Which KF2 settings affect FPS the most?

In the author's tests, Shadow Quality (huge impact), Realtime Reflections (about 15 to 20 FPS) and Texture Filtering gave the largest gains when lowered.

Should Variable Frame Rate be on?

Yes if you want more than 60 FPS. With it off, the game is capped at 60.

Can bloom hurt performance?

Bloom costs roughly 4 FPS, and with it enabled Firebug fire can cause large drops later in a round.

Binds & Console

KF2 Video Settings Guide (2023): Best FPS vs Quality Options

This guide comes from a player on a 240 Hz monitor who tested Killing Floor 2 video options one by one to see which ones cost the most frames. Even if you do not own a high-refresh screen, it helps if you struggle to reach 60 FPS or just want to squeeze more out of your PC. All numbers are the author's own measurements and may change with patches. For file-based tweaks see the ini tweaks page.

Basic settings

Option	Suggested value	Notes
Aspect Ratio	16:9	Use 16:10 on a 16:10 screen.
Resolution	1920x1080	Higher resolutions need more resources.
Graphics	Custom	Changes as you edit options.
Vertical Sync	Off	Turn on only for heavy tearing; it can add input lag if FPS is below refresh rate.
Display	Fullscreen	Preferred over borderless so the GPU gives the game most of its resources.
Variable Frame Rate	On	Allows over 60 FPS; off caps the game at 60.
Film Grain / Gamma	Default	Personal preference.

Advanced settings

Option	Value	Effect in the author's tests
Environment Detail	Ultra	Surprisingly little FPS change.
Character Detail	Ultra	Little FPS change.
FX	Ultra	Nicer explosions, not a big drop; lower it if Demolitionists lag you.
Texture Resolution	Ultra	Small FPS impact.
Texture Filtering	Bilinear	Big FPS impact with little visual change.
Shadow Quality	Low	Huge FPS impact; anything above Medium is not worth it.
Realtime Reflections	Off	Costs about 15 to 20 FPS.
Anti-Aliasing	FXAA	About 5 FPS; turn off if you really need frames.
Bloom	Off	About 4 FPS; Firebug fire can cause big drops later in rounds.
Motion Blur	Off	Low impact, preference.
Ambient Occlusion	SSAO	About 5 FPS for SSAO, around 10 for HBAO+.
Depth of Field	Off	No FPS impact, preference.
Volumetric Lighting FX	On	Very little impact.
Lens Flares	Off	Little to no impact, cosmetic.
Light Shafts	Off	Preference.

Screenshots

Low preset Everything on Low.

Ultra preset Everything on Ultra.

The author preset The recommended settings in game.

The recommended settings with lens flare enabled The same preset with lens flare turned on.

Summary of the recommended settings Summary screenshot of all recommended options.

Test machine

The author tested on Windows 10 Pro with an Intel i5-9600K, a GTX 1080 Ti, 16 GB RAM and a 240 Hz Zowie monitor, reporting a consistent 60+ FPS even on Ultra before tuning for higher numbers.

FAQ

Which KF2 settings affect FPS the most?: In the author's tests, Shadow Quality (huge impact), Realtime Reflections (about 15 to 20 FPS) and Texture Filtering gave the largest gains when lowered.
Should Variable Frame Rate be on?: Yes if you want more than 60 FPS. With it off, the game is capped at 60.
Can bloom hurt performance?: Bloom costs roughly 4 FPS, and with it enabled Firebug fire can cause large drops later in a round.