There is no single fix for every Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 performance problem. Whole-screen flicker usually warrants a VRR (G-SYNC/FreeSync) and display-mode test, while sudden post-update slowdowns call for build verification, file checks and a controlled graphics reset. Work through the steps below in order, changing one variable at a time. Treat the Vegetation Detail toggle and NVIDIA ReBAR profile edit as optional, community-reported workarounds—not official cures.
Identify the symptom before changing settings
| What you see | First test |
|---|---|
| Whole-screen brightness flicker | Disable VRR and HDR, then test a fixed refresh rate. |
| Black flashes when opening menus or maps | Use fixed refresh, a stable frame cap and no overlays; compare fullscreen with borderless. |
| Localised light, shadow or vegetation shimmer | Test lighting, global illumination, shadows and Vegetation Detail individually. |
| FPS dropped sharply after an update | Confirm the installed build, restart Steam, verify files and try the Vegetation Detail workaround. |
| Low FPS everywhere | Compare your hardware with the official requirements, then check temperatures, power mode and GPU usage. |
| High average FPS but uneven motion | Turn frame generation off and inspect frame times and 1% lows. |
Some players describe uneven frame pacing as flicker because rapid camera movement produces repeated brightness and image changes. Record average FPS, 1% lows, a frame-time graph, GPU utilisation, VRAM use and per-core CPU load. Note whether the problem occurs only in towns, dense vegetation, combat, menus or one save location.
Check the official PC baseline
The Steam listing specifies Windows 10 64-bit or newer, 100 GB of storage on an SSD, and 16 GB of RAM as minimum requirements. Minimum graphics hardware is a GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB or Radeon RX 580; the recommended tier is a Core i7-13700K or Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 32 GB of RAM, and an RTX 4070 or RX 7800 XT. See the current listing at Steam support.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| 16 GB versus 32 GB RAM | 16 GB is minimum; close browsers and background applications before diagnosing a GPU problem. |
| SSD health and free space | An SSD is required. A nearly full, throttling or heavily used drive can worsen streaming behaviour, but it cannot repair a display-sync fault. |
| Temperatures and clocks | Watch for GPU clock drops, CPU thermal throttling, laptop battery mode or an unstable overclock/undervolt. |
| Discrete GPU selection | On laptops, confirm Windows and the game use the high-performance GPU. Notebook owners may need their manufacturer’s driver rather than a generic package. |
Safe preparation and baseline test
- Record your baseline: GPU model and VRAM, CPU, RAM, Windows version, game build, driver version, resolution, refresh rate, display mode, VRR state, upscaler, frame generation and active mods or overlays.
- Update and verify the build: In Steam, check the download status and the game’s Update History. Restart Steam after a patch and retest before applying a workaround. The exact current build changes over time; do not assume an old patch number is current.
- Verify files: Right-click the game in Steam, choose Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files. Relaunch and test the same save and location.
- Remove variables: Temporarily disable ReShade, unofficial visual or performance mods, modified configuration files, Steam Overlay, NVIDIA App or AMD overlays, Discord, Xbox Game Bar and MSI Afterburner/RivaTuner overlays.
- Reset graphics: Load a standard preset, select native resolution, disable frame generation, choose one upscaler (or none), set a conservative FPS cap and test the same demanding area. Change only one option per test.
Fix whole-screen flicker, black flashes and VRR instability
G-SYNC, FreeSync and Adaptive-Sync can expose brightness changes when frame times fluctuate or when the game switches between gameplay, menus, maps and cutscenes. A Steam user discussion describes fixed refresh, V-Sync and an FPS cap as a display-specific workaround for OLED/VRR symptoms; it is anecdotal, not confirmation of a universal engine bug (Steam discussion).
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Run a controlled VRR A/B test
- Turn off G-SYNC or FreeSync in the driver, Adaptive-Sync in the monitor menu and any monitor dynamic-contrast enhancement.
- Use a fixed refresh rate, disable HDR temporarily and cap FPS below the monitor’s maximum refresh rate. Enable V-Sync in only one place while testing.
- Compare exclusive fullscreen and borderless.
- If flicker disappears, re-enable VRR and keep the stable cap. If it returns only in menus, a fixed-refresh profile may be the practical workaround.
Test another refresh rate, cable, display input and monitor or television. If the desktop, BIOS or several games also flicker, investigate the display, cable, GPU power delivery or hardware stability rather than editing KCD2 files. AMD’s Adrenalin 25.4.1 notes list a general FreeSync flickering item and expanded FSR 4 support for KCD2; that 2025 release is not a claim about the latest driver in 2026 (AMD release notes).
Improve low FPS and stutter without destroying image quality
Use upscaling and frame generation deliberately
Compare native resolution, quality upscaling and balanced upscaling as separate tests. Upscaling can help a GPU-limited system but may add shimmer or ghosting. Frame generation raises the displayed FPS number without repairing poor base-frame delivery, so leave it off until ordinary frame times are stable and do not combine multiple external scaling or frame-generation tools.
Prioritise the settings that affect frame time
- Vegetation Detail
- Lighting and global illumination
- Shadows and volumetric effects
- Crowd or NPC density
- View distance and object detail
- Ray-tracing options, where available
Lower is not always visually or temporally better. One community report found lighting flicker more noticeable on Low than Medium in a particular area; treat that as location-specific evidence, and test individual levels rather than dropping every setting at once (Reddit report).
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Try the post-update Vegetation Detail workaround
When performance suddenly worsens after an update, set Vegetation Detail to Low, apply and return to gameplay for a few seconds, then restore your preferred value and retest. Several Steam users reported this sequence, but it is reversible and community-reported rather than an official fix (Steam discussion).
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- Download the current package from the manufacturer’s official page: NVIDIA, AMD or Intel.
- Choose the clean-install option when offered, reboot and test with default driver settings.
- If the problem began immediately after an update, test the previous stable driver instead. Record the result rather than repeatedly changing versions.
No current driver number is established as a universal KCD2 fix. Laptop users should check their OEM support page before replacing a customised graphics package.
Optional NVIDIA ReBAR profile test
Some NVIDIA players reported better post-update performance after editing the KCD2 profile in NVIDIA Profile Inspector. The reported values were rBAR-feature = enable, rBAR-options = 0x00000001 and rBAR size limit = 0x0000000040000000 (community report). This is not an NVIDIA or Warhorse-supported procedure.
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- Confirm Resizable BAR is enabled and supported in the motherboard BIOS/platform.
- Download the tool from its project repository: NVIDIA Profile Inspector.
- Export or photograph the original KCD2 profile before changing anything.
- Apply only the reported profile values, reboot or restart the driver, and retest one scenario.
- Restore the saved original profile if performance, stability or image quality worsens.
Configuration files and launch options: use restraint
Community posts mention a user.cfg file and the Steam launch option +exec user.cfg (Reddit thread). Do not add undocumented engine variables unless they are verified for your current build, their visual effect is understood and an undo path exists. Back up the original configuration, add one change, test, then remove +exec user.cfg and rename or delete the custom file if the issue worsens. Claims involving variables such as e_svoTI_LowSpecMode remain unverified community experiments (Reddit thread).
Use the right branch for the failure
Entire image flickers
Disable VRR and HDR, use fixed refresh, test another cable/input, clean-install the driver and compare another game.
Only lights or shadows flicker
Reset settings, test higher lighting/global-illumination and shadow quality, test Vegetation Detail, disable frame generation and injectors, then verify files.
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Menus or maps flash black
Disable VRR, cap FPS, compare fullscreen and borderless, turn off overlays and test with frame generation disabled.
FPS fell after an update
Confirm the build, restart Steam and the PC, verify files, try the Vegetation Detail sequence, then test a current or previous driver. NVIDIA owners may isolate the optional ReBAR test.
FPS is low everywhere
Compare requirements, confirm the discrete GPU, check thermals and power limits, lower resolution or use quality upscaling, and reduce CPU-heavy vegetation, NPC and view-distance settings. Consider hardware upgrades only when measurements show the system is materially below the recommended tier.
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When to contact PLAION support
If a clean, unmodded test still fails, use the PLAION PC support hub. Include:
- GPU, VRAM, CPU, RAM, storage type, Windows and driver versions.
- The game’s build, resolution, refresh rate, display mode, VRR/HDR state, upscaler and frame-generation setting.
- The save or location where the symptom is reproducible, plus a video capture if possible.
- Whether the issue affects other games or the desktop.
- Every fix tested and its result, including mods, overlays, driver changes and configuration edits.
That information separates a game regression from a display, driver, thermal or hardware problem and gives support a reproducible case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should V-Sync be on or off?
For diagnosis, use V-Sync in only one layer and pair it with a stable cap below the display’s maximum refresh rate. The correct final setting depends on whether VRR eliminates or causes the flicker.
Is the ReBAR profile edit safe?
It is an unofficial, reversible community experiment. Back up the original profile, confirm platform support and restore the saved values if instability appears.
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One-click scans. No signup required.
Should frame generation be enabled while troubleshooting?
No. Disable it until base FPS and frame times are stable; otherwise the displayed FPS can hide poor underlying delivery.
How can I tell whether the monitor is at fault?
Check whether flicker appears on the desktop, in BIOS or in other games. Also test another refresh rate, cable, input or display.
Quick Recap
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