Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves: Best FPS Config for PC Port

The primary bottleneck in the Uncharted PC port is the Shader Compilation and VRAM management. The game often “hiccups” when transitioning between large environments (like the Madagascar chase) because it aggressively clears its cache. By modifying the configuration to prioritize “Static Asset Loading” and disabling the broken in-game VSync, you can achieve much smoother frame times.

Hardware Compatibility & Expectations

• VRAM Efficiency: Vital for 4GB-6GB cards. Lowering the texture budget prevents the “4-5 FPS” drop reported by many users on mid-range hardware.
• CPU Bottleneck: This port is notoriously CPU-heavy. Disabling certain environmental effects reduces the “Draw Call” load, helping older 4-core and 6-core processors.
• Mouse Smoothing Fix: Using a frame rate cap in your GPU control panel (NVIDIA/AMD) is mandatory to fix the camera jitter caused by the port’s mouse input logic.

Step 1: Disabling Broken In-Game VSync

The in-game VSync in Uncharted is known to cause massive frame drops and input lag.

1. Open the game and go to Options > Display.
2. Set VSync to Off.
3. Use your GPU Control Panel (NVIDIA/AMD) to force VSync and Triple Buffering for u4.exe (Uncharted 4) and tll.exe (The Lost Legacy).

File Location

The local configuration file is stored in your user profile: %LocalAppData%\Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection\user_config.json

Best Config Settings

Open user_config.json with Notepad++. To optimize for FPS and stability, update these specific values:

{
  "Version": 1,
  "Graphics": {
    "TextureQuality": 1,
    "ShadowQuality": 0,
    "ReflectionQuality": 0,
    "AmbientOcclusion": 0,
    "MotionBlur": 0,
    "Sharpening": 50,
    "FSRQuality": 2
  }
}

Pro Tip: If you are using an NVIDIA GPU, ensure FSRQuality is set to 0 and enable DLSS in the in-game menu instead. For low-end cards, setting TextureQuality to 1 (Medium) is the single best way to avoid VRAM-related crashes.

Key Parameters Explained

Parameter	Recommended Value	Impact
TextureQuality	1 (Medium)	Fits most 4GB-6GB VRAM budgets; prevents massive “stutter-bursts.”
ShadowQuality	0 (Low)	Shadow maps in this game are very taxing; “Low” provides a huge FPS boost.
MotionBlur	0	Removes the heavy blur during fast camera moves, improving clarity.
FSRQuality	2 (Balanced)	Excellent for maintaining a high internal resolution while boosting FPS.

Fixing Mouse Jitter & Stutter

One of the most common issues with this port is “Mouse Jitter” even at high FPS.

• The Fix: Open your NVIDIA/AMD Control Panel, find the Uncharted executable, and set a Max Frame Rate that matches your monitor’s refresh rate (e.g., 60, 120, or 144). This synchronizes the input polling with the engine’s render loop.

In-Game Settings vs. Config

• Upscaling: Always use DLSS or FSR 2. This port is designed around these technologies; native resolution is significantly more taxing.
• Model Quality: Set to Standard. “Ultra” models add very little visual gain but increase CPU load during crowded scenes.
• Anisotropic Filtering: Set to 4x or 8x. 16x can cause slight VRAM overhead on older cards.

Troubleshooting & Common Fixes

• Infinite Loading/Crashing: Ensure your Shader Building is at 100% on the main menu. Do not start the game until this is finished.
• Low FPS on High-End Hardware: Check if the game is using your Integrated Graphics instead of your Dedicated GPU in the Display settings.
• Settings Resetting: If the game ignores your JSON changes, right-click the file, select Properties, and check Read-only.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion and Expected Results

By manually refining your user_config.json and forcing a frame cap in your GPU driver, you are correcting the fundamental flaws of this specific port. You can expect the removal of mouse camera jitter, stable frame times during combat, and no more VRAM-related crashes during heavy transitions.