NBA 2K23 BEST Graphics Settings [Explained]

In this guide we will discuss the best graphics settings for maximum performance.

NBA 2K23 is definitely not the most graphically demanding game on the market, but there is certainly a fan following for it. People who regularly play games won’t have any problem running this game, but the casual fans of the franchise might face some trouble with the visuals or framerate who don’t own PCs with the latest specs. Whether you are a casual fan or someone who wants to run the game for a fun co-op time, worry not, because, in today’s guide, we will walk you through the best graphics settings for NBA 2k23.

Key Takeaways
  • First, make sure your PC components are at least as good as NVIDIA GeForce GTX 450 1GB and Intel Core i3-2100 @ 3.10 GHz.
  • Once verified, launch NBA 2K23 then go to the feature tab to find the video settings, and make these changes:
    • Set Display Resolution to the same as your monitor’s.
    • Put the Window Mode to fullscreen.
    • Set Anti Aliasing to 4 or 8, depending on your performance issues.
    • Use your monitor’s native Refresh Rate.
    • Disable Vertical Sync.
  • Now head over to the advanced settings tab and tweak these settings:
    • Put the Shader Detail Level to low.
    • Texture Detail level to medium.
    • Use max settings for Player Level Detail.
    • Make Crowd Detail low.
    • Media People Detail Level should be medium.
    • Max out the Hair Detail Level.
    • Turn off Ambient Occlusion, Volumetric Lighting, and Temporal Anti-Aliasing.
    • Depth of Field can be a personal preference.
    • Get rid of Motion Blur.
    • Turn on Bloom and Floor Reflection.
    • Disable Mirror Reflection.
    • Set Buffer Count to 3 and Max Anisotropy to 16.
    • Turn on Compute Shaders along with Shader Preload.

Best Graphics Setting For NBA 2K23

Let’s discuss the best graphics settings for the game that will help you strike the right balance between performance and visuals. You can find the Video Settings in the Feature tab. Once there, you will find the following options:

Here are all the best graphics settings summarized: 

Setting NameWhat to Set it to
Display Resolution1080p (or higher if supported, but adjust other settings accordingly)
Window ModeFull Screen
Anti Aliasing4 (or 8 for crisper image)
Refresh RateYour monitor's supported refresh rate (e.g., 60Hz or 144Hz)
Vertical SyncOn (only if experiencing severe screen tearing)
Overall QualityCustom
Shader Detail LevelLow (for low-end GPU)
Texture Detail LevelMedium (adjust based on GPU's VRAM)
Player Level DetailMax
Crowd Detail LowLow (for performance boost, affects crowd density)
Media People Detail LevelMedium
Hair Detail LevelMax
Ambient OcclusionOff
Volumetric LightningOn
Temporal Anti-AliasingOff
Depth of FieldOff (personal preference)
Motion BlurOff (personal preference)
BloomOn
Floor ReflectionOn
Mirror ReflectionOff
Buffer Count3
Max Anisotropy16
Allow Compute ShadersOn
Shader PreloadOn
  • Display Resolution: The settings that we will be discussing below are in accordance with the 1080p resolution. If your monitor supports the higher resolution, go for it, but be sure further to decrease other settings as well.
  • Window Mode: You can squeeze more performance out of your components if you set the Window Mode to Full Screen. Also, consider reading our guide on All Jordan Challenges in NBA 2k23 and learn how to complete them.
  • Anti Aliasing: If you have severe performance issues, set it to 4; otherwise, setting anti-aliasing to 8 gives a much crispier image.
  • Refresh Rate: Set it to whatever refresh rate your monitor supports, which is 60 or 144hz mostly. Also, consider going through our guide on best shooting badges in NBA 2k23 as well.
  • Vertical Sync: Only turn it on if you are facing severe screen tearing issues; otherwise, turn it off.

After you are done with these settings, click on the Advance Settings tab to get to the actual graphics settings.

Settings
Advanced Graphics Settings in NBA 2k23
  • Overall Quality: Now, you wouldn’t be here if you were ok with the default presets. Set it to Custom in order to change the rest of the graphics settings.
  • Shader Detail Level: This one is a demanding setting, so set it to Low if you have a low-end GPU.
  • Texture Detail Level: This one is dependent on your GPU’s VRAM and should be set accordingly. Our recommendation would be to go with Medium settings. You can also check out our guide on best teams to learn all about the best teams in NBA 2k23.
  • Player Level Detail: No considerable changes in performance were noticed, so max this one out.
  • Crowd Detail Low: Another setting that can have a noticeable effect on performance. Set it low if you want a performance boost, but keep in mind that it will affect the density of the crowd.
  • Media People Detail Level: Set this one to medium because the camera flashes look great overall and the difference in performance isn’t that huge.

Related: NBA 2k23 BEST Finishing Badges

  • Hair Detail Level: No effect was noticed by changing this setting, so max this one out too.
  • Ambient Occlusion: Turn it off to squeeze out some extra fps.
  • Volumetric Lightning: No FPS were gained by turning it off, so keep it on.
  • Temporal Anti-Aliasing: Turning it on made the game look blurry. Turn this setting off for better image quality.
  • Depth of Field: This one is a personal preference. I don’t like Depth of Field personally, but turn it off if you like the look it gives.
  • Motion Blur: Another setting I don’t like, because of the blurry look it gives. Keep it off for clearer, sharper, and crispier image quality. Also, you might find our guide on the best jumpshot useful as well.
  • Bloom: Bloom not only gives a boost to visuals but also doesn’t affect the performance as well. So turn it on, without worrying about the frame rate.
  • Floor Reflection: The shiny court of NBA 2K23 is what gives it, its visual identity and without it, the game looks extremely bland. Make sure you have this setting on.
  • Mirror Reflection: You’ll only be able to notice them when you are outside the court, so turn it off, since you won’t have enough time to appreciate them anyway.
  • Buffer Count: 3
  • Max Anisotropy: 16
  • Allow Compute Shaders: Turn it on if you don’t want any annoying stutters during the gameplay.
  • Shader Preload: Also, turn this one on, too, if you want to avoid stutters.

System Requirements

It is important to make sure that your PC at least meets the minimum requirements; otherwise, playing around with the options is useless. Below, we have listed both the minimum and recommended system requirements of NBA 2K23. 

Recommended Requirements

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, or Windows 10 64-bit
  • Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-4430 @ 3 GHz/ AMD FX-8370 @ 3.4 GHz or better
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 770 2GB/ ATI® Radeon™ R9 270 2GB or better
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Storage: 110 GB of available space
  • Sound Card: Directx 9.0c
  • Additional Notes: In addition to system requirements, the developers of the NBA 2K23 have mentioned the following key points, including details about running the game:
  1. The game can be played using a keyboard, but a dual-analog gamepad is recommended.
  2. A one-time internet connection is required for steam authentication and for the installation of software such as Direct X and Visual C++ Redistributable.
  3. A processor supporting SSE 4.2 and AVX instructions is mandatory for running the game

Minimum Requirements

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, or Windows 10 64-bit
  • Processor: Intel® Core™ i3-2100 @ 3.10 GHz/ AMD FX-4100 @ 3.60 GHz or better
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 450 1GB/ ATI® Radeon™ HD 7770 1 GB or better
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Storage: 110 GB of available space
  • Sound Card: Directx 9.0x
  • Additional Notes: Same as the ones mentioned in Recommended Requirements.

This concludes our best graphics settings guide. We hope this guide helped you in boosting your framerate, and as always, feedback is appreciated in the comments below.

NBA 2K23 is currently available for Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Microsoft Windows.

Next: BEST NBA 2K23 Dribble Moves

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Haider Khan is our error guides writer who loves to tinker around with operating systems and game files to find practical solutions to video game issues. He then crafts easy-to-follow error fix guides based on his findings. He’s also a Battlefield veteran who likes to rack up some Ws in his spare time. Learn some more about his gaming journey on his Steam profile. Experience: 3+ Years || Education: Bachelor's in Journalism || Successfully Troubleshot Over 200 Games || Mainly Covers Error Fix & Game Settings 

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