Apex Legends: Best videoconfig.txt for Frame Capping at 240+

To achieve a true 240+ FPS, we must strip away the high-latency shadow cascades and volumetric lighting that bloom during abilities like Gibraltar’s Ult or Bangalore’s Smoke.

File Path & Setup

1. Navigate to: %USERPROFILE%\Saved Games\Respawn\Apex\local\
2. Locate: videoconfig.txt
3. Launch Option: Right-click Apex in Steam > Properties > Launch Options: +fps_max 240 -high -dev -preload
4. Pro Tip: After applying the settings below, set the file to Read-Only. Apex will try to re-enable “Sun Shadow Coverage” every time you visit the in-game Video menu.

Optimized “Competitive Edge” Configuration Table

Parameter	Recommended Value	Technical Purpose
setting.csm_enabled	0	The FPS King. Disables Cascaded Shadow Maps (Massive boost).
setting.r_lod_switch_scale	0.350000	Lowers model detail at distance to prioritize CPU cycles for close combat.
setting.stream_memory	0	Disables the VRAM buffer to prevent texture streaming hitching.
setting.mat_antialias_mode	0	Disables MSAA for raw pixel clarity and lower input lag.
setting.dvs_gpuframetime_min	4100	Target for Adaptive Resolution (1/240 * 1,000,000).

"VideoConfig"
{
    "setting.cl_particle_fallback_multiplier" "0.000000"
    "setting.cl_particle_fallback_base" "0.000000"
    "setting.r_lod_switch_scale" "0.350000"
    "setting.csm_enabled" "0"
    "setting.shadow_enable" "0"
    "setting.shadow_maxdynamic" "0"
    "setting.ssao_enabled" "0"
    "setting.volumetric_lighting" "0"
    "setting.mat_vsync_mode" "0"
    "setting.mat_backbuffer_count" "1"
    "setting.mat_antialias_mode" "0"
    "setting.mat_forceaniso" "0"
    "setting.stream_memory" "0"
}

HowTo: Engineering 240Hz Consistency

Follow these GameEngineer.net technical steps to stabilize your framerate:

1. Adaptive Resolution (The Secret Buffer): In your videoconfig.txt, setting setting.dvs_enable to 1 and setting.dvs_gpuframetime_min to 4100 (for 240 FPS) acts as a safety net. If your GPU starts to drop below 240 FPS during a heavy fight, the game will dynamically lower its internal resolution to keep your framerate locked.
2. Disable Ragdolls: In your autoexec.cfg (found in the game’s cfg folder), add cl_ragdoll_force_fade_time 0. This makes dead bodies disappear instantly, preventing the CPU from calculating physics for “useless” entities during a teamfight.
3. DirectX 12 Beta: By 2026, Apex’s DX12 mode is highly stable. If you have a multi-core CPU (8+ cores), using the -anticheat_settings=SettingsDX12.json launch option can provide more consistent 1% lows than the default DX11.
4. NVIDIA Reflex + Boost: Always enable Reflex + Boost in the in-game menu. This prevents your GPU from entering a low-power state during looting phases, ensuring the transition into a high-intensity fight doesn’t result in a latency spike.
5. Texture Streaming Budget: While our config sets it to 0 (None), if you hate the “playdough” look of the guns, you can set this to Low (2GB VRAM). Just ensure you are never hitting your GPU’s actual VRAM limit, as this causes catastrophic stutters.

Technical Explanation: Cascaded Shadow Maps ($CSM$)

The single most expensive rendering pass in Apex Legends is the Cascaded Shadow Map. It calculates high-resolution shadows for every leaf, rock, and player.

By setting setting.csm_enabled "0", you remove the engine’s ability to render these dynamic shadows. While the world looks flatter, it drastically reduces the Draw Call ($D_{call}$) overhead on the CPU. At 240 FPS, your CPU must prepare a frame every 4.16ms. If $CSM$ is on, that preparation time can jump to 8ms or 10ms, causing “micro-stutters” that are deadly in a 1v1 wingman duel. Disabling it ensures the CPU always stays within that 4ms window.