Horizon Forbidden West: Best GraphicSettings for Low VRAM GPUs

The primary issue for low VRAM users in this title is the “Texture Budget” system. When VRAM is full, the engine tries to swap assets to system RAM (DirectStorage), which causes massive stutters. This guide focuses on a “Memory-Safe” configuration that prioritizes Texture Streaming and LOD (Level of Detail) management to keep VRAM usage below the critical 95% threshold, preventing the dreaded “D3D Device Hung” error.

Hardware Compatibility & Expectations

• 4GB VRAM Cards: You must use “Medium” textures and “Low” shadows. This configuration is essential to keep the game from crashing.
• 6GB VRAM Cards: Can comfortably use “High” textures if other sub-systems like Shadows and Ambient Occlusion are lowered.
• Storage: An SSD is mandatory. The Decima Engine streams data constantly; running this on an HDD will cause “Invisible Walls” and missing textures.

Backup and Preparation

Before editing, ensure you have launched the game at least once so the configuration file is generated.

1. Exit Horizon Forbidden West.
2. Navigate to your Documents folder.
3. Copy the GraphicSettings.json file and save a backup copy to your desktop.
4. Open the original file with Notepad++.

File Location

The configuration file is stored in your local user profile: C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Documents\Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition\GraphicSettings.json

Best Config Settings for Low VRAM

Search for these specific keys and update the values to match this “VRAM-Optimized” profile:

{
  "TextureQuality": 1,
  "ShadowQuality": 0,
  "TextureFiltering": 2,
  "LevelOfDetail": 1,
  "CrowdQuality": 0,
  "Translucency": 0,
  "UpscaleMethod": "DLSS" or "FSR",
  "UpscaleQuality": "Balanced",
  "FrameGeneration": false
}

Pro Tip: In the Decima Engine, TextureQuality at 1 (Medium) is the safest bet for 4GB-6GB cards. Setting this to “High” (2) will often consume over 7GB of VRAM in open-world areas with heavy vegetation.

Key Parameters Explained

Parameter	Recommended Value	Impact
TextureQuality	1 (Medium)	Drastically reduces VRAM footprint; prevents “blurred” textures.
ShadowQuality	0 (Low)	Shadow maps are VRAM heavy. “Low” saves nearly 800MB of memory.
CrowdQuality	0 (Low)	Reduces the number of unique NPCs in settlements like Chainscrape.
Translucency	0 (Low)	Optimizes how light passes through leaves; saves GPU cycles in forests.
FrameGeneration	false	Important: Frame Gen consumes ~1GB of extra VRAM. Disable it on low-memory cards.

In-Game Settings vs. Config

To complement your config tweaks, match these in-game Display settings:

• Anti-Aliasing: Use DLSS or FSR 2.2. These upscalers help the engine reconstruct detail that might be lost by using lower texture settings.
• Parallax Occlusion Mapping: Set to OFF. This adds 3D depth to textures but taxes the VRAM and GPU compute.
• Water Quality: Set to Low. The water in Forbidden West uses complex displacement maps that are very VRAM-intensive.
• Dynamic Resolution Scaling: Set to ON (Target 60). This allows the game to drop the resolution slightly during heavy combat to maintain your frame rate.

Troubleshooting & Common Fixes

• Textures Looking “Plastic”: This happens when the engine runs out of VRAM and defaults to the lowest mip-map. Lower your TextureQuality and restart the game.
• Stuttering While Running: Ensure your Shader Cache is fully built (wait at the main menu for the bar to finish).
• DirectX 12 Error: Update your GPU drivers to the latest version. Horizon Forbidden West requires the latest Agility SDK features for proper VRAM management.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion and Expected Results

By manually refining your GraphicSettings.json, you are prioritizing stability and frame pacing over “Ultra” screenshots. You can expect the removal of sudden crashes, consistent texture loading, and a smooth 60 FPS journey through the ruins of the old world.