Red Dead Redemption 2: Fixing TAA Blur via system.xml Sharpening

Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2) uses an aggressive TAA (Temporal Anti-Aliasing) implementation to eliminate jagged edges, but the side effect is a heavy “vaseline” blur over the entire image. While NVIDIA Image Scaling (NIS) or AMD FSR can help, the most native way to fix this is by overriding the engine’s sharpening values and TAA passes within the system.xml file. By fine-tuning these hidden values, you can retain the smoothness of TAA without sacrificing the fine details of Arthur Morgan’s world.

Hardware Compatibility & Expectations

• 1080p Users: This is a mandatory fix. 1080p is where TAA blur is most noticeable.
• 1440p Users: Significant improvement in distant foliage and character textures.
• 4K Users: Minor benefits, as the higher pixel density naturally masks TAA blur, but still recommended for “photorealistic” clarity.

Backup and Preparation

The system.xml file is regenerated every time you change a setting in-game. To make your changes permanent, you must follow these steps carefully:

1. Close the game and the Rockstar Games Launcher.
2. Navigate to the settings folder.
3. Right-click system.xml and choose “Copy,” then save a backup in a separate folder.
4. Use Notepad or Notepad++ to edit the file.

File Location

The configuration file for RDR2 is not in the installation directory; it is located in your user profile:

C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Documents\Rockstar Games\Red Dead Redemption 2\Settings\system.xml

Best Config Settings

Open the file and use Ctrl+F to find the <advancedGraphics> section. Modify the following lines to match these values:

<taa>kSettingHigh</taa>
<sharpenIntensity>1.000000</sharpenIntensity>
<deepSurfaceCheck>false</deepSurfaceCheck>
<decalQuality>kSettingMedium</decalQuality>
<pdAllowHdrExtend>false</pdAllowHdrExtend>
<maxTexUpgradesPerFrame>10</maxTexUpgradesPerFrame>
<shadowSoftShadows>kSettingHigh</shadowSoftShadows>
<sharpenIntensityValue>2.500000</sharpenIntensityValue>

Note: If you cannot find sharpenIntensityValue, you can manually add it within the <advancedGraphics> block. A value between 2.0 and 3.0 is the “sweet spot” for most monitors.

Key Parameters Explained

Parameter	Recommended Value	Impact
sharpenIntensityValue	2.500000	Direct engine-level sharpening that cuts through the TAA filter.
taa	kSettingHigh	Keeps the anti-aliasing high to prevent shimmering while we sharpen.
shadowSoftShadows	kSettingHigh	Helps ground the sharpened objects so they don’t look “deep-fried.”
deepSurfaceCheck	false	Minor performance boost that prevents unnecessary surface calculations.

In-Game Settings vs. Config

To prevent the game from looking over-sharpened or “crunchy” after applying the fix:

• Resolution Scale: Keep at 1.0x. Do not use 0.9x or lower, as it makes TAA blur impossible to fix.
• FXAA: Set to OFF. Combining FXAA with TAA only adds more blur.
• MSAA: Set to OFF. It is extremely taxing on the GPU and conflicts with the TAA sharpen fix.

Troubleshooting & Common Fixes

• Settings Resetting: RDR2 loves to overwrite this file. After saving your changes, right-click system.xml, go to Properties, and check Read-only.
• Oversharpened Look: If trees or hair look too sharp, lower the sharpenIntensityValue to 1.500000 in the XML.
• Vulkan vs. DX12: This fix works for hem APIs, but Vulkan users typically report a more stable sharpening effect.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion and Expected Results

By manually adjusting the system.xml sharpening values, you effectively remove the cinematic “softness” that Rockstar imposed on the PC version. You can expect a crisper visual experience, especially when riding through the forests of Lemoyne or the snowy peaks of Ambarino.