In this article, we will cover Dark’s Rocket League settings, as Dark is known for being highly mechanical in navigating around the map fast. In such a manner, he consistently is at supersonic speeds, with many videos on YouTube demonstrating his skill; it can be inspiring to watch and attempt to play like him. Hopefully, following this guide will help you gain some insight into how to play like him.
His settings are optimal for competing at the highest level. Therefore, it’s beneficial to apply his controller and graphics settings to play effectively and improve your rank.
Camera Settings
Camera Settings determine your perspective, a commonly meme’d concept in Rocket League, where, if taken to the extremes, it can be either too far or too close, too high up or too low down. With most players roughly around the same Camera Settings for a reason, however, preferences can vary slightly.
| Camera Shake | No |
| FOV | 110 |
| Height | 110 |
| Angle | -3.0 |
| Distance | 290 |
| Stiffness | 0.40 |
| Swivel Speed | 5.00 |
| Transition Speed | 1.30 |
| Ball Toggle | Toggle |
Camera Shake is a definite no. It obscures vision during movement, which happens frequently, and disadvantages the player without providing any advantage.
The field of view (FOV) can be set between 60 and 110 degrees, with most players setting it to 110 degrees. Dark also likes to maximise his FOV to 110. Pros typically have a wide field of view (FOV), balancing distance and angle effectively. They position the camera close to the ball for better control while maintaining visibility for flicks and similar plays.
The Height Setting can be set between 40 and 200, offering a wide range of adjustment. However, it is recommended to aim for around 100; Dark sets his height at 110.
The Angle setting affects how steeply the camera looks down at your car. A more negative angle provides a better view of the ball while maintaining spatial awareness. Dark sets his angle to -3.0, which is closer to max steepness than some other pros like Squishy.
The Distance setting controls the distance between the camera and the car. A shorter distance gives a closer, more controlled feel, while a longer one improves awareness. Dark opts for 290 distance, which is a relatively far view compared to other players. This may be to compensate for his lack of camera control due to being on keyboard.
Stiffness affects how tightly the camera follows your car, while at max speed, referred to as Supersonic, with higher values meaning the camera less noticeably shifts as you get into Supersonic, it is crucial to know when you are a max speed and so it is recommended to have some lack of stiffness, Dark opts for 0.40 which is relatively low. Hence, he likes a slight shift in the camera modes.
Swivel Speed determines how quickly the camera rotates when you look around. Dark has his Swivel speed set to 5.00, which is higher than some other players.
Transition Speed defines how quickly the camera switches between ball cam and car cam. Dark sets his Transition Speed at 1.30, meaning Dark can promptly look away from the ball to find boost, then readjust before locking back to the ball.
Ball Cam Toggle is set to Toggle rather than Hold, which means he taps the button once to switch instead of needing to hold it down. Most players have this set to toggle, with few notable exceptions.
It is recommended to turn Demo Transition Time to 0, as this avoids the cinematics of being demoed, and immediately alerts you to new information that may help in-game. This is a new feature and is usually missed.
Controller Settings
Dark is interesting as he uses a mouse and keyboard setup, which is relatively unheard of outside of specific people. Another example of a keyboard and mouse player is Evample.
Professionals often seek the best equipment, and this includes keyboards, especially in a game like Rocket League. It is recommended to consider keyboards with features such as ultra-low latency or analog options, like the Drunk Deer series or Wooting Keyboards. For reference, I began using the Drunk Deer keyboard and noticed that my car felt lighter and more responsive when I used the Rapid Trigger mode in conjunction with Turbo latency mode.
If you are a controller player and don’t want to switch to keyboard and mouse, some sections may not be relevant to you, but other guides here may be more relevant, as they cover controller players:
Keybinds
Located in the Settings tab, on the third tab from the left, these buttons are highly customizable and can be used to perform various actions. Powerslide – Left Shift Air Roll (Left / Right) – Left Shift (Q/E) Boost – Left Mouse Button Jump – Right Mouse Button Ball Cam – Space Bar Brake – S key Throttle – W key Powerslide is bound to Left Shift. Air Roll has three different functions, allowing the stick to control Air Roll, or to always roll to the left or right. Dark settings are as follows: the Free Air Roll is bound to Left Shift, and the left Air Roll is Bound to Q, the right Air Roll is bound to E. This layout is somewhat confusing from Liquipedia, but once understood, it is very informative. Boost is bound to LMB. Jump is bound to RMB. Ball Cam is bound to Space. The brake is bound to S. The throttle is bound to W. |
Deadzone Settings
As Dark is a PC keyboard and mouse player, Deadzones do not affect his gameplay, as keyboards are ignored when Deadzone rules are set. If you’d like some references for Deadzones, refer to my other guides like Squishyz, Zens’, or Arsenals’.
Video Settings
This section primarily applies to PC Players via Steam or Epic Games, as Console players have fewer options for Graphics settings.
For optimal graphics, you want the highest Frames per Second (FPS) to make the game feel smoother, and conceptually, it will feel easier to keep up with the gameplay and react faster. This usually means turning most settings, if not all, to minimum.
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 (16:9) or Native |
| Display Mode | Fullscreen |
| Vertical Sync | Off |
| Anti-Aliasing | Off |
| Render Quality | High Quality |
| Render Detail | Custom |
| Frames Per Second | Uncapped |
| Texture Detail | Quality |
| World Detail | High Quality |
| Particle Detail | Performance |
| Effect Intensity | Low Intensity |
| High Quality Shaders | Off |
| Ambient Occlusion | Off |
| Depth of Field | Off |
| Bloom | Off |
| Light Shafts | Off |
| Lens Flares | Off |
| Dynamic Shadows | On |
| Motion Blur | Off |
| Weather Effects | Off |
For Monitor Settings, set this to Native, which is typically 1920×1080 at 16:9 at Full Screen, and turn Vertical Sync to OFF.
For Basic Settings, turn off Anti-Aliasing (AA), as this affects the number of frames produced, which straightens rugged edges to enhance the visual quality of lines.
Render Quality is best set to High Quality, as this setting degrades the Graphics Significantly for a minimal performance tradeoff.
Set this to Quality to maintain clear visuals on car decals and field textures without impacting performance significantly. It ensures the game retains a polished look during gameplay.
Use High Quality to improve the visibility of map features and boost immersion. It slightly impacts performance but is generally safe with modern hardware.
Set this to Performance to reduce unnecessary visual clutter, such as boost trails and explosion effects. It helps keep the screen clean during chaotic plays.
Low Intensity is ideal to minimize distractions from explosions and lighting effects. It ensures essential visuals like the ball and players remain the focus.
Disable High Quality Shaders to improve performance and reduce unnecessary lighting effects. It makes the game appear flatter but boosts clarity and speed.
Disable Depth of Field to ensure objects in the distance (like the ball or opponents) stay sharp and visible. Blurring distant visuals is counterproductive in fast-paced play.
Turn off Bloom to avoid distracting glow effects from lights and boosts. This improves contrast and reduces unnecessary eye strain.
Disable Light Shafts to remove sunbeams and flare effects, which can clutter vision. This enhances visibility in outdoor arenas.
Turn Lens Blur off to prevent visual distractions from light sources. It also reduces glare effects that could interfere with ball tracking.
Set Dynamic Shadows to on to preserve depth perception and help track players accurately. Shadows enhance spatial awareness, especially during opponents’ aerial maneuvers behind you.
Disable Motion Blur to prevent screen blurring during quick movements. It improves tracking and reaction time.
Disable weather effects to maintain a consistent view, regardless of the map. Rain, snow, or fog can interfere with visibility during matches.
In-Game Screenshot
Dark likely uses these settings to play at his optimal pace and keep up with other professionals or SSL players. Most people can benefit from adopting his playstyle to improve their game. However, it’s essential to make your adjustments if specific settings don’t work for you. If the settings have been applied correctly, this is what the game should look like.
Check out my other guides for Rocket League here.
Dark is a controller player based on PC, and his settings have evolved over the years. You can view his full setup on Liquipedia, a community-maintained Competitive Rocket League database and wiki, which is updated by the community whenever he uploads to a social media or platform and should be accurate unless he changes it in the future.
This is not Dark(?), a Saudi Arabian player who has not won any RLCS or high-level competitions; however, he is a notable contender, placing 9th to 20th in many. This is the American player who is better known and has won many competitions at a school level between 2019 and 2021.
