Once Human delivers an immersive open-world survival experience, but achieving consistent high frame rates requires careful adjustment of in-game graphics options. Modern PCs can push over 100 FPS at 4K resolutions with proper tweaks, while older hardware benefits from targeted reductions in demanding settings. This guide provides hardware-specific configurations, explains key options, and shares system-level tips to eliminate bottlenecks.
Understanding Performance Bottlenecks in Once Human
The game exhibits distinct behavior across resolutions. At 1440p and 4K, it becomes GPU-bound, with frame rates scaling efficiently—averaging 220 FPS at 1440p and over 100 FPS at 4K on high-end setups. Dropping to 1080p shifts the load to the CPU, where bottlenecks emerge with up to 29% CPU utilization variance, leading to FPS dips.
Upscaling technologies like DLSS 3 (RTX 40-series exclusive) and AMD FSR 2 dramatically lower requirements, enabling 200 FPS at 4K. DirectX 12 is recommended for NVIDIA users to access these features and reduce latency.
Core Graphics Settings Explained
Each setting impacts FPS differently. Prioritize changes based on your hardware’s limitations.
- Render Scale: Controls internal resolution before upscaling. Keep at 100% for clarity; drop below 70% only as a last resort, as it degrades image quality significantly.
- Texture Quality: High settings minimally affect VRAM on modern cards (4GB+), enhancing visuals without major FPS loss. Set to Low for budget GPUs.
- Anti-Aliasing: Low reduces input latency while smoothing edges adequately for competitive play.
- Vegetation Density/Quality: Lowers grass and foliage detail, costing 5-10% FPS but requiring a game restart. Ideal for CPU-limited systems.
- Draw Distance: Minimal impact (within margin of error), but reducing helps in crowded areas.
- Detail Quality: Low to High switch yields 3-4% FPS gain by simplifying object geometry.
- Motion Blur and V-Sync: Disable both to eliminate unnecessary processing and screen tearing.
- Shade and VFX: Low Shade minimizes lighting calculations; High VFX is viable on mid-range hardware if preferred.
Recommended Settings by Hardware Tier
Tailor configurations to your setup for balanced visuals and performance. Use native monitor resolution and Fullscreen mode for lowest latency.
| Setting | High-End PC (RTX 40xx, 4K) | Mid-Range (RTX 30xx, 1440p) | Low-End (GTX 16xx, 1080p) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 3840×2160 | 2560×1440 | 1920×1080 |
| Target FPS | 120+ | 120 | 90 |
| Graphics API | DX12 + DLSS Quality | DX12 + FSR Balanced | DX11 |
| Max Frame Rate | No Restrictions | No Restrictions | 60-120 |
| Texture Quality | High | High | Low |
| Render Scale | 100 | 100 | 85-100 |
| Anti-Aliasing | Low | Low | Off |
| Vegetation Density | Mid | Low | Low |
| Draw Distance | Middle | Middle | Low |
| Motion Blur / V-Sync | Off / Off | Off / Off | Off / Off |
These yield 200+ FPS at 4K with DLSS, 120 FPS at 1440p, and stable 90 FPS at 1080p. For laptops like RTX 4060, aim for 75-120 FPS at 1440p.
Advanced Tweaks for Extra FPS Gains
Beyond in-game menus, optimize your system:
- NVIDIA Reflex: Enable + Boost for reduced latency on RTX cards.
- Camera Controls: Set Screen Shake Density to 0 to minimize performance hiccups during action.
- Display Mode: Fullscreen exclusive prevents OS overhead.
- Graphics Preset: Start with Medium, then customize—avoids overkill on irrelevant options.
For CPU bottlenecks at 1080p, lower Vegetation and Draw Distance first. Clear shader cache via NVIDIA Control Panel periodically.
Hardware-Specific Benchmarks
RTX 3060 averages 100 FPS at 1080p/60 at 1440p; RTX 3060 Ti hits 120/75 FPS respectively. i7-8700 + RTX 2080 sustains 60 FPS at max 1440p with DLSS Balanced. Expect 220 FPS average at 1440p on high-end rigs without upscaling.
| GPU | 1080p FPS | 1440p FPS |
|---|---|---|
| RTX 3060 | 100 | 60 |
| RTX 3060 Ti | 120 | 75 |
| RTX 4060 Laptop | 120 | 75 |
| RTX 40xx (DLSS) | 200+ | 200+ |
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Stuttering? Verify DirectX 12 for upscaling support. Low FPS despite tweaks? Update drivers and close background apps. For motion sickness, disable Motion Blur entirely.
FAQ
What is the best resolution for Once Human? 1440p balances performance and visuals for most; 4K with DLSS for top-tier GPUs.
Should I use V-Sync? No, it caps FPS and adds latency—use No Restrictions instead.
Does Render Scale hurt quality? Yes below 70%, but 85-100% is a safe compromise.
How to fix CPU bottlenecks? Reduce Vegetation Quality and Draw Distance.
Is DLSS worth it? Essential for 4K 120+ FPS on RTX 40-series.
References
- Once Human Optimization: Every Graphics Setting — pcoptimizedsettings.com. 2024. https://pcoptimizedsettings.com/once-human-pc-optimized-settings-every-graphics-option-benchmarked/
- Once Human: Best Settings for Performance and FPS — GameRant. 2024. https://gamerant.com/once-human-best-game-settings-performance-fps/
- Once Human Best Settings for MAX FPS and QUALITY! — YouTube (Benchmark Guide). 2024.

