Star Citizen: Best user.cfg for 3.2x Patch Performance

The primary goal of the user.cfg in 3.24+ is to optimize the Render Pipeline while the game is still in its “Vulkan Beta” phase. We specifically target the r_GsmCache to prevent shadow-map regeneration spikes and r_TSR for those using modern upscaling.

File Path

The user.cfg file must be placed in the LIVE (or PTU) folder of your installation. If it doesn’t exist, create a new text file and rename it.

C:\Program Files\Roberts Space Industries\StarCitizen\LIVE\user.cfg

Technical Note: To verify the config is working, open the console in-game with ~ and type r_DisplayInfo 1. If your sys_MaxFPS or other variables match your config, the file was loaded successfully.

Optimized “Verse-Ready” Configuration Block

Copy the following commands into your file. This configuration assumes you are using an SSD and at least 32GB of RAM, which is the 2026 standard for stable performance.

Parameter	Recommended Value	Technical Purpose
Con_Restricted	0	Unlocks the engine console for all commands.
r_GsmCache	1	Enables Shadow Map Caching; prevents stuttering in city centers.
r_VSync	0	Disables VSync to eliminate input lag (use G-Sync/FreeSync instead).
sys_MaxFPS	0 or [Hz]	Set to 0 for uncapped, or 141 for 144Hz monitors to stay in sync range.
r_MotionBlur	0	Mandatory. Motion blur in SC is a major CPU/GPU tax and reduces clarity.

Con_Restricted = 0
r_VSync = 0
r_ColorGrading = 0
r_DepthOfField = 0
r_MotionBlur = 0
r_GsmCache = 1
r_FogShadows = 0
r_GasCloudUpsample = 0
e_ParticlesShadows = 0
sys_MaxFPS = 0
r_DisplayInfo = 1

HowTo: Engineering Maximum Stability in 3.2x

Follow these GameEngineer.net steps to complement your user.cfg for the best 2026 experience:

1. VRAM Management (Vulkan): In the 3.24/3.25 patches, the Vulkan API is extremely strict with VRAM. If you have an 8GB card (like a 3070 Ti), set Textures to Medium. Setting them to High can cause single-digit FPS drops if the OS-reserved VRAM is hit.+1
2. Shader Cache Clearance: Every major patch (like the jump from 3.23 to 3.24), navigate to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Star Citizen and delete the shaders folder. This forces a clean recompile for the Gen12 renderer.
3. The “TSR” Edge Case: If you are on a low-end system, add r.tsr = 0 to your config to disable Temporal Super Resolution. While it looks better, disabling it can provide a $10–15\text{ FPS}$ boost on older hardware.
4. CPU Core Affinity: For Intel CPUs with E-Cores, ensure you have Process Lasso or a similar tool to force Star Citizen onto P-Cores only. The engine still occasionally mismanages threads, leading to “hanging” during quantum travel.
5. Pagefile Optimization: Even with 32GB of RAM, Star Citizen requires a Windows Pagefile. Set your Pagefile to System Managed on your fastest NVMe SSD. Do not disable it, as the game will crash during memory-intensive transitions (like entering atmosphere).

Technical Explanation: GSM Caching and Frame Jitter

The r_GsmCache = 1 command is the “secret weapon” for Star Citizen performance. GSM (Global Shadow Map) caching allows the engine to save shadow information for static objects (buildings, hangars, landscape features).

Without this cache, the engine attempts to recalculate the shadow for every building in New Babbage every single frame ($T_{frame}$). This puts a massive strain on the Draw Call limit of the CPU. By enabling the cache, the engine only updates shadows for moving objects (like your ship or NPCs), drastically reducing the “CPU Wait Time” and flattening your Frame-time Graph. This is why cities feel smoother with this config even if your “Average FPS” stays the same.