Sensitivity	1-100	50-70	Adjust to avoid twitchy or sluggish aim.
Mouse Smoothing	Off, On	Off	Adds artificial smoothness; can feel floaty. Disable for raw input.
Mouse Acceleration	Off, On	Off	Accelerates cursor with speed; inconsistent for muscle memory.
Invert Mouse Y	Off, On	Off	Same as controller.
Key Binding	Fully customizable per action	Use default then adjust	Important to bind dodge, focus, weapon wheel to easy-to-reach keys.
Aim Down Sights (Hold/Toggle)	Hold, Toggle	Depends on playstyle	Hold is common for shooters; Toggle reduces finger strain.

Special Attention:

Aim Assist (controller): Set to Low or Off if you find it pulling your crosshair away. High is good for beginners but can be frustrating during multi-target fights.

Mouse Smoothing: Always turn off. This setting is notorious for causing input lag.

Key Binding: The weapon wheel (default Q) and Focus (default R) are crucial. Consider rebinding Focus to a thumb mouse button for quick scans.

4. Accessibility Settings

Setting	Options	Notes
Subtitle Size	Small, Medium, Large	Increase if you have difficulty reading small text.
Subtitle Background Opacity	0-100	Higher makes subtitles more readable over bright areas.
Color Blind Modes	Off, Protanopia, Deuteranopia, Tritanopia	Adjusts HUD colors for different types of color blindness.
High Contrast Mode	Off, On	Highlights interactable objects and enemies with strong outlines. Helps visibility.
Camera Shake	Off, On	Disable if motion sensitive. Shake occurs on heavy attacks and explosions.
Damage Numbers	Off, On	Shows numeric damage on hits. Mostly cosmetic; can be distracting.
Screen Effects	Off, Low, Full	Controls screen flash, blood, etc. Reduce if sensitive.
Audio Cues for Enemies	Always On	Subtle sounds that indicate enemy awareness. Keep on for gameplay advantage.

Special Attention: Enable High Contrast Mode if you struggle spotting machines in tall grass or dark areas. Combined with the Focus, it makes stealth much easier.

5. Language Settings

Settings are found under Audio or Language. You can mix voice and text languages.

Setting	Options (Example)	Notes
Voice Language	English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Arabic, etc.	Affects spoken dialogue. Japanese voice acting is popular with some fans.
Text Language	Same language list	Affects menus, subtitles, and UI text.
Subtitle Language	Same list or Off	Choose a different language for subtitles if you want the original voice.

Tip: If you install the game in a non-English region, double-check that the voice language matches your preference – sometimes it defaults to a regional dub.

6. Network Settings

Horizon Zero Dawn is primarily a single-player offline game. Network options are limited.

Setting	Options	Notes
Online Connectivity	On, Off	For PC: disables leaderboards and achievement sync? Mostly for DRM validation. Turn off to play completely offline.
Cloud Saves (Platform specific)	On, Off	On: automatically syncs saves to cloud. Recommended to prevent data loss.
Leaderboards	Visible, Hidden	Hunting ground scores and speedrun records. Request data only when viewing. Disabling may speed up loading.

7. Gameplay Settings

These affect how the game plays and feels.

Setting	Options	Recommended	Notes
Difficulty	Story, Easy, Normal, Hard, Very Hard, Ultra Hard	Normal for first playthrough	Affects enemy health/damage, resource quantity, and damage from Aloy. Ultra Hard is for New Game+ and disables HUD elements.
Aiming Style	Hold, Toggle	Hold	Controls aiming down sights. Hold is standard for fast reaction. Toggle reduces finger fatigue.
Sprinting Style	Hold, Toggle	Toggle	Hold: must keep button pressed. Toggle: press once to run. Toggle recommended for long distances.
Auto Pickup	Off, On	On	Automatically collects loot from small containers and plants. Off requires pressing interact each time – tedious.
Loot Crate Interact	Hold, Tap	Tap	Tap is faster. Hold can cause unwanted actions if you hold too long.
Auto-Save Frequency	Often, Moderate, Rare	Often	Saves at checkpoints. Often is safest; you lose minimal progress. Rare can lead to frustration.
Compass	Always On, Dynamic, Off	Dynamic	Shown only when relevant. Off clears HUD.
Quest Tracker	Show All, Show Active Only, Hide	Show Active Only	Prevents screen clutter. Switch to Show All when exploring multiple quests.
HUD Opacity	0-100	70-100	Lower for immersion; higher for visibility.
HUD Scale	Normal, Large	Normal	Large makes icons bigger but can cover more screen.
Damage Numbers	Off, On	On (for feedback)	Learn enemy weak points. Off for realism.
Hit Markers	Off, On	On	Visual confirmation of hits. Helps with ranged combat.
Weapon Quick Select	Radial Menu, Hotkeys	Radial Menu	Radial pauses time, allowing slow-mo weapon swaps. Hotkeys are faster but require memorization.

Special Attention:

Difficulty: Do not start on Very Hard or Ultra Hard unless you are experienced with action RPGs. Story mode is forgiving and lets you focus on exploration. You can change difficulty at any time except when Ultra Hard is locked (New Game+).

Auto Pickup: Definitely enable. You'll gather berries, wood, and metal shards automatically – saves time and reduces button mashing.

Weapon Quick Select: The radial menu is highly recommended. It pauses combat briefly, letting you equip the right arrow or trap without frantic keyboard/controller mashing.

Summary of Must-Adjust Settings

Setting	Action	Reason
Motion Blur	Off	Reduces motion sickness and improves clarity.
Depth of Field	Off	Keeps distant enemies visible.
Mouse Smoothing (PC)	Off	Eliminates input lag.
Auto Pickup	On	Saves time.
Aim Assist (controller)	Low or Off	Prevents aim pull on multiple targets.
Dynamic Range (audio)	Headphones if using headset	Enhances directional audio.
FOV	80-90	Best compromise between visibility and distortion.

Configure these before starting the game for the best experience.