PUBG Lowest Input Lag Settings for Competitive Play
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In PUBG, the player who reacts first and lands the first shot controls the engagement. The gap between winning a one-on-one and losing it is often measured in frames. Most of the input lag in PUBG is controllable through the graphics menu and Windows settings. Here is the exact configuration for the lowest input lag in PUBG.
Reflex on, Fullscreen, V-Sync off, and a frame cap below your refresh — that is the low-latency core for PUBG.
Enable NVIDIA Reflex
PUBG supports NVIDIA Reflex. In Settings → Graphics, enable NVIDIA Reflex and set it to On + Boost. Reflex keeps the CPU from running ahead of the GPU and shortens the render pipeline, which matters most in compound gunfights where the game loads many characters and assets. On AMD cards, enable Radeon Anti-Lag in Adrenalin instead.
Use Fullscreen mode
Set Display Mode to Fullscreen, not Windowed or Borderless Window. Exclusive fullscreen bypasses the Windows Desktop Window Manager and removes a frame of presentation delay. It also lets G-Sync and FreeSync operate correctly.
Cap FPS below your refresh rate
Use the in-game Frame Rate limiter and set it a few frames below your monitor’s refresh rate:
| Monitor refresh | Suggested cap |
|---|---|
| 144 Hz | 138 |
| 165 Hz | 158 |
| 240 Hz | 234 |
| 360 Hz | 350 |
Capping below the refresh rate keeps the GPU below 100% load so it never builds a render queue — the core reason Reflex and a cap work together. See How to Cap Your FPS Correctly for the full method.
Turn off V-Sync
Disable V-Sync in the Graphics settings. V-Sync eliminates tearing by buffering frames, but adds at least one frame of delay. With an FPS cap and G-Sync or FreeSync you get tear-free images without the latency cost.
Set Render Scale to 100
PUBG’s Render Scale setting controls internal rendering resolution. Keep it at 100 for the best input response and visual clarity. If your GPU cannot sustain your FPS cap at 100, lower Effects Quality, Shadow Quality, and Post-Processing before touching Render Scale — those save GPU headroom with less visual impact.
Turn off motion blur and post-processing
- Motion Blur: Off — obscures fast movement and adds GPU cost
- Post-Processing Quality: Very Low or Low — no meaningful visual gain at higher settings for competitive
- Anti-Aliasing: TAA — keep it on (removes aliasing), but set it here rather than forcing MSAA which costs more GPU
Keep the GPU below 99%
When the GPU hits 99–100%, the render queue fills and latency climbs. The Reflex plus cap combination handles this, but check with an in-game overlay during a real match — compound areas and third-parties are the stress test, not the plane ride in.
Use a high mouse polling rate
A 1000 Hz (or higher) mouse polling rate samples your aim far more often than 125 Hz. Set the highest stable rate in your mouse software to trim the input stage of the chain.
Fix Windows-level latency
- Set Windows to a High Performance power plan (Control Panel → Power Options).
- Enable and test Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS) — see Enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling.
- Turn on Game Mode in Windows Settings → Gaming.
- Raise your Windows timer resolution with Tier1Timer. The default Windows timer ticks slowly; raising the resolution samples input more often and smooths frame pacing, with Auto Mode that applies on launch and reverts on exit. Full explanation in The Ultimate Guide to Timer Resolution for Gaming.
Related guides
- Best PUBG Settings for FPS
- PUBG Stuttering Fix
- PUBG Stretched Resolution Guide
- How to Minimize Input Delay for Competitive Gaming
- How to Measure Input Lag
The lowest input lag in PUBG comes from Reflex On + Boost, Fullscreen, V-Sync off with a frame cap below your refresh, Render Scale at 100, and a clean Windows setup. Get these right and your aim reaches the server faster than your opponent’s.
Frequently asked questions
How do I reduce input lag in PUBG?
Enable NVIDIA Reflex in the Graphics settings, run the game in Fullscreen mode, disable V-Sync, and cap your frame rate a few frames below your refresh rate. PUBG also has a Render Scale setting — keep it at 100 for the best input response without resolution loss. Together these remove most of the controllable delay.
Does NVIDIA Reflex work in PUBG?
Yes. PUBG supports NVIDIA Reflex on supported NVIDIA GPUs. It stops the CPU from queuing frames ahead of the GPU and trims render-queue latency. Enable it in Settings → Graphics. On AMD cards, enable Radeon Anti-Lag in Adrenalin as an equivalent measure.
Should I cap my FPS in PUBG?
Yes. Use the in-game frame rate limiter and cap a few frames below your monitor's refresh rate. Capping keeps the GPU below 100% load so it never builds a render queue, which is the core mechanism behind low latency. Reflex and a cap work together — you want both.
What does Render Scale do for input lag in PUBG?
Render Scale controls the internal rendering resolution as a percentage of your display resolution. At 100 the game renders at native res. Dropping below 100 reduces GPU load, which can help keep the GPU off the ceiling and support your FPS cap — but it also reduces clarity. For input lag, keep Render Scale at 100 and manage load through a proper FPS cap and Reflex instead.
Does timer resolution reduce input lag in PUBG?
It can improve input-sampling consistency and frame pacing at the Windows level. The default Windows timer ticks slowly; raising the resolution with Tier1Timer samples inputs more often and smooths frame delivery. Use it alongside Reflex and your FPS cap for the best result.