Best Settings for Escape From Tarkov 1.0 – Max Visibility + FPS
If you want to spot enemies sooner, react faster, and stay smooth even on lower‑end rigs, optimizing graphics, postfx, and game settings in Escape From Tarkov 1.0 is essential.
If you want to spot enemies sooner, react faster, and stay smooth even on lower‑end rigs, optimizing graphics, postfx, and game settings in Escape From Tarkov 1.0 is essential. With many post‑processing effects, fancy lighting and render options, the default settings can often hurt visibility or choke frame rate. This guide will walk you through the ideal configuration to boost FPS and make enemies easier to spot — especially useful for competitive players, long raids, or less powerful PCs.
🎯 Core Graphics Settings for Performance & Clarity
The quality graphics settings in Escape From Tarkov.
Texture Quality: Medium – High
Use Medium if your GPU has 6 GB VRAM or less. Use High if you have 8 GB+ VRAM. Lower‑quality textures reduce GPU load but can make nearby detailing muddy.
For highest clarity (especially when looting or checking close objects), Medium–High is recommended.
Shadows Quality: Low
Shadows heavily impact performance and can obscure enemy silhouettes. Low shadows dramatically improve FPS and actually help visibility — enemies in dark corners or behind objects are easier to spot.
Even on reasonably powerful rigs, keeping shadows low is a strong advantage unless you prioritize aesthetics at the cost of gameplay.
Object LOD Quality: 2.0 – 2.5
Object LOD (Level of Detail) controls how detailed objects appear at a distance. Setting it around 2.0–2.5 is the community “sweet spot” — distant objects remain recognizable without overloading GPU/CPU with unnecessary detail.
Lowering LOD reduces rendering load significantly while keeping performance-friendly visuals.
You can always turn it up to the maximum if you have a powerful gaming rig.
Overall Visibility: 1,000 – 1,500
This setting determines how far terrain, objects and players render in the distance. 1,000–1,500 gives a solid balance — far enough to spot threats, but not so far that rendering distant, irrelevant objects kills FPS.
1,000 works well for close-quarters or medium-range engagements; bump up to 1,500 if you snipe or want longer draw distance.
You can always turn it up to the maximum if you have a powerful gaming rig.
Advanced / Optional Graphics Toggles — What to Turn Off (or On)
More graphics settings in escape from tarkov, on the lower part of the menu.
Anti‑Aliasing: Use TAA — gives smoother edges without major FPS hit.
Resampling / Upscalers (e.g. DLSS / FSR): Best to keep Resampling off and avoid using DLSS/FSR unless your system is struggling — upscaling can blur distant things, making enemies harder to spot.
HBAO (Ambient Occlusion), SSR (Reflections), Grass Shadows, Z‑Blur, Chromatic Aberration, Noise, Extra Volumetric Effects — turn these off or to minimum: they mostly add aesthetics but significantly impact performance and sometimes hinder clarity.
NVIDIA Reflex / Low‑Latency Modes — enable if available: this reduces input lag and can improve competitive responsiveness without huge FPS costs.
High-quality color, Z-Blur, Chrom. aberrations, Noise, Grass Shadows - Keep all of these boxes unchecked
Streets of Tarkov Lower Texture Resolution Mode - Turn on only if you get bad performance on the Streets of Tarkov map specifically.
Game Settings & UI: What to Enable / Disable for Clarity
The optimal Escape From Tarkov game settings.
From general community feedback and many player guides:
HUD elements like Stamina, Stance, Health Condition: “Always shown” — these only occupy corners and give critical info without blocking screen center.
Quick‑use bars, inventory overlays, and redundant HUD clutter: Auto‑hide / minimal — helps reduce distractions. Though you can set them to always being on if you want to be able to see your hotkeys at a glance. This is up to personal preference.
FOV: Personal preference — many prefer around 70–75, giving good peripheral vision without distortion. At least 70 is recommended.
Head-bobbing: lower values — reduces unnecessary motion blur or sway that can obscure distant targets. Turn this as low as possible.
Malfunction‑notifications: ON (so you don’t miss gun jams).
These UI tweaks ensure your field of view stays clean and focused — maximizing your chances to spot movement or enemies quickly.
🔧 PostFX Settings for Maximum Visibility in Escape From Tarkov
The best PostFX settings in Escape From Tarkov to see better.
Fine-tuning PostFX settings can make a dramatic difference in how clearly you see enemies in dark corners, indoor environments, and foggy weather. These settings from the screenshot are highly optimized for clarity and visibility while maintaining strong FPS:
These Escape From Tarkov PostFX settings are vital to help you see in dark corners and buildings. They give you a gigantic advantage over someone who doesn’t use them and can’t see in the dark nearly as well as you can.
✅ Recommended PostFX Setup
Brightness: 45
Gives a moderate boost to visibility in shadows and indoor areas without overexposing bright daylight zones. Helps spot enemies in places like Big Red or underground.Clarity: 0
Left at 0 to avoid introducing artificial contrast, which can sometimes cause harsh lighting that hurts long-distance visibility.Luma Sharpen: 70
This is key for enemy clarity — it sharpens only the luminance channel, which enhances definition and edge detection without adding grain or artifacts.
✅ Ideal for spotting enemy silhouettes in dim environments.Adaptive Sharpen: 0
Left off to reduce extra processing and avoid over-sharpening effects that can create haloing or edge flicker during movement.Color Grading: Bayswater
Bayswater is known for its cooler, clearer tone — it softens warm color palettes and makes reds and browns stand out more.
🔍 Excellent for factory, woods, or interchange visibility — especially indoors.Color Grading Intensity: 10
Balanced — strong enough to apply noticeable clarity and hue correction, but not so strong that it looks unnatural or filtered.
Colorblind Mode: None
Unless you have a specific need for colorblind settings, keeping this off ensures no unexpected changes to color saturation or enemy highlighting.Colorblind Intensity: 0
Since colorblind mode is disabled, intensity here has no effect — perfectly configured.
Why These Settings Work — Understanding the Tradeoffs
Escape From Tarkov is known to be CPU‑bound for many players — rendering, object draw distance, LOD, and overall visibility often impact CPU/GPU heavily. Lowering heavy graphics loads frees up resources.
High‑cost settings (shadows, reflections, AO, global illumination, high LOD) often add aesthetic flair but rarely help in a combat situation — and they often obscure enemies rather than highlight them.
Balanced settings area — medium textures, low shadows, moderate LOD & draw distance — give clarity for identifying threats (loot, players, movement) while keeping FPS stable even on mid-tier rigs.
Extra Tips: Performance Boosts Outside Game Settings
Make sure your GPU drivers and OS are up to date — outdated drivers can cause unnecessary FPS drops.
If possible, run the game on an SSD, not HDD — reduces load times when entering raids.
Monitor your RAM usage — if you have 16 GB or less, consider closing background apps to avoid memory pressure (some players treat this like a “RAM cleaner”).
Avoid unnecessary overlays, screen recorders, or streaming software while raiding — these add overhead and can reduce FPS or cause stutters.
Conclusion
Optimizing Escape From Tarkov 1.0 for visibility and FPS is more about making smart trade‑offs than maxing out every graphical slider. Use low shadows, medium/high textures, moderate LOD and draw distance, and enable these recommended post processing effects — and you’ll get a clean, sharp view that reveals enemies sooner while keeping your game smooth.
Your computers’ power may vary, but this configuration offers a solid baseline. From there, tweak based on performance and visual comfort. You’ll likely see improved FPS, quicker looting, and — most importantly — the ability to spot threats before they spot you.
See you in Tarkov. Cheeki Breeki.
How to Defeat the The Matriarch in ARC Raiders Guide
If you’re gearing up for one of the toughest PvPvE encounters in ARC Raiders, then the boss known as the Matriarch is your next major milestone. This guide walks you step‑by‑step through what you need to know—how it attacks, how to prepare, how to hit its weak spots, and how to actually survive the fight and extract with your loot. Follow this and your next run will be far smoother.
If you’re gearing up for one of the toughest PvPvE encounters in ARC Raiders, then the boss known as the Matriarch is your next major milestone. This guide walks you step‑by‑step through what you need to know—how it attacks, how to prepare, how to hit its weak spots, and how to actually survive the fight and extract with your loot. Follow this and your next run will be far smoother.
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The Matriarch
The Matriarch in ARC Raiders
The Matriarch represents a top-tier challenge in ARC Raiders:
It has more attack patterns and aggression than previous boss encounters, like the queen.
While its health may be less than the Queen, its danger comes from the sheer variety and speed of its attacks (and the presence of other enemies converging).
It offers high‑value loot—boss materials and blueprint components—so taking it down and extracting successfully is extremely rewarding.
It’s an event‑spawn boss, meaning when you see it in the map, everyone will know and drop in for the kill—so extraction is part of the challenge.
In short: killing it is only half the battle. Surviving the aftermath is just as important. Other players are a threat while you are fighting the Matriarch and afterwards.
Load‑out & Preparation
Weapon of choice
The standout pick is the Hullcracker—a heavy launcher weapon that deals serious damage to large targets and weak spots.
You can bring other weapons (for adds the Matriarch spawns or other players), but design your primary load‑out around the boss itself.
Defensive gear
Use a heavy shield. This grants extra protection when the Matriarch fires bursts of homing missiles or launches AOE attacks, especially during its “final phase”.
Because heavy shields require an augment that supports them and reduce your inventory space, make sure your ammo/heal items are prioritized accordingly.
Ammo & consumables
You generally need less ammo than for previous big bosses (the Matriarch has somewhat lower health). Still, you’ll want a solid stash—about 140 launcher ammo is a good benchmark for the Hullcracker.
Bring more meds than ammo. Healing items and shield recharges become critical when things go sideways (and they often will).
If you can team up with friends, it increases your odds significantly—so aim for that if possible.
Summary load‑out checklist
Primary weapon: Hullcracker
Heavy Shield equipped
~140 launcher ammo (or equivalent high‑damage rounds)
Abundant med/heal supply
Secondary weapon (for smaller ARCs or players)
Squad coordination if you can.
Key Attack Patterns to Know
Understanding how the Matriarch attacks is half the fight. Here are the main move‑sets you’ll face.
Homing Missile Barrages
The boss fires swift homing missiles that track players and blow up with significant damage/area of effect.
If you’re out in the open, these will hit you. A bad spot = wipe.
Tip: Stand behind solid cover. Even good cover may still allow indirect damage (AOE or curved missiles). If you keep taking missile hits, you’re in the wrong position.
Gas Mines / Gas Cloud Attacks
Occasionally it will send out gas mines or barrages which don’t seem to deal direct health damage—but will make you cough, not be able to fire, and may also bring in tremors or flashbang‑style effects.
Stay clear of the gas cloud and avoid lingering in the affected zone.
Flashbang‑style Projectiles
The Matriarch can fire little devices or missiles that act like flashbangs—temporarily blinding you or impairing your vision or ability to aim.
When this hits and players are nearby or doing PvP, it becomes a huge vulnerability.
Summons & Add Waves
As the fight progresses, the Matriarch will call in waves of other ARCs (including high‑threat ones like Rocketeers or Bastions).
These enemy adds can wreck your run if you ignore them: one player reported dying not to the Matriarch itself, but to a spawned Rocketeer.
Intense cover and add‑management is vital.
Impenetrable Shield Phase
At intervals, the Matriarch will activate a blue‑glow shield, during which it appears invulnerable—you cannot damage it until the shield drops.
Use this downtime to heal, reload, move position—or deal with adds.
Don’t waste ammo during this shield phase.
Final Aggression Phase
As the boss nears death, it gets particularly aggressive: more missile barrages, possibly more add spawns, and higher risk to you.
That heavy shield + heal supply become even more critical here.
Weak Points & Damage Strategy
Primary weak spot – Head / Core
The best strategy: aim for the head. Shooting the head will expose the red core inside, which is the highest‑damage target.
Secondary targets – Legs
You can shoot the legs to immobilize or reduce mobility, but the leg armor is heavy and it may take a lot of ammo—less efficient than head core.
If your team is comfortable, you might split: one or two shoot head/core, others handle adds or legs—but head/core is the top priority.
Frontal Armor Plates
The Matriarch has extra plating in the front (under the “horn” or big forehead area). If you break those plates, you get a direct line to the core behind.
Use the launcher to peel armor off quickly.
Summary of damage phases
Break plating or armor (launcher/Hullcracker)
Expose core (head red core)
Exploit core until boss drops
Manage adds + cover + shield phases throughout.
Best Location & Map Strategy
Not all spawn locations are equal. Some maps offer much better terrain, cover, and extraction routes.
Ideal Map – Dam Battlegrounds (‘The Breach’)
This map is highly recommended because of good high‑ground position options and strong cover.
Elevated positions make it easier to dodge homing missiles and maintain sightlines.
The pipeline tower rooftop seems like a particularly good spot.
Secondary Map – Spaceport (Launch Towers)
Another viable map: fight from high position next to Launch Towers, like the control tower. Low risk of being ambushed from many angles.
Avoid – Blue Gate
Blue Gate is less ideal—open terrain, fewer good cover spots.
If you must run it here, gather team coordination and plan extraction carefully.
Positioning Tips
Find solid cover with limited flank routes and good sightlines. If you keep getting hit by missiles or you’re constantly repositioning, you need a better spot.
Choose a spot where you can peek out to fire, then hide when the boss fires barrages.
Have an escape route ready for extraction—or if other players show up.
Cover also protects you from adds and sudden flanks.
Step‑by‑Step Fight Strategy
Drop into match, confirm Matriarch event is active.
Move to your chosen spot (ideally high ground). Setup cover, shields, med/heals accessible.
Begin engagement: Focus on armor/plating using your Hullcracker.
Watch for shield phase: When the blue shield goes up, stop dealing damage, reposition, heal, reload.
Handle adds: When ARCs or boss‑adds spawn (Rocketeers, Bastions), divert at least one member to clear them immediately. If ignored, they will wipe you.
Target head/core: Once plating is stripped, aim for the red core at head region. Deal maximum DPS bursts.
Final phase caution: As boss nears death, it gets more aggressive—missiles, adds, flags for other players to come. Stay disciplined.
Boss explodes → loot spawn: Immediately secure your loot while defending from other players and add spawn waves (Bastions often show up here).
Extract safely: Loot is worthless if you die before extraction. Move with awareness, cover flanks, use barricades/defensive utilities if available.
Extraction & Loot Considerations
Defeating the Matriarch grants Matriarch Reactors (legendary material) which are used for top‑tier weapon crafting.
The extraction phase is just as risky as the fight itself—other players will try to ambush you or third‑party you as you loot. The entire map can hear you fighting the Matriarch and any raider can wait until you’ve won to swoop in for the remains.
Use smoke grenades, barricades, ziplines, and defensive utilities to cover your loot phase.
Always assume someone else wants the loot. Plan accordingly.
Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
Insufficient cover / open position → You’ll get hit by homing missiles repeatedly. Move to safer terrain.
Firing during shield phase → Wasting ammo and exposing yourself. Recognize shield phase and stop damage output.
Ignoring adds → Summoned ARCs will overwhelm you if you stay tunnel‑visioned on boss.
Solo runs without preparation → The more players you have, the easier—and the better your survival odds.
Loot phase chaos → Even after the boss is dead, you’re still vulnerable. Don’t relax until you extract.
Conclusion
Take on the Matriarch with the right mindset: preparation + positioning + focus + extraction awareness. If you set up a solid spot, equip a heavy shield, bring the Hullcracker, and understand the boss’s patterns (missiles, gas, flashbangs, shield, summons), the fight becomes manageable. It’s not easy—but it’s absolutely beatable.
Now gear up, gather your squad, pick your perch, and go claim those Matriarch Reactors!
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How to Defeat the The Queen in ARC Raiders Guide - Easiest Way Revealed
Taking on The Queen in ARC Raiders is absolutely one of the most thrilling—and rewarding—challenges the game offers. With the right plan, load‑out and positioning you can pull off the kill in surprisingly little time. This guide breaks down exactly how to do it: the bare minimum gear, the ideal load‑out, the best map location and fight strategy, and how to handle looting and escape safely. Whether you’re solo or teaming up, you’ll come away ready.
Taking on The Queen in ARC Raiders is absolutely one of the most thrilling—and rewarding—challenges the game offers. With the right plan, load‑out and positioning you can pull off the kill in surprisingly little time. This guide breaks down exactly how to do it: the bare minimum gear, the ideal load‑out, the best map location and fight strategy, and how to handle looting and escape safely. Whether you’re solo or teaming up, you’ll come away ready.
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1. Why you should team up (and why solo is tougher)
Doing it in a trio is much quicker and safer. You’ll kill the Queen in around 5‑10 minutes if your team’s geared and coordinated.
Solo? Expect about 12-15 minutes, and every mistake costs more—it’s riskier.
Her laser attack is deadly; if you go down solo, there’s no friendly revive.
Crossing open terrain alone raises your exposure to other players.
The Queen drops 10‑15 Queen Reactors — and you might not even fit all of them if you manage the kill solo.
Bottom line: If you can run with friends or a group, you’ll spend fewer resources, have lower risk and enjoy the fight more. But if you’ve got the gear and want the solo challenge, we’ll walk you through it.
2. Load‑out Options
A. Bare Minimum Load‑out
Here’s what you’ll need at the very least to make it happen:
A Tier 1 Hullcracker (launcher weapon) with ~200 rounds of ammo. In one run it took about 176 shots (with some misses) to drop her.
A couple stacks of bandages + shield recharges, since you’ll likely get hit by fire or the laser.
A decent shield (blue or better) just to survive the laser.
A Hatch Key (so you can extract with loot).
A PvP weapon + ammo (just in case other players interfere).
Optional: a few door blockers if you’re going to fight inside a closed space (more on that later).
Note: Everything else beyond the launcher ammo is flexible. The only “must‑have” is the launcher with enough ammo.
A bare minimum load out to fight the ARC Raiders Queen.
B. Ideal Load‑out
If you want to make the fight smoother and faster, this is what you’d bring (and what worked for a clean ~12‑minute solo run):
Tier 4 Hullcracker (50% increased fire rate) so you shred her much faster.
A Tier 4 Anvil (or equivalent heavy weapon) for both PvP defence and to deal with smaller enemies that pop up.
Double Wolfpacks (high damage grenades) for rocketeers or adds so you don’t get derailed.
Hatch Key + door blockers so you can fortify your spot and extract safely.
Lots of healing gear + shield recharge items.
Over 200 launcher rounds for the Hullcracker.
In essence: you scale up from “bare minimum” to “real comfort zone” by improving those key weapons, ammo count, defensive gear, fortification tools and extraction tools.
A fully decked out loadout to fight the ARC Raiders Queen
3. Finding the Best Location & Setting Up the Fight
The right fight location can reduce chaos and increase success rate dramatically.
Preferably spawn in a fresh match, not mid‑game. If you spawn with just 20 minutes left or all the players are active, you’re at a disadvantage.
If you spawn on the opposite side of the map, it might be smarter to abort (use Hatch Key) and queue again. Time and risk multiply when you’re far away.
Once you’ve got a good spawn, head toward the designated building area—one example is on the Dam Battlegrounds map (north side, near the broken bridge).
Go inside a building with one or two door entrances you can control. Place door blockers or barricades (deployable cover) on both entrances. This gives you a safe zone, reduces player interference and gives you vantage points.
In that building you’ll have a handful of window ledges you can jump on to shoot from. These window positions become key in the fight.
Strategy:
Use one window as your primary firing angle, jump onto the ledge and fire.
When The Queen engages heavy attacks (rocket barrage or laser), pivot to the far back right window to reload/repulse and reposition.
Alternate between these windows as needed—doing so keeps you covered and maximises DPS.
The windows in the long hallway on the circled portion of the Dam Battlegrounds map here is a good spot to fight the Queen from.
4. Fighting The Queen: Tactics & Attack Patterns
Understanding her attacks and behaviour streamlines the fight.
Attack Patterns
Rocket Barrage (Mortar fire): She fires 2–5 mortars that land and explode after a delay into flaming area. You’ll see/hear cues. Dodge or reposition quickly.
Laser Beam: Deadly if you stay in line‑of‑sight. It can feel like a one‑shot kill. The moment you see it charging, get out of the window line‑of‑sight. Don’t risk extra shots.
Weak Points & Where to Shoot
Her face/head core is a solid target (especially for a straightforward approach).
The joints/legs are also weak spots and may yield faster kills if you target them—but are harder to hit.
If you’re using a high‑rate launcher like the Tier 4 Hullcracker, simply mag‑dumping at her face while staying safe is totally viable.
Step‑by‑Step Fight Routine
Fortify your windowed building with door blockers.
Get ready at the first window ledge.
Take shots at The Queen’s face (or leg joint if you prefer, if you hit your shots you could take her down more quickly).
When she fires the rocket barrage, dodge/move.
When she starts the laser, immediately move into cover and reload.
Return to the primary angle and resume shooting.
Continue until ~150–200 launcher rounds are gone (for solo runs). Then she goes down.
Watch for other players: if you heard “don’t shoot” emotes, be ready.
5. The Loot Phase & Extraction
This part can be the trickiest if you’re not prepared.
The Queen drops Queen Reactors (and other high‑tier loot) — you can get 10–15 of them.
Looting in the open is dangerous: other players may try to ambush you.
Use barricade kits to shield yourself while you grab loot.
Even after the kill, stay alert. Players may pretend friendly, then shoot you.
Then extract using the Hatch Key you brought. Don’t hang around in the extraction zone longer than needed.
6. Solo Tips vs. Team Tips
If Solo:
Make sure you’re confident with the building/angles and your ammo/gear.
Accept that you’ll carry extra resources (ammo, heals) because you have no support.
Be extra cautious of other players.
If in a Team (trio):
Assign roles: one stays at window A, one at window B, one covers extraction/looting or provides PvP defense.
Each bring less ammo/heals—they share the workload.
You’ll clear The Queen faster (5‑10 minutes) and extract with less risk.
Conclusion
Taking down The Queen in ARC Raiders isn’t an impossible task—it just demands preparation, positioning, and discipline. Whether you approach solo for the challenge or with a team for the speed and safety, following this guide gives you the best shot at success. Grab your load‑out, choose your stronghold, know when to shoot and when to duck, secure the loot, and extract. Get out there and claim those Queen Reactors—you’ve got this.
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Ultimate Guide to the Best Settings in ARC Raiders for Performance, Clarity & Survivability
If you’re diving into ARC Raiders and want a competitive edge, optimizing your settings can make a huge difference. From hearing footsteps more clearly to spotting enemies faster and minimizing visual clutter — the right tweaks help you extract alive more often. This guide walks you through 10+ must‑change settings across audio, accessibility, controller (if you use one), graphics, and display for PC (or console) players.
If you’re diving into ARC Raiders and want a competitive edge, optimizing your settings can make a huge difference. From hearing footsteps more clearly to spotting enemies faster and minimizing visual clutter — the right tweaks help you extract alive more often. This guide walks you through 10+ must‑change settings across audio, accessibility, controller (if you use one), graphics, and display for PC (or console) players.
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1. Audio Settings – Enable Night Mode
Navigate to Audio Settings.
Turn Night Mode to On.
Why? Night Mode compresses audio so loud sounds are reduced and quieter sounds (like footsteps) are boosted. That means you’ll hear approaching enemies more reliably.
This is the best setting to make you more effective in the game. You will have a much greater chance of hearing enemies nearby, especially enemy players.
Tip: Play with stereo headphones for better spatial awareness.
You should turn on the Night Mode Audio Arc Raiders setting.
2. Accessibility – Custom Crosshair
Go to Accessibility Settings → Custom Crosshair Options.
Enable Override Crosshair Shape.
Choose a crosshair shape and set the color to green (255 001) – green pops out in most environments.
Customize crosshair thickness, outline (I’d personally set outline to zero), opacity to 100 % for maximum visibility.
Why? A clear, consistent crosshair helps you know exactly when your shot is ready, especially in tight fights.
3. Controller Input – Tap to Interact
(For controller players)
Go to Settings → Controller → Interact/Reload Behavior.
Change from “Prioritize Interact” to Tap to Interact.
Why? Prevents accidentally interacting with loot containers when you meant to reload — that mistake often costs fights.
Important graphics settings in Arc Raiders.
4. Display/Graphics – Disable Motion Blur
In Graphics Settings, locate Motion Blur and turn it Off.
Why? Motion Blur can obscure moving targets and make tracking more difficult. Disabling it gives clearer visuals when turning quickly.
5. Field of View (FOV) – Maximize Awareness
In Graphics → Field of View, set value to 80 (the maximum).
Why? A wider FOV allows you to see more of your left and right periphery, helping spot patrolling ARC machines or enemy raiders before they spot you.
6. PC Upscaling – DLSS (NVIDIA) or Equivalent
If you have an NVIDIA card: Graphics → Upscaling Method → DLSS.
Change DLSS Mode from Auto to Quality.
DLSS Model: switch from CNN to Transformer (DLSS 4) for sharper image and better visuals & performance concurrently.
Why? The newer model gives improved clarity and keeps your frame rate high without sacrificing visibility.
7. Graphics Quality Tweaks for Performance & Visibility
Here are recommended settings for a balance of clarity and FPS:
Ray Tracing / Global Illumination: Set from Epic/Higher down to Static or Low. Big FPS hit otherwise.
Post‑processing: Set to Low. Minor visual loss, major FPS gain.
Effects (explosions, particles): Set to Low. You’ll barely notice the difference but you’ll gain FPS.
Foliage Quality: For competitive play, you can lower it (medium or low) so you’re not hiding behind bushes the enemy doesn’t see.
Global Illumination Resolution: Set to Low. Big performance cost with little visual benefit.
8. View Distance, Shadows & Textures
View Distance: Set to High if you have head‑room (for less pop‑in), otherwise medium.
Shadows: Having shadows at High may help visibility in darker areas — if FPS allows. Otherwise medium.
Textures: Set to High (or at least Medium) — you want good ground and object detail without sacrificing too many frames.
9. Miscellaneous Settings for Competitive Edge
Window Mode: Borderless Fullscreen for smooth alt‑tabbing and minimal hiccups.
V‑Sync: Disabled, unless you see screen‑tearing. This lowers input latency.
Frame Limit: Unlimited if your system can handle it, to maximise responsiveness.
For capture/overlay: Use a Simple overlay (frame count only) so you’re not bogged down by extra stats.
Audio chat: Consider setting Proximity or Party Chat to Toggle (rather than hold) but remember: toggling means you might accidentally broadcast to enemies if you forget it’s on.
10. Controller & Sensitivity (Optional for PC/Console)
Prefer Linear stick ramp (rather than Exponential) — linear is predictable, clean, good for precise aiming.
Tune your horizontal/vertical sensitivities to your comfort. Try around 13 (as a starting point) or whatever matches your mouse/cm per 360 if using a mouse.
Zoom/Scope sensitivity: you may reduce this a little so your aim doesn’t wildly swing when scoped in.
Conclusion
By applying these settings, you’ll be positioned to see clearer, hear better, and react faster in ARC Raiders. In high‑stakes raids where every fraction of a second counts, the small tweaks add up to bigger advantages.
On your next session: apply the changes, run a quick practice match, and adjust minor settings if something feels off (like crosshair size or sensitivity).
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Unlock Scrappy’s Upgrade: Hunt Mushrooms, Olives & Prickly Pears in ARC Raiders
Learn where to find mushrooms, olives, and prickly pears in ARC Raiders to level up Scrappy. This guide highlights reliable locations, spawn‑triggers, and efficient foraging loops.
In ARC Raiders, your feathered companion — Scrappy the rooster — is more than a mascot. He’s a key part of your progression: upgrading him unlocks extra benefits for your raider operations. To level him up, you’ll need to collect nature items like mushrooms, olives and prickly pears. These items may sound simple, but the post‑apocalyptic landscapes of ARC Raiders make them surprisingly elusive. In this guide, we’ll walk through exactly what these items are, how to recognize them, and where you’re most likely to find them so you can complete Scrappy’s upgrade path without wasting endless runs.
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What Are Mushrooms, Olives & Prickly Pears Good For in ARC Raiders?
Each of these nature items appears during your “topside” raids and is used to Train aka “Upgrade” Scrappy.
Mushrooms: These are fungus loot items that spawn in damp, shaded or flora‑rich zones. They often appear on tree trunks, planters or damp ground. They’re required for one of Scrappy’s higher tier upgrades.
Olives: Spawn at olive trees, usually on the ground beneath the trees or occasionally dropped by kicking the tree. They are part of the mid‑tier upgrade requirement for Scrappy.
Prickly Pears: These are fruits that spawn near cactus‑type plants in arid, sandy zones of the map. They’re more rare than the others and required along with olives for a major upgrade step.
Recognizing the visual cues in each zone helps: if you’re in a grove of olive trees, scan the base of the trees; in a cactus‑patch, search around the spiky plants. The spawn isn’t guaranteed every single run, so persistence and knowledge of where to look will save you time.
Best Locations to Find Mushrooms
Mushrooms spawn in areas with higher moisture or dense vegetation, even in a post‑desert world. One of the best cited zones is the map called Dam Battlegrounds, where inside the “Hydroponic Dome Complex” and nearby river trees you’ll often find mushrooms.
Location tip: Search around planters and tree clusters inside the hydroponic facility.
Alternate: On the same map, the “Water Treatment Control” top floor pipes also yield mushrooms, though spawn is less consistent.
Note: Mushrooms may appear more frequently when the “Lush Blooms” modifier is active (a world‑state that increases nature loot spawns).
If you’re farming mushrooms, try running a loop through the hydroponic dome then the adjacent river‑trees area, rinse and repeat until you accumulate the required amount for Scrappy.
An olive tree in Blue Gateyou can get olives from in Arc Raiders
Where to Hunt Olives
If you’re tracking olives, head to the map Blue Gate and specifically the area known as “Olive Grove.” This location is the most reliable for olive spawns.
Visual cue: Large olive trees, often grouped together at the outskirts of the grove.
Spawn behaviour: You’ll find olives laying under the trees; you can also kick some trees to make extras drop.
Note: Because this area is popular (many players know it), competition is high — you may encounter other raiders. A safe‑pocket loadout is encouraged.
Pro tip: While you’re in Olive Grove, pack light and be prepared for other players or bots. Your goal is speed: grab olives, move on, don’t linger in high‑traffic zones.
Finding Prickly Pears in the Wastelands
Prickly pears are the toughest of the trio. Your best map bets are either Dam Battlegrounds or Buried City. There are cactus patches all over the place on these maps.
Key spots:
Buried City: Head to the very southern edge of the map outside the city proper, into the arid cactus zone.
Dam Battlegrounds: Northern side, near the roads and outer perimeter, is a solid loop to find cacti.
What to look for:
Cactus plants: these are green/gray spiky plants that stand out in barren areas.
On the ground around them: the actual pear often lies next to the plant rather than on it.
Spawn is random: you might circle through a patch and find none, then next run you find several. Patience helps.
Bonus tip:
If the “Lush Blooms” modifier is active, you might also find nature baskets scattered around with prickly pears inside, increasing your chance.
Final Tips for Efficient Nature Farming
Loadout matters: Use the safe‑pocket augment if you’re collecting rare items. If you die, your precious mushrooms, olives or pears stay secured.
Route planning: Combine locations when possible. For example, you might start at Olive Grove for olives, then move to the cactus‑patch in Buried City for pears — this saves time versus running isolated loops.
Check world modifiers: If “Lush Blooms” is active, nature loot spawns are higher. Take advantage of these windows.
Avoid unnecessary conflict: In high‑traffic zones (Olive Grove, etc), don’t linger. Other players might contest the area and distract you.
Stay on the move: Because spawns are random and contested, keep a fast pace. Hop, collect, move, repeat.
Inventory management: Rare items might stack or have limits — keep slots free so you’re ready when you find them.
Multiple runs may be required: The spawn rate isn’t perfect. Factor in that you may need several raids to gather full sets of each item.
That’s it — a focused guide to finding Mushrooms, Olives and Prickly Pears in ARC Raiders so you can upgrade Scrappy without endless guesswork. 🐓
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