These tricks will instantly raise your FPS in Dota 2

There are plenty of tricks to raise FPS in Dota 2, but good luck figuring them out on your own.

Dota 2 players can spend years in demo mode tinkering with new item builds, hero synergies, and talent routes. However, few of them take the time to fully optimize the game itself. If you’re looking for ways to raise your Dota 2 frames, here are three tricks that work on monster rigs and potato laptops alike.

These new tricks will take a few minutes to activate and work!

Shadows are a computer killer in Dota 2

When it comes to optimizing in-game settings, most Dota 2 fans think that it’s as simple as turning down every option to the minimum. However, players who still want a decent-looking game can disable just a few options to get the most bang for their buck. The biggest culprit of all are shadows, which can gobble dozens of frames during big team fights.

To turn off shadows entirely, head to the options menu and look on the right side of the screen. You should see a list of optional graphical features that can be disabled one by one. Players may want animated portraits and critters walking around the map, so choose wisely. The options with the biggest impact on performance are shadows, additive light pass, and high-quality water.

Switching to DX11 can raise FPS in Dota 2

Rendering software is probably the least exciting talking point among Dota 2 players, but many don’t realize that switching over to an older API can actually significantly boost performance. Users have reported up to 30 more frames on average compared to DX12 or Vulkan. Of course, the exact upgrade will depend on a gamer’s computer.

To switch over to DX11 and potentially raise FPS, right-click on Dota 2 in your Steam library and open the Properties menu. From there, add the “-dx11” line of text to the launch options box.

Make sure to put a space between it and any other launch options you have enabled. On the next startup, Dota 2 will launch in DX11 and hopefully run much smoother.

Feel every frame with exclusive fullscreen

Borderless window mode is the most common display for Dota 2 players, but players who have never tried exclusive fullscreen have no idea what they’re missing. By locking Dota 2 onto the front of the monitor, the game runs somewhat smoother while also looking significantly better. While it may take longer to tab out, exclusive fullscreen allows for framerates well past 60 on applicable monitors.

In addition to improving performance and unlocking Dota 2’s framerate, exclusive fullscreen also significantly decreases input delay by approximately 1/30th of a second. That may not sound like much, but it can make a significant difference in clutch situations. Two frames can decide if a Puck escapes a gank or a Juggernaut can Blade Fury back to base.