Like most MMORPGs, The Elder Scrolls Online is a bit troubled about optimization. Especially in cities and other areas where the players are dense, the fps drops a lot.
That's why I made the ESO fps boost guide for those who encounter problems such as fps drop, freezing, low fps, stuttering, lag in ESO.
16 ways to increase your frame rates (FPS) in The Elder Scrolls Online.
System Requirements For Running The Elder Scrolls Online
| Minimum System Requirements | Recommended System Requirements | |
| CPU | Intel® Core i3 540 or AMD A6-3620 | Intel® Core i5 2300 or AMD FX4350 |
| GPU | NVidia GeForce 460 or AMD Radeon 6850 | NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 750 or AMD Radeon™ HD 7850 |
| DirectX | DirectX 11 | DirectX 11 |
| RAM | 3 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Storage | 85 GB available space | 85 GB available space |
| OS | Windows 7 64-bit | Windows 7 64-bit |
1) Best Graphics Settings for The Elder Scrolls Online
These graphics settings are for low-end computers.
If you have a good PC, you can increase the settings slightly.
Go to in-game video settings (SETTINGS > Video) and make sure the settings are as follows.
Display Mode: Fullscreen
Vertical Sync: OFF
Anti-Aliasing: OFF
Texture Quality: Medium
SubSampling Quality: Low
Shadow Quality: Low
Water Reflection Quality: Off
Maximum Particle Systems: 768 (If you have a good pc, you can bring it to values like 1100-1200.)
Particle Suppression Distance: 35 (If you have a good computer, you can change this setting to around 50-60.)
View Distance: 0 (You can also do 30 or more, you can check the differences between frame rates.)
Ambient Occlusion: None
Bloom: OFF
Depth of Field: OFF
Distortion: OFF
Sunlight Rays: OFF
Grass: OFF
Show Additional Ally Effects: OFF
2) UserSettings
- Go to the Documents > Elder Scrolls Online > live
- Open the UserSettings.txt
- Find the following settings in the UserSettings.txt file and change the values in quotes as shown in the image. Just change what I give. Don't delete the others!
3) Update Your Graphics Drivers
You should keep your computer’s graphics drivers updated.
Those with Nvidia video cards can download and install the latest video card drivers here.
Those with AMD video cards can download and install the latest video card drivers here.
4) NVIDIA Control Panel Settings
- Open NVIDIA Control Panel
- Go to the Adjust image settings with preview tab.
- Click the “Use my preference emphasising“ (If you have a mid&high end pc, Let the 3D application decide)
- Put the bar in Performance mode.
- Apply
- Click the Manage 3D settings
- Click the Program Settings
- Click the Add
- Select the ESO (eso64.exe) from the list
- After, make the following settings
Antialiasing - Mode: Off
Maximum pre-rendered frames: 1
Power management mode: Prefer maximum performance
Texture filtering – Quality: High performance - Apply
5) AMD Radeon Settings
- Open the AMD Radeon Settings window.
- Click on the Gaming tab.
- Then click on Global Settings.
- Go to the Anti-aliasing mode, choose Override application settings.
- Click on the Anti-aliasing level, so make sure you are selected the 2X
- Go to the Anisotropic Filtering Mode and turn it on.
- Then, click on the Anisotropic Filtering Level, so make sure you are selected the 2X.
- Click on the Texture Filtering Quality and select the Performance.
- Now, click on the Wait for Vertical Refresh and select the Always off.
- Click on the Tessellation Mode and select the Override application settings.
- Finally, click on the Maximum Tessellation Level and select the 32x or lower.
6) Power Options
If the CPU cooler is not enough, you can skip this setting. Processor temperature may increase by 5-6 degrees.
- Right-click the Windows icon on the bottom left.
- Click the Power Options
- Click the Additional power settings to the right of the window that opens.
- Select the High performance on the Preferred plans tab.
- After, click on the Change plan settings link to the right of the High performance.
- Tap on the Change advanced power settings
- Find Processor power management in the incoming list, click the + icon to its left.
- Set Minimum processor state and Maximum processor state to 100%
- Click on the OK
7) Full-screen Optimizations
- Go to the folder where the game is installed.
Example > H:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Zenimax Online\The Elder Scrolls Online\game\client\ - Right-click the eso64.exe application in the client folder.
- Tap the Properties
- Tick Disable full-screen optimisations on the Compatibility tab.
- Click on the OK
8) Game Mode
- To turn off Windows 10 game mode, click the Start icon to bring up the Start menu and open Settings.
- Click the Gaming
- On the Game Bar tab, set the “Record game clips, screenshots and broadcast using Game bar” option here to Off.
- On the Captures tab, set the “Record in the background while I’m playing a game” option here to Off.
- On the Game Mode tab, set the “Game Mode” option here to Off.
9) Windows Performance Options
- Type performance in the search section of Windows, click to Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows from the results.
- Select the Adjust for best performance from the options in the Performance Options window that opens.
- Click OK
10) Cleaning Temporary Files
- Simultaneously press the Windows logo and R keys.
- Type %temp%
- Press Enter key.
- Delete everything in the Temp folder that opens. You can skip undeleted.
- Again, Simultaneously press the Windows logo and R keys.
- Type temp
- Press Enter key.
- Delete everything in the folder that opens.
- Again, Simultaneously press the Windows logo and R keys.
- Type prefetch
- Press Enter key.
- Delete everything in the Prefetch folder that opens.
Finally, empty the Recycle Bin
11) Optimize Discord
If you are using Discord, disable the Hardware Acceleration.
- Open Discord
- Go to the User Settings
- Then, go to the Appearance tab.
- Uncheck the Hardware Acceleration.
12) Increase The Priority
You need to adjust this setting every time you enter the game.
- Launch the ESO.
- Simultaneously press the ALT and TAB keys to minimize the game.
- Open the Task Manager
- Click on Details Tab
- Find eso64.exe in the list.
- Right-click on the eso64.exe and Set priority to High.
13) SSD
If you have an SSD, I recommend that you install the game on the SSD or move the game files to the SSD.
14) Background Processes
You should close all unnecessary apps, such as Chrome, OneDrive. Also, if the Discord is idle, you should quit Discord.
Also, you can use the CCleaner to go through your startup and scheduled tasks and disable everything that you consider unnecessary.
15) ADD-ONS
ESO's add-ons make the game more enjoyable, but using more add-on can affect the performance of the game. So if you have any add-ons which you're not using, I suggest you delete them.
16) Reduce Ping and Fix Lag
- Go to the ExitLag page
- Click on the “FREE 3 DAYS TRIAL” button.
- Create an account.
- Verify the Email
- Download and install the ExitLag.
- Launch the ExitLag.
- Search the The Elder Scrolls Online in the ExitLag app.
- Select the The Elder Scrolls Online
- Select a game region - Automatic (Recommended)
- Click on the APPLY ROUTES button.
- Play the game.
I hope this article helped you to increase performance in ESO.
What does 'Disable Fullscreen Optimizations' do anyway? Does it decrease quality to improve performance or vice versa?
"Fullscreen Optimizations" does not work properly on Windows 10. While it should optimize the game, on the contrary, it negatively affects performance.
It has no effect on quality.