This guide covers the most important settings you should adjust immediately to enhance your gameplay. We will review the graphics, gameplay, controls, and audio settings that competitive players utilize.
Graphics Settings
Graphics settings are the most important changes you can make in Arc Raiders. These settings directly impact your frame rate and how well you can spot enemies. Lower graphics settings can help you see players through foliage and give you smoother gameplay.
The goal is to maximize your FPS while keeping important visual elements clear. Some settings like Texture Quality have almost no performance impact, so you can keep them high.
| Setting | Recommended Value |
|---|---|
| Window Mode | Borderless Fullscreen |
| Display Resolution | Native (Your Monitor’s Resolution) |
| Frame Generation | Disabled |
| VSync | Off |
| NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency | On |
| Frame Rate Limit | Unlimited |
| Resolution Scaling Method | NVIDIA DLSS |
| DLSS Quality | Quality |
| DLSS Model | Transformer (High-end GPU) / Quality (Older GPU) |
| Field of View | 80 |
| Motion Blur | Disabled |
| Global Illumination | Static |
| Texture Quality | Epic |
| View Distance | Low |
| Anti-Aliasing | Low |
| Shadows | Low |
| Post-Processing | Low |
| Effects | Low |
| Reflections | Low |
| Foliage | Low |
Why These Graphics Settings Matter
Field of View at 80 is critical because it lets you see more of your surroundings. At 60 FOV, enemies on your sides can be completely invisible. Setting it to 80 gives you better awareness and helps you spot threats earlier.
Motion Blur should always be disabled in competitive shooters. It makes your aim worse and creates visual noise that makes tracking enemies harder. There is no competitive advantage to having motion blur enabled.
View Distance on Low is a secret trick many players do not know about. Lower view distance removes distant foliage and simplifies terrain, making it much easier to spot players and Arc enemies at range. This gives you a huge advantage in firefights.
VSync Off and Unlimited Frame Rate reduces input lag significantly. You want the lowest possible delay between moving your mouse and seeing the action on screen. Keep VSync disabled for the best responsiveness.
Texture Quality on Epic is safe to keep high because textures barely impact performance. Meanwhile, keep other settings on Low to maximize your frame rate and maintain smooth gameplay during intense combat.
Gameplay Settings
Gameplay settings control your HUD visibility and important combat information. These settings help you stay aware of your reload status and where damage is coming from.
Always enable both Show Reload Progress and Show Damage Direction for better combat awareness. The HUD position can be adjusted based on your monitor setup.
| Setting | Recommended Value |
|---|---|
| HUD Position | Stretched |
| Show Reload Progress | On |
| Show Damage Direction | On |
Understanding Gameplay Settings
Show Reload Progress displays a circular indicator that fills up as your weapon reloads. This helps you know exactly when your gun is ready to fire again. Never turn this off because it gives you critical timing information during fights.
Show Damage Direction shows red indicators pointing toward where you are getting shot from. This is essential for survival in Arc Raiders. When you take damage, you need to know immediately which direction the threat is coming from so you can take cover or return fire.
HUD Position on Stretched pushes your interface elements to the edges of your screen. This works best for most monitors and gives you a cleaner view of the center of your screen where combat happens.
Mouse and Keyboard Controls
Your keybinds are extremely important for fast reactions in Arc Raiders. The default controls are mostly good, but there are some critical changes you should make for better movement and combat performance.
The key improvements include dual crouch binds, thumb mouse buttons for dodge and shoulder swap, and accessible weapon switching. These changes will make your gameplay feel much more responsive.
| Action | Recommended Keybind |
|---|---|
| Movement | W / A / S / D |
| Jump | Spacebar |
| Sprint | Hold (not Toggle) |
| Crouch (Evasive) | Left Ctrl |
| Crouch (Stealth) | C |
| Walk Toggle | V |
| Interact | E |
| Reload Weapon | R |
| Dodge Roll | Thumb Mouse Button |
| Shoulder Swap | Second Thumb Mouse Button |
| Weapon 1 | 1 |
| Weapon 2 | 2 |
| Melee | 3 |
| Unarmed Run | 4 |
| Items | Q |
| Flashlight | F |
| Access Inventory | Tab |
| Map | M |
| Ping | Middle Mouse Button (or Z) |
| Proximity Push-to-Chat | Bound and Enabled |
Advanced Keybind Explanations
Two Different Crouch Binds is a game changer for movement. Use Left Ctrl for evasive crouching during combat when you need to bob and weave or quickly get in and out of cover. Use C for stealth crouching when you want to sneak around Arc or enemy players. This way you do not have to hold a button for long periods when sneaking.
Sprint on Hold instead of Toggle gives you better control over your movement speed. In Arc Raiders, you constantly need to adjust your speed based on the situation. Hold to sprint lets you stop running instantly without pressing the sprint button again.
Dodge Roll on Thumb Mouse Button is critical for your survival. Your thumb naturally rests on the side mouse button, making it instantly accessible during combat. You never have to sacrifice keyboard movement to hit dodge roll. This makes dodging feel natural and reactive instead of clunky.
Shoulder Swap on Second Thumb Mouse Button lets you quickly peek around cover from different angles. This also changes which side your gun is on, giving you a tactical advantage when holding tight corners. Use this to confuse enemies by constantly switching your peek angle.
Unarmed Run on 4 gives you a speed boost when chasing wounded enemies or closing distance. When you holster your weapon, you run slightly faster. Use this to bait enemies into thinking you are defenseless, then quickly pull out your gun for the finish. Keep this on an easily accessible number key.
Walk Toggle on V is underrated but very useful. When you want to move quietly but faster than crouch speed, tap V to walk. This is perfect for positioning without giving away your location through loud footsteps.
Crosshair Settings
Your crosshair visibility can make or break your aim in Arc Raiders. The default red crosshair disappears against many backgrounds in the game. Switching to a bright color makes your crosshair stand out in all environments.
Using a center dot with your crosshair helps with precision aiming, especially for weapons like the Anvil and Pharaoh. These settings give you the clearest sight picture possible, otherwise – use no center dot.
For more details about Crosshair settings, check out our Crosshair Guide:
Why Bright Green Crosshair Works Best
Setting Red to 0 and Green to 255 creates a bright green crosshair that is always visible against Arc Raiders environments. Red crosshairs blend into brown terrain, rusty metal, and evening lighting. Green pops against almost every background in the game.
You can also use cyan or bright blue by adjusting the blue value if you prefer that color. The important part is getting rid of red completely so your crosshair never disappears.
Center Dot helps with precision weapons like the Anvil sniper rifle. Even though Arc Raiders has bullet dispersion, the center dot gives you a consistent aiming reference point that makes tracking targets much easier.
Audio Settings
Audio is extremely important in Arc Raiders because sound gives you critical information about enemy positions. The Night Mode setting is the most important audio change you can make.
These settings help you hear footsteps and gunshots more clearly while preventing explosions from being too loud. Proper audio settings give you better awareness without hurting your ears.
| Setting | Recommended Value |
|---|---|
| Night Mode | On |
| Proximity Voice Chat | Bound and Enabled |
| Subtitles | Small |
Night Mode Audio Explained
Night Mode equalizes all audio levels in Arc Raiders. This means explosions and loud sounds become quieter while footsteps and subtle sounds become louder. Everything sits closer to the middle volume range.
This is essential for competitive play because it lets you hear enemy movement without getting your ears blasted by explosions. In a game where sound awareness is critical, Night Mode gives you a huge advantage.
Proximity Voice Chat should be bound and enabled so you can communicate with nearby players. Make sure it is set to your correct microphone. Voice communication can help you coordinate with random teammates or warn friendly players about threats.
Subtitles on Small keeps them visible without being distracting. Subtitles can help you identify sounds you might miss, but you do not want them covering too much of your screen during fights.
Mouse Sensitivity Settings
Your mouse sensitivity directly impacts your aim consistency. While sensitivity is personal preference, there is a recommended range that works well for most players in Arc Raiders.
Too high sensitivity makes precision aiming difficult. Too low sensitivity makes it hard to turn and track fast moving targets. Finding the sweet spot in the middle gives you the best results.
| Setting | Recommended Value |
|---|---|
| Mouse DPI | 1600 |
| In-Game Sensitivity | 10 to 24 (Ballpark Range) |
Finding Your Perfect Sensitivity
1600 DPI with 10 to 24 in game sensitivity is a good starting point for most players. If you are below 10, your sensitivity might be too low to quickly turn and react to threats. If you are above 24, you might struggle with precise aiming at range.
Test your sensitivity by trying to track a moving enemy while keeping your crosshair steady on them. If you are constantly overshooting or undershooting, adjust your sensitivity in small increments until it feels natural.
Remember that lower sensitivity generally gives you better aim at long range, while higher sensitivity helps with close quarters combat and quick reactions. Find the balance that matches your playstyle.
Accessibility Settings
Accessibility settings include important features like crosshair movement when your line of fire is blocked. These settings help you understand when you are about to shoot a wall instead of your target.
The smooth movement option changes how responsive the crosshair shift feels. Most competitive players prefer the snappier instant movement.
| Setting | Recommended Value |
|---|---|
| Colorblind Mode | Default |
| Move Crosshair When Line of Fire Blocked | On |
| Smooth Move When Line of Fire Blocked | Off |
Line of Fire Indicator Explained
Move Crosshair When Line of Fire Blocked shows you when your weapon will hit an obstacle instead of your target. This happens often when peeking around corners or shooting near cover. Your crosshair will shift to show where your bullets will actually go.
This prevents frustrating moments where you think you are aiming at an enemy but your gun is pointed at a wall or piece of cover. Always keep this setting enabled.
Smooth Move Off makes the crosshair snap instantly to the blocked position instead of smoothly sliding. This feels more responsive and immediate, helping you react faster when your line of fire is blocked. Most competitive players prefer instant snapping.
Special Settings
The Interact and Reload Behavior setting controls which action gets priority when both are available. This is purely a matter of personal preference, based on your playstyle.
| Setting | Recommended Value |
|---|---|
| Interact/Reload Behavior | Personal Preference |
Interact Priority vs Reload Priority
When you are near a door or lootable object while also having an empty magazine, the game needs to know which action to prioritize.
Prioritize Interaction means pressing your interact/reload key will open doors or loot items first. Choose this if you often find yourself trying to loot in combat and accidentally reloading instead.
Prioritize Reload means your gun will reload first before interacting with objects. Choose this option if combat is your priority and you want to ensure your weapon is always ready to fire.
Test both options and see which one feels more natural for your playstyle. There is no wrong answer here.
New players may also struggle to work out which stations are worthwhile unlocking in early game, head over to this guide.
One common question players have about ARC Raiders is, how can I make my weapons more powerful?
This game is fun, a lovely breath from the usual themes, and personally, I’ve enjoyed extraction shooters such as The Division, and so the theme is really nostalgic to me – I hope this game is around to stay as a long-lasting example of its genre we’ve seemingly lost in recent days, thanks to battle royales taking over the recent years.
