The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition is one of the popular RPGs by Bethesda that was released back in 2016. Although the game is available for PC, Xbox, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo platforms, it seems that plenty of PC gamers are experiencing a lower frame rate count while playing it. If you’re also one of them, follow how to Boost FPS on Skyrim Special Edition.
Having a low FPS count means you’ll also encounter lags or stutters in the gameplay for sure which isn’t expected at all. Well, you’re not alone here because a bunch of Skyrim Special Edition PC version players are experiencing such an issue which becomes quite common these days. Even with the recommended PC configuration, the game doesn’t hold the 60FPS mark consistently.
Also Read: Fix: The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim Keep Crashing on Startup on PC
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How to Boost FPS on Skyrim Special Edition
In that scenario, the chances are high enough that maybe your graphics settings are causing such an issue. Here we’ve shared all the possible workarounds below that should work for you.
1. Update Graphics Driver
Updating the Graphics Driver on your Windows computer is a very useful task to perform that basically offers the latest bug fixes and stability. If you haven’t updated your GPU driver for a while, make sure to follow the steps below:
- Press Windows + X keys to open up the Quick Start Menu.
- Click on Device Manager from the list.
- Make sure to double-click on Display adapters to expand the list.
- Then right-click on the dedicated graphics card that you’re using. [If you’re using an inbuilt GPU, right-click on it]
- Next, choose to Update driver > Select Search automatically for drivers.
- If there is an update available, the system will automatically download and install the update.
- Once done, reboot your PC to apply changes.
2. Adjust In-Game Graphics Settings
Adjusting the in-game graphics or display settings can increase the frame rate cap much higher than default settings. If you feel that some of the options are not that useful for you or don’t work that much, simply turn them off or set them low/medium accordingly.
- Disable TAA – This will improve the image quality of the game.
- You can use FXAA instead. Otherwise, you can enable both options and see which one works better.
- Disable Vsync – It may increase the FPS count drastically. Even if you’re getting 60fps but you want more, we’ll recommend you turn it off.
- Window Mode – If you’re getting lower graphic performance then make sure to run the game in Window Mode. Sometimes fullscreen or fullscreen borderless mode can cause several issues with your graphics resolution of the monitor.
- Additionally, try opening Skyrim Special Edition > Go to Advanced option and do the following:
- Shadow Quality – Set it to Medium.
- Shadow Distance – Set it to Medium.
- Godrays Quality – Turn it Off.
- Object Detail Fade – Set it to Medium.
- Ambient Occlusion and Reflections – Turn it Off.
- Default FOV – 80 [Press ~ and type fov 80 > Press Enter > Type saveini and hit Enter]
- Finally, press the Esc key and you’re good to go)
3. Change Power Options
If in case, your computer is running on the Power Saving or Balanced mode then the system may use minimum resources as well as the power to run the game properly. Make sure to switch the power plan to the High-Performance option. To do so:
- Press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
- Type powercfg.cpl and click on OK to open Power Plan.
- Here you’ll need to select High performance.
- Enjoy!
4. Modify the Config File
Some of the players have suggested modifying certain values in the configuration file of the game to boost the FPS count drastically. You can follow the steps below to do this:
- Press Windows + E keys to open File Explorer.
- Now, go to This PC > Open Documents > Open My Games.
- Head over to the Skyrim Special Edition folder > Open the Skyrim configuration file using the Notepad application.
- Locate bLockFramerate > Set the Value to 0 (zero).
- Press Ctrl + S keys to save the file.
- Go back to the Skyrim Special Edition folder > Open the SkyrimPrefs file.
- Search for iVsyncPresentInterval and set it to 0 (zero).
- Save the file and try running the game again to check whether it helps you to Boost FPS on Skyrim Special Edition or not.
5. Roll Back Graphics Driver
If in case, your graphics driver is recently updated and going through several issues after installing the latest patch that means the updated version has some fault. Make sure to roll back the graphics driver on your computer to use the older stable graphics driver version until a new patch update releases. To do so:
- Press Windows + X keys to open up the Quick Start Menu.
- Click on Device Manager from the list.
- Make sure to double-click on Display adapters to expand the list.
- Then right-click on the dedicated graphics card that you’re using. [If you’re using an inbuilt GPU, right-click on it]
- Go to Properties from the list > Click on the Driver tab.
- Click on the Roll Back Driver button (if available).
- Confirm the process and let it finish properly.
- Your computer may restart automatically. If not, restart the PC manually to apply changes.
- Once done, your problem should get resolved easily.
Now, if there is no option for Roll Back Driver on your computer then you should visit the official website of your respective motherboard’s manufacturer. Then make sure to download and install the previous patch update rather than the recent one to at least get the stable experience until the graphics driver gets a new patch update.
6. Install Mods
If none of the methods worked for you, try installing the third-party Skyrim mods from the NexusMods platform to check whether the Skyrim SE patch version or Skyrim SE Engine fixes are able to Boost FPS on Skyrim Special Edition or not.
However, if nothing works for you, make sure to try reinstalling the Skyrim Special Edition game on your PC again as a last resort to cross-check whether there are any missing or corrupted game files present or not.
That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, feel free to ask in the comment below.