Game Settings - Prey (2017)

Prey (2017) – Game Settings Guide

This guide covers all configurable settings in Prey (2017) across graphics, audio, controls, accessibility, language, network, and gameplay. It provides optimal settings for different hardware tiers and highlights settings that are often misunderstood. All recommendations are based on the PC version (Steam/Epic/GOG) unless noted; console settings are simpler but comparable.

---

1. Graphics Settings

Prey runs on the CryEngine and is generally well-optimized, but certain settings heavily impact performance. Below is a breakdown of every graphics option.

#### 1.1 Display Mode & Resolution

Display Mode: Fullscreen (best performance and input latency), Windowed Borderless (useful for multi-monitor), Windowed (not recommended).

Resolution: Set to native monitor resolution. Lowering resolution can improve performance but makes UI too small.

Refresh Rate: Match monitor max (e.g., 60Hz, 144Hz).

VSync: Off (unless screen tearing is noticeable; use Fast Sync or G-Sync if available).

#### 1.2 Graphics Presets

Prey offers presets: Low, Medium, High, Very High. Customize individual options for best balance.

#### 1.3 Individual Graphics Options

Setting	Low	Medium	High	Very High	Performance Impact	Notes
Anti-Aliasing	Off	FXAA	SMAA 1x	SMAA 2x	Low	Use SMAA 1x for best quality/performance trade-off. FXAA causes blur.
Texture Quality	Low	Medium	High	Very High	Medium (VRAM)	Higher uses more VRAM. Set to High (4GB VRAM), Very High (6GB+).
Shader Quality	Low	Medium/High	High	Very High	Medium	Affects lighting and material detail. High is good for most GPUs.
Shadow Quality	Low	Medium	High	Very High	High	Very High has shadows at full resolution; High is almost identical.
Object Quality	Low	Medium	High	Very High	Medium	Controls draw distance for small objects. High is fine.
Water Quality	Low	Medium	High	Very High	Low	Minimal impact on framerate. High looks nice in areas like Arboretum.
Ambient Occlusion	Off	SSAO	HDAO	HBAO+	Medium-High	HBAO+ provides best depth effect but costs performance. SSAO is good.
Motion Blur	Off	On	–	–	Low	Personal preference; off for clarity.
Depth of Field	Off	On	–	–	Low	Blurs distant objects; can hide pop-in but also reduce visibility.
Lens Flares	Off	On	–	–	Very Low	Visual flair only. On recommended.
Bloom	Off	On	–	–	Very Low	Affects bright light halos. Keep on.
FOV (Field of View)	60-90 (default 70)	–	–	–	Negligible	Increase to 80-90 for better peripheral vision. Higher FOV may reduce performance slightly but not much.

#### 1.4 Advanced Rendering (Hidden .cfg settings)

For PC users, advanced tweaks can be made via `prey.cfg` in `%USERPROFILE%\Saved Games\Prey\GameData\`. Options like `r_TexMaxAnisotropy` (16 for best filtering), `r_VSync` (0=off), `r_Gamma` (adjust brightness). Editing these is optional and not recommended for novices.

#### 1.5 Optimal Settings by Hardware Tier

Benchmark Note: Use the in-game area near the Arboretum or during Typhon combat for testing.

Entry-Level PC (e.g., GTX 1050 / RX 560, 8GB RAM, 1080p):

Preset: Low → Custom

Resolution: 1080p (or 900p if needed)

Anti-Aliasing: Off

Texture Quality: Medium

Shader Quality: Low

Shadow Quality: Low

Ambient Occlusion: Off

All other effects: Off/Low

Expected: 30-45 FPS, playable with some stutter.

Mid-Range PC

Preset: High → Custom

Anti-Aliasing: SMAA 1x

Texture Quality: High

Shader Quality: High

Shadow Quality: High

Ambient Occlusion: SSAO

Water Quality: High

Motion Blur: Off

Expected: 60 FPS stable.

High-End PC

Preset: Very High → Custom

Anti-Aliasing: SMAA 2x

Texture Quality: Very High

Shader Quality: Very High

Shadow Quality: Very High

Ambient Occlusion: HBAO+

Everything else: On

Expected: 60-90 FPS.

Ultra PC

Preset: Very High, all max

Anti-Aliasing: SMAA 2x (or off, use DSR/FSR)

Expected: 60+ FPS at 4K with minor dips.

Anti-Aliasing: SMAA is preferable over FXAA. Many players leave it on FXAA and wonder why everything looks blurry.

Ambient Occlusion: HBAO+ is high quality but heavy; SSAO is a good middle ground. Not recommended to turn off completely.

VSync: Leave off unless screen tearing is an issue; it adds input lag.

FOV: Default 70 is narrow for an immersive sim; increase to 80-90 for better situational awareness but may cause slight performance drop on low-end PCs.

2. Audio Settings

Master Volume: 80% (default). Adjust to taste.

Music Volume: 70% – music is atmospheric but can obscure enemy sounds.

SFX Volume: 100% – crucial for hearing Typhon footsteps, mimics rustling, and weapon sounds.

Voice Volume: 100% – dialog is important for story and clues.

Dynamic Range: Select “Headphones” or “Speakers” based on output. “Headphones” enhances positional audio for stereo headsets.

Audio Language: See Language section.

Subtitles: On (recommended) – helps with ambient dialog and foreign phrases.

Closed Captions: Off (unless hearing impaired).

Special Note: Prey’s sound design is exceptional. Use a good headset for directional audio to detect mimics and enemies behind walls. The game uses 7.1 surround; if you have a 7.1 headset, enable it in Windows sound settings.

---

3. Controls Settings

#### 3.1 Keyboard & Mouse (PC)

Prey allows full remapping. Default controls are standard for FPS, but some actions are unique:

Action	Default Key	Recommended Rebinding	Reason
Sprint	Left Shift	Keep	Standard
Crouch	C	Keep or use Ctrl	Mimics often require crouching under vents.
Jump	Space	Keep
Interact	E	Keep
Use Item	Q	Keep (quick access medkits)
Weapon Wheel	Tab	Keep	Pauses game for hot-swapping
GLOO Cannon	3	Keep	Primary tool
Psychoscope	F	Keep	Essential for scanning
Lever Action	Mouse 4 (if available)	Optional	Quick melee
Look Around	Mouse movement	Adjust sensitivity: 3-5 for most players	Higher sensitivity may cause micro-errors during precise gloo aiming.

Sensitivity & Aiming:

Mouse Sensitivity: 3-5 (default 5) – lower for precise shooting.

Invert Y: Off

Mouse Smoothing: Off (adds input lag).

Enable Raw Mouse Input: On (bypasses OS acceleration).

Vibration: On (enhances immersion, especially when mimic appears).

Aim Assist: Medium (default) – Prey has slight aim assist on consoles; set to High if struggling.

Controller Sensitivity: 2-4 (default).

Invert Y: Off.

Important

Mouse Smoothing: Often overlooked; having it on introduces input lag that feels floaty. Turn off.

Weapon Wheel Behavior: By default, pressing Tab opens the wheel and pausing the game (single-player). Some users prefer it to not pause; the option “Pause with Weapon Wheel” is toggleable in Gameplay settings. For less interruption, set to “Only in Menu” (but then wheel doesnt pause). Recommended: Keep default (pause) for tactical swaps.

Quick Save / Load: Map F5 (quicksave) and F9 (quickload) – Prey auto-saves frequently, but manual quicksave is vital before dangerous encounters.

4. Accessibility Settings

Subtitles: On (improves comprehension for hearing impaired).

Closed Captions: Not available natively; only subtitles for spoken dialog.

Difficulty Level: Affects damage taken, enemy health, resources. Accessible through New Game or anytime via options? (Cannot change mid-game without restart). Choose Story mode for minimal combat challenge.

FOV: Wider FOV helps motion-sickness prone players. Set to 80-85.

Motion Blur & Depth of Field: Turn off to reduce nausea.

Color Blindness: No specific settings; rely on visual cues (mimics glow slightly) and audio.

Control Remapping: Full keyboard/mouse remapping helps with mobility issues.

Audio Cues: Essential for enemies – keep SFX high.

Saving: Prey has quicksave (F5 on PC) and manual saves. Use frequently.

Recommendation

5. Language Settings

Text Language: Choose from available languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian, etc.). This changes all menus, dialog subtitles, and UI.

Audio Language: Usually only English voiced; other languages may have subtitles only. Check on Steam before purchase.

Subtitle Mode: On/Off; also choose “Subtitles Only” for deaf players.

Platform Note

6. Network Settings

Online Features: Achievements, cloud saves (if supported by platform).

Steam Cloud: Enable to sync saves across PCs.

Bethesda.net Account: Not required for offline play, but needed for rewards? (If you bought through Bethesda launcher). Ignore if playing on Steam.

No dedicated server options. Disable internet connection for purely offline play.

7. Gameplay Settings

Difficulty: Normal is balanced. Hard increases enemy damage and reduces resources. Story mode makes combat trivial.

Objective Marker: On (default) – shows current mission waypoint. Off for immersive exploration.

HUD Transparency: Adjust from 0% (opaque) to 100% (invisible). 20% recommended for minimal distractions.

Weapon Wheel Pause: Pauses game while selecting weapons. Enables safe weapon swapping; disable for more action-oriented gameplay (but risky).

Quick Switch: Enable to instantly switch to last weapon without wheel.

Reticle: Show/Hide. Keep show for aiming.

Damage Numbers: Off (by default). Can be enabled in .cfg? Not in options. Not recommended.

Auto-Save Frequency: Can’t adjust directly, but the game saves at checkpoints. Manual save often.

Camera Shake: Not toggleable in menu; reduce motion sickness by lowering sensitivity or enabling mods.

Difficulty cannot be changed mid-game – choose wisely.

Weapon Wheel Pause: Many players dislike the pause, but it’s very useful for swapping between GLOO, shotgun, and wrench quickly. Keep on unless you prefer frantic switching.

Objective Marker: Turning it off increases immersion but may cause confusion for first-time players. Recommend leaving on until you know Talos I layout.

---

Final Setup Checklist

1. Set display to fullscreen at native resolution with proper refresh rate.
2. Adjust graphics preset based on hardware; fine-tune Anti-Aliasing to SMAA, Ambient Occlusion to SSAO, Texture to High.
3. Increase FOV to 80-85.
4. Disable Motion Blur and Depth of Field if prone to motion sickness.
5. Audio: SFX 100%, Music 70%, Voice 100%, Dynamic Range = Headphones, Subtitles On.
6. Controls: Raw mouse input, disable mouse smoothing, adjust sensitivity to 4, rebind quick melee to thumb button.
7. Gameplay: Difficulty Normal, Weapon Wheel Pause On, Objective Marker On, HUD Transparency 20%.
8. Save your settings, then test in the first area (lobby).

With these settings, you will enjoy optimal performance, clear visuals, responsive controls, and an immersive audio experience tailored to Prey’s atmospheric horror.