Game Settings

Game Settings Guide

This guide covers every setting available in Undertale, explaining what each option does and how to optimize it for your system. Since Undertale is a lightweight 2D pixel-art game, performance is rarely an issue, but some settings affect visual clarity, audio balance, and control responsiveness. The settings menu can be accessed from the title screen or during gameplay by pressing Escape (on PC) or the appropriate menu button on console.

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Graphics Settings

Undertale uses a fixed low-resolution pixel art style (640x480 native) that can be scaled to fullscreen. The graphics settings primarily control how the game window behaves.

Performance Recommendations:

• Low-end PC (e.g., integrated graphics, 4GB RAM): Fullscreen On, Resolution 640x480 or 960x720. Turn off any background programs.


• Mid-range PC (e.g., dedicated GPU, 8GB RAM): Fullscreen On, Resolution 1280x960 or 1600x1200.


• High-end PC (e.g., modern GPU, 16GB+ RAM): Fullscreen On, max resolution available (typically 1920x1440). No performance impact expected.

Misconfiguration Warning: Setting a resolution that doesn't match your monitor's aspect ratio can cause stretched images. Always maintain a 4:3 ratio (e.g., 640x480, 960x720, 1280x960). If your monitor is 16:9, the game will add black bars on the sides (pillarboxing) – this is normal and intended by the developer.

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Audio Settings

Undertale's iconic soundtrack is a core part of the experience. Audio settings are straightforward.

Special Attention: If you are playing on a laptop with internal speakers, keep Master Volume at 50–60% to avoid distortion. The game's audio is not adjustable in real-time; changes apply after closing the settings menu.

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Control Settings

Undertale supports keyboard/mouse and most game controllers. The default controls are optimized for a keyboard, but you can rebind almost everything.

Rebinding Controls:
In the Settings menu, select Controls to rebind keys. You can assign two keyboard keys per action (e.g., both Z and Enter for Confirm). Controller bindings are fixed but can be swapped in some remapping tools (like Steam Input).

Optimization Tips:

• For precision bullet-hell segments (especially Sans fight), use a wired Xbox controller for smoother movement.


• If using keyboard, ensure your arrow keys or WASD keys are not ghosting (press multiple keys simultaneously). The game requires diagonal movement rarely, but fast tapping is helpful.


• Mouse: Primarily used for menu navigation (point and click). Not required but can speed up inventory management.

Misconfiguration Warning: If you pick up an item or talk to someone unexpectedly, you might have assigned Confirm to a key you frequently press. Double-check that your rebinds don't conflict with movement keys.

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Accessibility Settings

Undertale has limited dedicated accessibility features, but some settings can be used to customize the experience.

Special Attention: The Auto-Advance Text setting can cause you to miss options in important scenes (e.g., when a choice appears briefly before auto-advancing). Only enable this if you are comfortable skipping choices or want to experience the game on a first playthrough with minimal interaction. For full control, keep it Off.

Additional Accessibility Notes:

• Colorblind players: The game uses color cues (e.g., red soul for determination, purple soul for Pacifist). The heart color indicates your mode; no alternative symbols exist. The bullet-hell patterns are differentiated by shape, not just color, so it is playable.


• Subtitle: Not needed; all dialogue is text.


• Difficulty: Only one difficulty setting is inherent (the game adjusts enemy attack patterns based on your LOVE, but you cannot change difficulty manually).


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Language Settings



Undertale officially supports only English. No in-game language option exists.

Regional Differences:

• The Japanese version (released later) has an official translation with altered text for cultural references. If you are playing the Steam version, the language is hardcoded to Steam's client language? No – the game always displays English text regardless of your system locale.


• Fan translations exist for PC (via mods), but they modify game files; use at your own risk as they can affect save integrity.


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Network Settings



Undertale is a strictly single-player game with no online or network components. There is no multiplayer, no leaderboards, and no internet connectivity required.


• Steam Cloud Saves: On Steam, saves are synced to the cloud automatically if enabled in Steam settings. This is optional and not controlled within the game.


• Fun Value / Secrets: Some hidden content (e.g., the Grey Door, Gaster followers, etc.) is influenced by a hidden variable called the Fun Value, which is determined by system time at game start. This is not a setting but a random seed; you can modify it via save file editing but that is not recommended for first playthrough.

No network configuration is needed.

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Gameplay Settings

These settings affect how you interact with the game world.

Misconfiguration Warning: Skip Cutscenes set to On can accidentally skip an entire boss prelude or plot-important dialogue if you press Confirm too quickly. Use with caution.

Additional Notes:

• Auto Run does not affect battle speed. Battle mechanics rely on soul control speed, which is fixed.


• There is no way to adjust difficulty, enemy encounter rate, or damage modifiers.

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Special Attention Points During Setup

1. Windowed vs Fullscreen: If you experience screen tearing or input lag, play in Windowed mode and set Scale to 2x or 3x. This is a known issue on some high-refresh-rate monitors.
2. Save Backups: Undertale has permanent consequences based on choices. The game only has three save slots. To avoid overwriting a run, manually back up your save files (on PC: `%appdata%/UNDERTALE/`).
3. Controller Awareness: The game switches seamlessly between keyboard and controller. If your controller is plugged in when you launch, the game defaults to controller input. Unplug it if you want to use keyboard exclusively.
4. Text Speed & Auto-Advance: If you enable auto-advance, you may miss dialogue choices that require a button press. For your first playthrough, keep it Off.
5. Screen Resolution Scaling: The game's pixel art is designed for a 4:3 aspect ratio. On 16:9 monitors, black bars are normal and intended. Do not force stretch via GPU scaling – it breaks the artistic look.

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Final Optimized Settings Summary

Undertale's settings are minimal but adjusting them correctly enhances your experience. For a first playthrough, stick with the defaults and only tweak volume and resolution. Enjoy the journey!