How do I improve performance by disabling shadows?
Update 7 added a full shadow-off option that NerveLabs says can improve performance significantly.
Quick answer
Install Update 7 or later, open Video Settings and turn shadows off. NerveLabs specifically describes the new option as providing significantly improved performance; no configuration-file edit is required by the official fix.
Early Access note: this page is verified for Early Access Update 7; mechanics, locations and commands may change in later updates.
Steps
- Update the game to Update 7 or later.
- Open the game's Video Settings.
- Set shadows to Off.
- Return to the same slow area and compare performance before changing another setting.
Requirements / limits
- The shadow-off control was added in Update 7. The changelog line reads, in full, that the ability to turn off shadows was added for significantly improved performance.
- NerveLabs does not publish a universal frame-rate gain because hardware and scene load differ.
- The official advice supports changing the in-game setting, not editing engine files.
- The changelog does not say which menu holds the control. Video Settings is where this page tells you to look because that is where a graphics toggle belongs, not because a source names it.
- One other shadow line ships in the same update. Under Fixed, NerveLabs list books casting a shadow on themselves at low settings — so if you already play on low and saw that, it is a separate repaired bug, not a reason to turn shadows off.
Common mistakes
- Following an older guide that says shadows cannot be disabled.
- Changing several graphics settings at once and losing track of which one helped.
- Claiming a fixed FPS increase that the developer did not provide.
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