NFS Unbound Best Settings [Performance & Quality]

After a wait of three years, EA has finally released Need for Speed Unbound. Players need to set up their in-game settings on their PC to get the best out of the all-new racing game. The game features multiple options that you can tweak as per your liking. However, a certain settings layout can yield the highest FPS for you and make NFS Unbound run smoothly on your system.

The racing game, which features comic-style animations, has a platoon of settings you can change. Graphics, Driving, and Game settings are a few of the important options that shouldn’t be overlooked. Of course, we all know that NFS Unbound isn’t a competitive shooter game, so you can even settle for lesser FPS and higher quality on your PC.

Best Settings For NFS Unbound

Being a Racing-genre game, we have seen people comfortably run Need for Speed Unbound even on 30 FPS. But why settle for less when you can go for more? You can easily tone down the graphical settings and get high FPS if that’s the way you want to go. Although, you don’t need the fastest of inputs since this isn’t an online shooter game. Hence, you can comfortably focus on graphics rather than performance. You can perfectly balance these two by making use of our optimal settings for PC.

In NFS Unbound, you get multiple kinds of options that you can change. So before you begin adding All Cars in your garage, here is the complete list of categories that players have access to in the in-game settings.

• Accessibility
• Game
• Driving
• Controls
• Graphics
• Audio

Once you load up NFS Unbound on your PC and reach its main menu, you can press the “Tab” key or Menu/Pause button on your controller to open up the Settings & Accessibility menu.

Summary of all the best settings to use in NFS Unbounds:

Setting Name	What to Set it to
Motion Blur	Off
Colorblind Mode	Player Preference
Gamma Correction	Player Preference
Screen Mode	Fullscreen
Screen Resolution	1920×1080 / 2560×1440
Vertical Sync	Off
Dynamic Resolution Scaling	Off
Upsampler	Off (Or choose AMD FSR 2 / NVIDIA DLSS based on GPU)
NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency	Off
Resolution Scale	100%
Graphics Quality	Custom
Texture Quality	High (Depends on your VRAM)
Shadow Quality	Medium
Texture Filtering	High
Ambient Occlusion	Off
Effects Detail	Medium
Geometry Detail	High
Anti-Aliasing	TAA
Terrain Quality	High
Vegetation Detail	Medium
Post Process Quality	Medium
Lighting Quality	High
Depth of Field	Medium
Reflection Quality	High
Audio Settings
Audio Channel	Auto
Dynamic Range	Reduced Range
Speech Focus Mode	Off
Master Volume	100%
Music Master Volume	100%
Garage Music Volume	90%
Event Music Volume	70%
Open World Music Volume	100%
Pursuit Music Volume	100%
Free Roam Music	90%
Car Volume	90%
Speech Volume	100%
Effects Volume	90%
UI Volume	80%
Cop Scanner Volume	90%
VOIP Settings	Personal Preference (turn it off if you’re playing alone)
VOIP Volume	100%
Gearbox Type	Automatic or Manual
Units System Shown	Imperial or Metric
Camera Shake	30%
Camera Pitch Sensitivity	100%
Story Game Difficulty	Relaxed, Challenging, Intense
Display Mini Map	On
Display Speedometer	On
Controller Vibration	On
Deadzone	5-10% for new controllers, 20-25% for older controllers
Menu Narration	On/Off
Subtitles	On/Off
Story Game Difficulty (Relaxed, Challenging, Intense)	On/Off
Colorblind Mode	On/Off
Use Chat Speech to Text	On/Off
Chat Text to Speech	On/Off
Chat Text Size	Adjustable
Camera Shake	On/Off
Motion Blur	On/Off
Lighting Control	On/Off

Graphics Settings

All PC gamers know that the Graphics settings are the first thing you need to race to once you start up a new game. This is where you can completely build your game’s performance based on the power of your system. The Graphics settings in NFS Unbound are quite straightforward and can be adjusted in a matter of minutes.

Motion Blur – Off

Motion Blur is an option that a lot of players Turn off right when they load up a new game. In NFS Unbound, it adds blurring effects whenever you’re driving at high speed. Hence, adding more to the realisticness of the game. However, if you’re someone who feels sick from the motion blur effect or if you just get tired out because of it while gaming for multiple hours, then it’s best to turn it off.

Colorblind Mode – Player Preference

Colorblind Mode is typically set at turned off, although it’s based on personal preference. If you’re someone who’s colorblind, then make full use of the option in NFS Unbound. You can choose from three different setups for Colorblind modes. These modes include Deuteranopia, Tritanopia, and Protanopia. 

Gamma Correction – Player Preference

Gamma Correction is yet another option that is based on your preference. There is no outright setting for this; however, many players tend to keep it at 50%. You can slide the bar to either the left or the right to adjust the tonal levels of NFS Unbound. 

Screen Mode – Fullscreen

The Screen Mode is a simple setting in every game. You want your PC to allocate all of its resources to NFS Unbound. Fortunately, you can do that by setting the Screen Mode to “Fullscreen.” On the other hand, you will also notice the options of Windowed and Borderless Window. However, these may hinder your game’s performance if you have other software running in the background. 

Screen Resolution – 1920×1080 / 2560×1440

The Screen Resolution should be set at the maximum if you’re opting to dive into an immersive racing experience. Most of the displays have resolutions of either 1920×1080 or 2560×1440. Whichever option matches your PC Monitor’s display resolution should be the one you pick in NFS Unbound. 

You can check your Display Resolution by right-clicking on the desktop and choosing “Display Settings.” Now click the drop-down menu of the “Display Resolution” option. The resolution which says “Recommended” next to it is the one your Monitor optimally supports.

Vertical Sync – Off

There has been a huge trend in recent years where players turn the V-Sync off right away. V-Sync is known for increasing the input lag and dropping frame rates while playing NFS Unbound. Hence, it’s best to turn it off in the Graphics Settings. However, if you see your screen tearing up and having a hard time putting in clean frames, then you can consider turning V-Sync back on.

Dynamic Resolution Scaling – Off

Tweaking the Dynamic Resolution Scaling will allow you to set your preferred FPS as a target. However, keeping it Off will allow NFS Unbound to manage the frames themselves and display what is best for your system. So in our opinion, it is best to keep the option off. If you plan to turn it on, then you can set a specific DRS Target as per your liking.

Upsampler – Off

Keeping Upsampler Off is by far the easiest option. If you’re someone who goes down to the tiniest details, then you can try changing this (which will replace the normal TAA) by setting it to either AMD FSR 2 or NVIDIA DLSS. If you choose any of these depending on your GPU, you can then also change the Upsampler Preset and Sharpening according to your preference.

NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency – Off

The NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency is an option that is exclusive for the players who are running NFS Unbound on an NVIDIA Graphics card. The NVIDIA Relflex setting can be quite helpful if you’re facing latency while driving around the map. However, if you’re not facing such issues, which has been the norm amongst players so far, then keep the setting Off.

Resolution Scale – 100%

Resolution Scale is a bar that you can set anywhere from 75% to 200%. If you set the percentage to less than 100%, then you will tip the balance more toward higher performance. However, anything above 100% will tip the balance towards higher quality. Thus, in our books, keeping the setting at 100% is the best option to go for in NFS Unbound as it creates the perfect balance between performance and quality.

Graphics Quality – Custom

Graphics Quality is where the real business occurs, which can make or break your PC’s performance in NFS Unbound. The game offers multiple graphics presets to choose from. If you think your PC can handle your preference, you can go for those. You can either pick Auto, Low, Medium, High, Ultra, or Custom. Setting it to custom will allow you to tweak each option which we have mentioned below.

• Texture Quality – High (Depends on your VRAM)
• Shadow Quality – Medium
• Texture Filtering – High
• Ambient Occlusion – Off
• Effects Detail – Medium
• Geometry Detail – High
• Anti-Aliasing – TAA
• Terrain Quality – High
• Vegetation Detail – Medium
• Post Process Quality –  Medium
• Lighting Quality – High
• Depth of Field – Medium
• Reflection Quality – High

Audio Settings

Yet again, since Need for Speed Unbound isn’t a competitive game, you won’t need to set your audio settings in the game perfectly. You can easily roll with anything that fits your boat. Some people may prefer louder music, while others like to keep it down and focus on the roar of the car’s engine.

Regardless of that, here is a quick look at all the sub-option you can switch in the Audio Settings of the new Need for Speed game. Along with our preferred picks for each Audio setting.

• Audio Channel – Auto
• Dynamic Range – Reduced Range
• Speech Focus Mode – Off
• Master Volume – 100%
• Music Master Volume – 100% 
• Garage Music Volume – 90%
• Event Music Volume – 70%
• Open World Music Volume – 100%
• Pursuit Music Volume – 100%
• Free Roam Music – 90%
• Car Volume – 90%
• Speech Volume – 100%
• Effects Volume – 90%
• UI Volume – 80%
• Cop Scanner Volume – 90%
• VOIP Settings – Personal Preference (turn it off if you’re playing alone)
• VOIP Volume – 100%

Driving Settings

Since NFS Unbound is a Racing game, you, of course, get the ability to change some Driving related settings. If you’re playing a racing game for the first time, then this section might be new to you. If not, then chances are you probably went through these settings and picked the options that suit you best.

Nonetheless, let’s see what options are provided in the game’s driving settings tab.

• Gearbox Type: You can change the Gearbox type as per your preference. The game provides the option of keeping the cars either Automatic or Manual. In Manual, you will need to change the gear as you speed up or slow down the vehicle, creating a more realistic (although tougher) experience in NFS Unbound.
• Units System Shown: You can choose between the Imperial or Metric unit system for NFS Unbound. In the Imperial option, you will see units like meters and kilometers. Whereas in the Metric system, you will see units like miles and yards.
• Camera Shake: Set at 30%. Adjusts the amount of camera shake while driving in NFS Unbound.
• Camera Pitch Sensitivity: Set at 100%. Scales how high the chase camera moves on pitch speed.

Game Settings

Game Settings are quite brief in Need for Speed Unbound; you can quickly go through these while setting up the game. You will be able to access three options within the Game Settings. Let us have a deeper look to make things much easier for you.

Story Game Difficulty 

In Need for Speed Unbound, you get the option to pick your own difficulty while playing through the story mode. The higher the difficulty mode is, the tougher it will be to win races and evade the cops. In NFS Unbound, you get access to three different difficulty modes. Although it is to be noted that you can only change the difficulty when you’re in the garage. 

• Relaxed: Health 150% / 10 Restarts / Less Challenging Cops / Less Competitive Rivals.
• Challenging: Health 100% / 4 Restarts / Challenging Cops / Competitive Rivals.
• Intense: Health 60% / 2 Restarts / Very Challenging Cops / Very Competitive Rivals.

Display Mini Map – On

You may roll without mini-maps in other games; however, when it comes to Racing-genre titles, mini-maps are essential to have. Hence, keep this option Turned On while you drive around the streets of Lakeshore in NFS Unbound. It will make navigating a lot easier for you. 

Display Speedometer – On

Even though there are no gameplay benefits to turning the speedometer on in the NFS Unbound, it adds to the whole experience of street racing. Being able to see the speedometer will make the experience more immersive, as you’d be able to track your car’s speed. It will also help you to compare different vehicles and their speeds with each other. So turn it On and speed across Lakeshore with your BMW M3 GTR.

Controls Settings

We also get the option to switch up the Controls Settings in the new Need for Speed game. Here you will get access to the Keybinds and Controller mapping section, where you can apply your own changes to the controls of the game. Other than that, there are two other options that you can also switch up.

• Controller Vibration: It’s best to keep the Controller Vibration turned On for the best experience.
• Deadzone: If your controller is fairly new, then anything between 5-10% should be good for you. As for the people with older controllers, it is best to go for 20-25% Deadzone in NFS Unbound.

Accessibility

The Accessibility settings can be tweaked to make life a lot easier for plenty of players. Here you will find useful features that may assist you during your NFS Unbound gameplay one way or another. These options are purely based on personal choice. Hence, we will only list the options you can change in the Accessibility menu.

• Menu Narration
• Subtitles
• Story Game Difficulty (Relaxed, Challenging, Intense)
• Colorblind Mode
• Use Chat Speech to Text
• Chat Text to Speech
• Chat Text Size
• Camera Shake
• Motion Blur
• Lighting Control

[Note: These settings will not affect the FPS in NFS Unbound]

NFS Unbound System Requirements

If you still run into performance issues while playing NFS Unbound on PC, then your system might not be good enough. To make things simple and convenient for you, we have added the Minimum and Required System Requirements for NFS Unbound. You can review these requirements and assess whether your PC is good enough to run the game.

Fortunately, Need for Speed Unbound is not a demanding game like some of the other AAA titles are these days. There is a high chance that your PC will be able to run it smoothly if your system is relatively new. You can try going through multiple “Can I run It?” clients on your PC to check if you meet the requirements of NFS Unbound.

Minimum System Requirements

Here are the requirements you need to run Need for Speed Unbound on low settings on your PC.

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Processor: Ryzen 5 2600 / Core i5-8600
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: RX 570 / GTX 1050 Ti
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: Broadband Internet Connection
• Storage: 50 GB available space

Recommended System Requirements

Here are the requirements you need to run Need for Speed Unbound on moderate to high settings on your PC.

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Processor: Ryzen 5 3600 / Core i7-8700
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: Radeon RX5700 (8GB) / GeForce RTX 2070 (8GB)
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: Broadband Internet Connection
• Storage: 50 GB Available Space

Summary

So there you have it, our complete coverage on the Best PC Settings for NFS Unbound. We covered each and every setting option in the game; if you’re aiming to increase the performance or quality of NFS Unbound, then you can solely focus on the Graphics section. On the other hand, we also provided relevant information for you if you’re unsure about any of the other options in the settings menu.

It’s finally here: Need for Speed Unbound, the latest installment in one of the most popular racing game series. Before you participate in “The Grand,” one of Lakeshore’s biggest street racing competitions, make sure to familiarize yourself with the top Tips and Tricks for NFS Unbound and the Best Starter Car.

For four weeks, you will be able to race around, upgrade your car, make a name for yourself in the world of street racing, and win amazing rewards while dodging the cops. The current Money Glitch in NFS Unbound can also be used so that you can quickly progress through the ranks.

Thank you for reading through our detailed Settings guide. For more valuable informative articles on Need for Speed Unbound, stick around at eXputer.

Vol 2 Release Notes

NFS Unbound Latest Patch:

• An issue has been fixed where HUD resolution issues on PC related to launching the game in windowed mode and resizing the window.
• An issue has been fixed that caused certain menus and HUD elements to display incorrectly in wide aspect ratios.
• An issue has been fixed where some PC players would freeze whilst launching the game for the first time.
• Fixed an issue that caused the screen VFX to flicker whilst in a critical health state.
• Fixed an issue that showed DLSS as available for non-supported GPUs.
• Fixed an issue where Nvidia Reflex reports 0 PC latency.
• Improved the flow between the front-end garage and multiplayer lobby.
• Improved the way collisions are handled, reducing the number of unreasonably violent collisions.
• Improvements have been made to visual feedback on the way heat is carried over the campaign.