The primary goal for this tweak is Motion Fluidity. Even though P3R is a turn-based RPG, the high-fidelity UI animations and exploration in Tartarus benefit significantly from higher refresh rates. By manually setting the FrameRateLimit in the configuration files, you can match your monitor’s native refresh rate, eliminating the “micro-stutter” that occurs when the engine fights a software cap.
Hardware Compatibility & Expectations
- UE4 Physics Scaling: Most Unreal Engine 4 titles handle uncapped FPS well, but some users report minor audio desync or physics glitches (like cloth physics moving too fast) when exceeding 120-165 FPS.
- Menu Cap: Note that even with this unlock, the UI and Menus are often hard-coded to 60 FPS or 30 FPS to prevent animation breaks.
- Ray Tracing Impact: If you have Reflections (Ray Tracing) enabled, unlocking the FPS will significantly increase the load on your GPU. Ensure your hardware can sustain the target frame rate.
Backup and Preparation
- Completely exit Persona 3 Reload.
- Navigate to your local AppData folder (path varies by platform below).
- Copy the
.inifiles and save a backup (e.g.,Engine_backup.ini). - Open with Notepad++.
File Location
The path depends on whether you are playing on Steam or PC Game Pass:
- Steam:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\P3R\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor\ - Game Pass (WinGDK):
%LOCALAPPDATA%\P3R\Saved\Config\WinGDK\
Unlocking FPS via Config Files
You can use two different methods. The GameUserSettings.ini method is generally more reliable for the frame rate limit itself.
Method 1: GameUserSettings.ini (Recommended)
Find GameUserSettings.ini and locate the FrameRateLimit line:
[/Script/Engine.GameUserSettings]
FrameRateLimit=240.000000(Change 240.0 to your desired refresh rate, e.g., 144.0, 165.0, or 0.0 for uncapped).
Method 2: Engine.ini (System Override)
If the above doesn’t work, add this block to the bottom of Engine.ini:
[/Script/Engine.RendererSettings]
r.MaxFPS=240
[SystemSettings]
t.MaxFPS=240Pro Tip: If the game continues to cap at 120 or 60 FPS, ensure VSync is turned OFF in the in-game settings. VSync will force the game to your monitor’s current Windows refresh rate setting, regardless of the config file.
Key Parameters Explained
| Parameter | Recommended Value | Impact |
| FrameRateLimit | 144.0 / 0.0 | Directly tells the UE4 scaling group to allow higher throughput. |
| t.MaxFPS | 144 / 240 | An engine-level command that overrides the software-level caps. |
| r.PostProcessAAQuality | 0 | (Bonus) If the game looks too blurry at high FPS, setting this to 0 in Engine.ini disables forced TAA. |
Troubleshooting & Common Fixes
- 30 FPS Menu Bug: If you set the game to 120 FPS and the menus drop to 30 FPS, try setting the in-game cap to 60 first, then apply the 240 limit via the
.inifile. - Settings Resetting: Persona 3 Reload is known to overwrite settings on launch. Once edited, right-click the
.inifile > Properties > Check Read-only. - Audio Desync: If the voices don’t match the mouth movements during cutscenes at 240 FPS, you may need to cap the game back to 120 FPS.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does this affect the 2D cutscenes?
No. Animated cutscenes (anime segments) are pre-rendered video files, usually encoded at 24 or 30 FPS. No config tweak can increase their frame rate.
Is there a “Ray Tracing” performance fix?
Yes. In the same Engine.ini, setting r.RayTracing.EnableInGame=0 can provide a massive FPS boost if you accidentally enabled reflections on a mid-range card.
Why does the game look “shimmery” at high FPS?
This is often due to the game’s Temporal Anti-Aliasing (TAA). At high refresh rates, the “shimmer” is more noticeable. You can use the r.PostProcessAAQuality=0 tweak mentioned above to fix this.
Conclusion and Expected Results
By manually refining your GameUserSettings.ini, you are bypassing the conservative 120 FPS limit set by ATLUS. You can expect buttery smooth navigation in the dorms, more responsive combat menus, and the full utilization of your high-end gaming monitor.