American Truck Simulator: Best config.cfg for High-Res Textures

The primary goal for high-res texture stability in ATS is managing how the Prism3D engine streams assets into your GPU’s memory. By default, the game uses a small buffer that was designed for older hardware. In 2026, we override these limits to allow for uncompressed texture streaming and increased Level of Detail (LOD) distances, ensuring that even distant billboards and road signs remain sharp.

File Path

You must edit the global configuration file. Ensure the game is not running.

C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Documents\American Truck Simulator\config.cfg

Note: For permanent changes that won’t be overwritten by the in-game “Ultra” presets, it is highly recommended to create an autoexec.cfg in the same folder and add -exec autoexec.cfg to your Steam Launch Options.

Technical Configuration (The 2026 “High-Res & LOD” Template)

Locate these lines and update their values. If they are missing, add them to the bottom of the file.

uset r_buffer_page_size "50" // Increases the memory pool for high-res assets
uset r_segment_buffer_size "128" // Crucial for high-detail map mods
uset r_texture_detail "0" // Forces 0 (Highest) to disable texture compression
uset r_sun_shadow_texture_size "8192" // Ultra-sharp shadows to match high-res textures
uset r_deferred_mirrors "1"
uset r_nowait "1"

uset g_lod_factor_pedestrian "2.0"
uset g_lod_factor_parked "3.0"
uset g_lod_factor_traffic "3.0" // Prevents low-poly models from popping in too close
uset g_veg_lod_bias "-1.5" // Sharpens distant vegetation
uset g_reflection_scale "3"

uset t_averaging_window_length "120" // Set this to 2x your monitor's refresh rate

Parameter Breakdown:

• r_buffer_page_size “50”: This is the most vital setting for 2026. Increasing this from the default (often 10 or 20) allows the game to store more high-resolution texture data in a single “page,” eliminating the micro-stutters when turning corners in busy cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco.
• r_texture_detail “0”: Setting this to 0 ensures that textures are loaded at their native, uncompressed resolution. If your GPU has 8GB+ VRAM, this is a “must-have” for clarity.
• g_lod_factor_traffic “3.0”: By tripling the LOD factor, AI vehicles and their high-res decals stay rendered in high detail much further into the distance, preventing the “shape-shifting” effect on the highway.
• r_sun_shadow_texture_size “8192”: Standard “Ultra” is 2048 or 4096. Doubling this to 8192 matches the shadow resolution to your high-res truck skins, removing jagged edges on your dashboard and hood.

Strategy for 2026 Texture Mastery

• The “Snowymoon” Solution: In 2026, the Snowymoon TAA plugin is the gold standard for ATS. It replaces the game’s basic anti-aliasing with a superior temporal solution that removes “pixel crawling” on chrome parts and power lines.
• Launch Options Optimization: To help the engine handle high-res textures, add these to Steam:-mm_max_tmp_buffers_size 1000 -mm_max_resource_size 80 -mm_pool_size 16384(Note: -mm_pool_size should be roughly half of your total System RAM).
• Scaling vs. Texture Quality: If you are playing at 4K native, keep scaling at 100%. If you are at 1080p, use 400% Scaling. Never use both high scaling and high-res mods if you have less than 12GB of VRAM, as it will trigger the Windows Page File and cause heavy lag.
• Anisotropic Filtering: Always force 16x in your GPU driver (NVIDIA/AMD Control Panel) rather than relying on the in-game slider. This ensures road textures remain sharp at an angle rather than turning into a “blurry mess” 20 feet ahead of the truck.

Key Performance Metrics (Update 1.57+)

Feature	Default “Ultra”	Config Optimized	Visual Impact
Texture Sharpness	Standard	Max Clarity	r_texture_detail 0 removes all compression.
LOD Pop-in	Noticeable	Nearly Invisible	Assets stay high-detail at a 3x distance.
Shadow Resolution	2048/4096	8192 (Cinema)	No more jagged “staircase” shadows.
City Stutter	Occasional	None	r_buffer_page_size 50 smooths asset calls.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion and Expected Results

By forcing LOD Factor 3.0 and Buffer Page Size 50 via the config.cfg, you are allowing American Truck Simulator to utilize modern VRAM capacities. You can expect perfectly sharp road textures, no more blurry distant objects, and a rock-solid frame rate even when hauling through the most asset-heavy DLC regions.