To achieve a frame-perfect experience in Hollow Knight, we must eliminate the internal buffering of the Unity engine. By default, the game attempts to smooth out frames, which introduces a tiny but noticeable delay between your button press and the Knight’s action. For 2026 high-refresh-rate setups, we focus on disabling V-Sync at the engine level and optimizing the Refresh Rate synchronization to match your monitor’s polling rate exactly.
File Path
Hollow Knight does not use a traditional .ini file for all settings; instead, it utilizes a settings.bin or local registry entries depending on the version. However, the most critical engine-level tweaks are found in the Local Low folder:
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Team Cherry\Hollow Knight\
Technical Note: To modify hidden engine flags like “V-Sync” or “Texture Quality” beyond the in-game menu, you can use the Registry Editor at:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Team Cherry\Hollow Knight
Optimized Configuration Block (Registry/Engine Values)
Apply or verify the following values to ensure the lowest possible input-to-photon latency:
| Parameter | Recommended Value | Technical Purpose |
| vSync_h3013327118 | 0 (Off) | Essential. Disables Unity’s triple buffering, which adds ~16-32ms of lag. |
| Target Frame Rate | 0 or Monitor Hz | Setting this to match your refresh rate prevents “micro-stutters” in screen scrolling. |
| Frame Rate Cap | Off | Allows the engine to process inputs as fast as the hardware allows. |
| Particle Effects | Low | Reduces CPU spikes during complex boss patterns (e.g., Nightmare King Grimm). |
| Blur Effects | Off | Removes post-processing passes that can obscure telegraphs (boss tells). |
HowTo: Achieving Zero Input Lag in Hallownest
Follow these steps on GameEngineer.net to tune your setup for the Path of Pain or Godhome:
- NVIDIA/AMD Override: Since we turned V-Sync OFF in-game, go to your GPU Control Panel and set Low Latency Mode to Ultra (NVIDIA) or Anti-Lag+ (AMD) for the Hollow Knight profile.
- Exclusive Fullscreen: Unity games often default to “Borderless Windowed.” To force Exclusive Fullscreen (which has lower lag), add
-window-mode exclusiveto your Steam Launch Options. - High Polling Rate: If you have an 8000Hz keyboard or mouse, ensure the polling rate is stable. Hollow Knight’s Unity version can sometimes “jitter” if the CPU is overwhelmed by high-frequency interrupts.
- Native Resolution: Always play at your monitor’s native resolution. Downscaling in Unity introduces an interpolation pass that can cause visual “ghosting” on fast-moving enemies.
- Controller Latency: If playing with a DualSense or Xbox controller, use a wired connection or a 2.4GHz dongle. Avoid Bluetooth, as the polling rate fluctuates significantly, ruining frame-perfect timing.
Technical Explanation: Unity Input Buffer and V-Sync
Hollow Knight’s combat relies on a “Queue” system for inputs. When V-Sync is enabled, the game waits for the monitor’s “Vertical Blank” signal before presenting a frame. If you press the “Jump” button during this wait, the input is buffered and processed in the next cycle. This creates a $16.7ms$ (at 60Hz) or $7ms$ (at 144Hz) delay. By disabling V-Sync and using Exclusive Fullscreen, you allow the game to perform a “Late Update” on the input thread. This ensures that the Knight’s position is updated the very millisecond the hardware receives the signal, making “pogo-jumping” and “shade-souling” feel significantly more responsive and “snappy.”