You load into the Scarlet Forest at 45 FPS. The fog rolls in and your framerate tanks to 20. Textures turn into blurry mush. The game stutters every few seconds no matter what settings you change.
This guide shows the best Monster Hunter Wilds PC settings for FPS on Windows 11 and Windows 10. You will learn which settings destroy performance, how upscaling actually works, advanced config tweaks, and community mods that fix the stutter Capcom cannot patch out.
Why Monster Hunter Wilds Runs Poorly on Most PCs
Monster Hunter Wilds uses Capcom’s RE Engine in ways it was never designed for. The seamless open world with dynamic weather transitions and complex herd AI creates a CPU bottleneck that hardware cannot overcome through brute force. The game also ships with anti-tamper protection that runs constant background checks during gameplay, causing periodic stutters regardless of your graphics settings or GPU power.
VRAM is the second critical issue. The official system requirements target 1080p output by upscaling from 720p internal resolution, and they explicitly require Frame Generation to hit 60 FPS. This means the game is fundamentally designed around reconstruction technology, not native rendering. If you lack the VRAM capacity for high resolution textures, the engine stops loading proper mipmaps and wraps detailed models in blurry low res textures. This creates the infamous polygon potato effect where characters look sharp but textures look like they are from 2005.
Settings Priority List for Maximum FPS
Change These First
Ranked by FPS impact and visual quality trade-off
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Detailed Graphics Settings Breakdown
Upscaling Technology Comparison for Monster Hunter Wilds
Native resolution rendering in Monster Hunter Wilds is effectively obsolete. The game is designed around upscaling from lower internal resolutions to your target output. Understanding which upscaler to use is critical for both performance and image quality.
DLSS vs FSR vs XeSS Performance and Quality
| Technology | Hardware Requirement | Image Quality | Performance Gain | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DLSS 3.x | NVIDIA RTX 20/30/40 series | Excellent – Better than native TAA | Quality: +30 FPS | Balanced: +45 FPS | Always use on RTX cards. Update DLL to 3.10+ for best results. |
| FSR 3.1 | Any GPU | Good – Some shimmer on fine detail | Quality: +28 FPS | Balanced: +42 FPS | Best for AMD and GTX 10/16 series. Frame Gen requires FSR 3. |
| XeSS | Any GPU (XMX on Arc) | Good – More stable than FSR | Quality: +25 FPS | Balanced: +38 FPS | Non-RTX users who prioritize stability over raw FPS gains. |
| Native TAA | N/A | Fair – Soft and blurry | Baseline (0 FPS) | Do not use. DLSS Quality looks sharper than native in Wilds. |
Frame Generation: When to Enable and Disable
Advanced Config and Mod Fixes
The in-game settings menu cannot address the deeper architectural issues in Monster Hunter Wilds. CPU thread scheduling, anti-tamper overhead, and DirectStorage conflicts require manual configuration file edits and community developed mods.
REFramework Stutter Fix
- Download REFramework (MHWILDS.zip) from Nexus Mods or GitHub
- Extract dinput8.dll from the archive
- Place dinput8.dll in Monster Hunter Wilds root folder (where the exe is)
- Launch game and press Insert key to toggle the GUI
Texture Decompression Mod
- Download MHWS Tex Decompressor from Nexus Mods
- Run the installer and point it to your game directory
- Select High texture quality in game settings
- Monitor VRAM usage to confirm stability
DirectStorage 1.2.3 Update
- Download Microsoft.Direct3D.DirectStorage.1.2.3 NuGet package
- Change file extension from .nupkg to .zip and extract
- Navigate to native/bin/x64 folder
- Copy dstorage.dll and dstoragecore.dll to game root folder
- Replace existing files when prompted
Config.ini Thread Optimization
The RE Engine contains a thread scheduling parameter that often defaults to values mismatched with modern CPU architectures. Manually setting this value to match your logical thread count can stabilize 1 percent low framerates and reduce stutter in CPU heavy areas like base camps.
- Navigate to
Steam\steamapps\common\MonsterHunterWilds\config.ini - Open the file with Notepad or any text editor
- Search for
ParallelBuildProcessorCount - Change the value to match your CPU thread count (example: 16 for 8-core/16-thread CPU, 12 for Ryzen 5 5600X)
- Save the file, then right click and set to Read Only in Windows properties
Hardware Tier Performance Targets
What to Expect from Your Hardware
- Target Resolution 1080p
- Upscaling FSR 3 Balanced
- Settings Profile Low/Medium Mix
- Frame Generation OFF
- Expected FPS 30-40 Native
- Target Resolution 1080p
- Upscaling DLSS Quality
- Settings Profile Medium/High + Tex Mod
- Frame Generation ON
- Expected FPS 60 with Frame Gen
- Target Resolution 1440p
- Upscaling DLSS/FSR Quality
- Settings Profile High Optimized
- Frame Generation ON
- Expected FPS 70-90 with Frame Gen
- Target Resolution 4K
- Upscaling DLSS Quality
- Settings Profile Ultra Optimized
- Frame Generation ON
- Expected FPS 100+ with Frame Gen
Fixing the Washed Out Grey Look
Monster Hunter Wilds has a persistent visual issue where the image appears grey and low contrast. This stems from lifted black levels in the lighting engine combined with TAA smearing. The problem is especially noticeable with Volumetric Fog on High, which scatters light aggressively and creates a haze over the entire scene.
The quickest fix is setting Volumetric Fog to Low, which not only boosts FPS but also removes the grey wash and restores proper contrast. If you want deeper color correction, community ReShade presets like Wilds Rehydrated or RenoDX use color grading to crush the elevated blacks. These have minimal performance impact but dramatically improve image depth. If ReShade is not an option, go to the in-game brightness settings and lower Overall Brightness and Shadow Brightness to 9 (down from the default) to mitigate the haze manually.
Conclusion
Optimizing Monster Hunter Wilds requires moving beyond the standard graphics menu. Set Volumetric Fog to Low for an immediate 15 to 20 percent FPS gain and cleaner visuals. Enable DLSS or FSR Quality mode as native resolution is not viable. Use Frame Generation only if your base framerate exceeds 40 FPS to avoid unplayable input lag. Install REFramework to eliminate anti-tamper stutter, update DirectStorage DLLs to 1.2.3 for smoother camera operation, and use the Texture Decompression mod if you have an 8GB VRAM card running High textures. Edit config.ini to match your CPU thread count for better 1 percent lows. These targeted optimizations transform Monster Hunter Wilds from a stuttering resource hog into a smooth hunting experience that leverages modern PC hardware correctly.
FAQ
What is the best setting to increase FPS in Monster Hunter Wilds
Set Volumetric Fog to Low or Off. This single change provides 15 to 20 percent FPS gain and removes the grey washed out look that plagues default settings. High volumetric fog uses expensive raymarching that tanks performance in the Scarlet Forest and other dense areas.
Should I use DLSS or FSR in Monster Hunter Wilds
Always use DLSS on RTX cards as it looks better than native TAA and provides massive FPS gains. For AMD or GTX 10 series cards, use FSR 3. Update the DLSS DLL to version 3.10.0 or newer for improved image quality with less ghosting on moving objects.
How do I fix stuttering in Monster Hunter Wilds
Install REFramework by placing dinput8.dll in the game root folder. This eliminates periodic micro-stutter caused by the anti-tamper protection. Also update DirectStorage DLLs to version 1.2.3 to fix camera rotation stutters, and edit config.ini to set ParallelBuildProcessorCount to match your CPU thread count.
Can 8GB VRAM GPUs run high textures in Monster Hunter Wilds
Yes, but only with the Texture Decompression mod. Without it, 8GB cards running High textures suffer from severe stutter and the polygon potato effect where models look sharp but textures are blurry. The mod forces uncompressed textures which removes the real-time decompression bottleneck on RTX 3070, 4060, and RX 6600 cards.
Should I enable Frame Generation in Monster Hunter Wilds
Only enable Frame Generation if your base framerate (before Frame Gen) is at least 40 FPS. Below 40 FPS base, Frame Gen adds severe input lag and artifacting that makes combat feel floaty and unresponsive. Always use NVIDIA Reflex or AMD Anti-Lag 2 alongside Frame Gen to minimize latency.
Why does Monster Hunter Wilds look blurry and grey
The default TAA combined with High Volumetric Fog lifts black levels and creates a washed out haze. Set Volumetric Fog to Low for cleaner contrast. Disable Motion Blur and Depth of Field to reduce smearing. Use ReShade presets like Wilds Rehydrated to crush blacks and restore color depth, or manually lower Overall Brightness and Shadow Brightness to 9 in game settings.
What are the best Monster Hunter Wilds settings for RTX 4060
1080p with DLSS Quality, Volumetric Fog Low, Shadow Quality Medium, Ambient Occlusion Medium, Motion Blur Off. Use the Texture Decompression mod to enable High textures without stutter. Enable Frame Generation as the 4060 should maintain 40 plus FPS base. Turn on NVIDIA Reflex On plus Boost for latency reduction.
How much VRAM does Monster Hunter Wilds need
The official high resolution texture pack recommends 16GB VRAM for Ultra settings. 12GB handles High textures smoothly. 8GB cards must use Medium textures by default or install the Texture Decompression mod to run High without stutter. Below 8GB is not viable for acceptable visual quality at 1080p.
What is REFramework and why do I need it
REFramework is a community mod that hooks into the RE Engine update loop to fix frame pacing issues caused by Capcom’s anti-tamper protection. The game runs constant background security checks that create periodic CPU spikes and stutters regardless of graphical settings. REFramework eliminates these stutters and creates smooth consistent frametimes.
Can Steam Deck run Monster Hunter Wilds at 60 FPS
No, the Steam Deck CPU architecture cannot maintain stable 60 FPS in Monster Hunter Wilds. Target a locked 30 FPS at 720p on Lowest settings with FSR 3 Balanced. Do not enable Frame Generation as the base framerate drops below 30 regularly which creates unplayable input lag and severe artifacting.
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