Euro Truck Simulator 2: Best config.cfg for Advanced SSAO Tweaks

The goal is to increase the Buffer Page Size to allow the engine more memory for advanced shadow calculations and to ensure the SSAO isn’t causing a “MainThread” bottleneck.

File Path & Setup

1. Navigate to: C:\Users\[YourName]\Documents\Euro Truck Simulator 2\config.cfg
2. Open with: Notepad or Notepad++.
3. Pro Tip: In the 2026 meta, TAA (Temporal Anti-Aliasing) is often used alongside SSAO. If you use TAA, you should keep r_ssao at high values to fill in the depth lost to the softening effect of the AA.

Optimized “Shadow Realism” Configuration Table

Parameter	Recommended Value	Technical Purpose
r_ssao	3 (Ultra)	Sets the highest native engine occlusion level.
r_buffer_page_size	30	The Stutter Fix. Increases memory for complex geometry shadows.
g_reflection_scale	3	Improves how SSAO interacts with reflective surfaces like wet asphalt.
r_sun_shadow_texture_size	4096	Increases shadow resolution to prevent “blocky” SSAO edges.
g_light_span_factor	3	Enhances light-shadow transitions during sunrise/sunset.

// Advanced Performance & Lighting Tweaks
uset r_ssao "3"
uset r_buffer_page_size "30"
uset r_manual_stereo_buffer_scale "1.0"
uset g_reflection_scale "3"
uset r_sun_shadow_texture_size "4096"
uset g_light_span_factor "3"
uset g_light_distance_factor "4"
uset r_texture_detail "0"

HowTo: Engineering the Ultimate Depth Perception

Follow these GameEngineer.net technical steps to achieve the most realistic lighting in ETS2:

1. The Buffer Page Size Override: Setting r_buffer_page_size to 30 or 50 (if you have 16GB+ RAM) is critical. The default value of 10 often causes “micro-stuttering” when the engine tries to calculate SSAO for hundreds of distant trees or dense city buildings in 2026’s DLC areas.
2. Lumen and Lighting 2.0: Many 2026 mods, like SnowyMoon’s Lighting v2, rely on your config.cfg having enough “headroom.” Ensure g_reflection_scale "3" is active; this makes your truck’s paint and chrome interact naturally with the ambient shadows created by the SSAO.
3. City FPS Stabilization: SSAO is a major “City Killer.” If your FPS drops by more than 40% in cities like Frankfurt or Warsaw, lower r_ssao to 2 but keep r_buffer_page_size high. This maintains smooth asset streaming without the heavy GPU cost of Ultra-AO.
4. Mirror Distance Optimization: SSAO is also calculated in your mirrors. Setting Mirror Distance to “Medium” in-game while keeping SSAO at “High” in the config is the secret to maintaining 60+ FPS in heavy traffic zones.
5. DirectX 11 vs. Vulkan: For 2026, Windows users should stick to DirectX 11 for the best SSAO stability. If you are on Linux or Mac (M3/M4), using the -rdevice vk launch option will handle SSAO more efficiently via the Vulkan API.

Technical Explanation: Ambient Occlusion ($AO$) and Light Decay

In Euro Truck Simulator 2, SSAO ($AO_{ss}$) is a post-processing effect that simulates how light is blocked by nearby surfaces. It creates “soft shadows” in crevices and under the truck’s wheels ($W_{shadow}$).

By increasing the r_sun_shadow_texture_size to 4096, you are giving the SSAO algorithm a higher resolution “depth map” to work with. This prevents the “Shimmering” ($S_{shimmer}$) often seen on fences and trailers when driving at high speeds. When combined with a g_light_distance_factor of 4, the engine can project these occlusion cues further into the distance, making the vast European landscapes feel solid and grounded rather than like a “cardboard cutout.”