The best MW4 settings for most players are the ones that hold a steady frame rate and keep enemies easy to see: Fullscreen Exclusive, V-Sync off, a frame cap just under your refresh rate, ray tracing, frame generation and motion blur off, and a Field of View around 105. On PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, the biggest setting is outside the game: Activision says your TV or monitor needs 120 Hz and VRR switched on, or Performance Mode in Campaign and DMZ stays locked at 60 Hz.
Modern Warfare 4 launched on October 23, and its menus are huge: Activision’s PC tech post counts more than 800 customization options. Below are the official facts first (requirements, known issues, the console VRR rule), then starting-point settings where the major settings guides from Dexerto and AllThingsHow agree, plus a table of where they don’t. Treat every value as a starting point and adjust it for your hardware and your eyes. Menu names were checked against those guides and Activision’s posts on October 23, 2026, 10:30 UTC.
Table of Contents
Quick answer
- PC display: Fullscreen Exclusive (Borderless if you use two monitors), native resolution, refresh rate at your monitor’s maximum, V-Sync off, NVIDIA Reflex or AMD Anti-Lag on, a custom frame limit a few frames below your refresh rate.
- PC quality: Graphic Preset on Custom; Ray Tracing, Frame Generation, Weapon Motion Blur and Film Grain off; use DLSS, FSR or XeSS only if your card needs the frames.
- Known PC issue: DLSS can’t be used with ray tracing right now. Infinity Ward suggests SMAA Nx with Variable Rate Shading until a fix lands.
- View: Field of View 105 (up to 120 if you can still aim comfortably), 3rd Person FOV 90, camera movement Minimal (25%).
- PS5 and Xbox: enable VRR and 120 Hz on the console and display. Activision says Performance Mode in Campaign and DMZ needs it, and Warzone will too from Season 1.
- Controller: Target Aim Assist on, Aim Response Curve Type Dynamic, ADS Sensitivity Transition Timing Instant, stick sensitivity starting between 1.2 and 1.65.
- DMZ: same base settings as multiplayer; turn music down, use the Headphones audio mix, and set brightness for dark interiors.
MW4 PC requirements: minimum, recommended and ray tracing
Activision’s official specs are the baseline for every setting below. The recommended tier is the one Activision says runs multiplayer at 90 fps on High, and it says the game sets its own defaults from your hardware on first launch.
| Spec | Minimum | Recommended (90 fps MP, High) | Ray tracing (High RT, 4K upscaled) |
|---|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 11 64-bit | Windows 11 64-bit |
| CPU | Ryzen 5 1400 / Core i5-6600 | Ryzen 5 3600 / Core i7-8700K | Ryzen 7 3700X / Core i7-10700K |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| GPU | GTX 970/1060, RX 470, Arc A580 | RTX 3060 Ti, RX 6600 XT, Arc B580 | RTX 5070 Ti, RX 9070 XT |
| VRAM | 3 GB | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 115 GB, SSD required | ||
Activision's official MW4 PC specs: 115 GB SSD, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot on every tier. Image: Activision
Three requirements stop people before they reach the settings menu: TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot must be enabled (Activision’s RICOCHET anti-cheat checks for them), Intel Arc cards need Resizable BAR, and only CPUs with the AVX instruction set are supported. Activision’s recommended drivers are AMD 26.7.1, NVIDIA 616.56 and Intel 32.0.101.8974. For download timing and editions, see our MW4 preload and early access guide, and for unlock times by country, our MW4 release time guide.
Best MW4 graphics settings for PC: Display tab
The Display tab decides input lag and frame pacing. Both guides land on almost the same values here:
| Setting | Starting point | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Display Mode | Fullscreen Exclusive | Lowest latency on one monitor; Fullscreen Borderless if you alt-tab to a second screen |
| Screen Refresh Rate | Your monitor’s maximum | Anything lower wastes a high-refresh panel |
| Display Resolution | Native | Use upscaling for extra frames instead of a lower resolution |
| Background Shader Preloading | On | Let it finish before your first match to avoid stutter |
| Display Gamma | 2.2 (sRGB) | Both guides’ pick for a standard monitor |
| NVIDIA Reflex / AMD Anti-Lag | On (Reflex: On + Boost optional) | Cuts input delay |
| Eco Mode Preset | Efficiency | Both guides’ pick |
| V-Sync (Gameplay) | Off | Adds input lag |
| Custom Frame Rate Limit | A few frames under your refresh rate (for example 141 on 144 Hz) | A steady cap gives more even frame pacing |
| Reduce Menu Render Resolution | Optimal | Both guides’ pick |
| Focused Mode | 0 | Both guides’ pick |
Best MW4 Quality settings for FPS
Set Graphic Preset to Custom first, then work down the Quality tab. These are the values both guides agree on for competitive play:
- Frame Generation: Off. Generated frames raise the fps counter but not responsiveness, which matters more in multiplayer.
- Ray Tracing: Off. Activision supports it in Campaign, Multiplayer and DMZ, but it costs a lot of performance and currently blocks DLSS (next section).
- Weapon Motion Blur: Off and Film Grain: 0.
- Bullet Impacts and Persistent Effects: On. Both guides keep these on.
- Shadows, volumetrics and particles cost the most frames. AllThingsHow suggests lowering those three first if you are between hardware tiers.
- VRAM Scale Target: 75 to 85 on most cards (Dexerto 75, AllThingsHow 85 for low-end and 100 for high-end). If you see stutter at regular intervals, lower Texture Resolution one step: that usually means textures are overflowing your video memory.
Activision’s own changes are worth knowing too. Depth of Field is now split into World Depth of Field and Weapon Depth of Field, there is a new sharpness slider that works with any upscaler, and muzzle flash is masked at your point of aim so targets stay visible when you fire. You also no longer need to tune around random bullet spread: Activision says shots now follow the barrel, with no weapon bloom.
DLSS, FSR, XeSS and the ray tracing bug
MW4 offers NVIDIA DLSS 4.5, AMD FSR Redstone, Intel XeSS 3 and Filmic SMAA T2X (the default). On launch day there’s a known PC issue: Infinity Ward’s Trello card says resolution scaling with DLSS is unavailable while the VRRT Denoiser is enabled, because of visual artifacts, and @CODUpdates confirmed on October 22 that NVIDIA DLSS is unavailable while Ray Tracing is on. Activision is working with NVIDIA on a fix. Until then it suggests SMAA Nx together with Variable Rate Shading. In practice: if you want DLSS, leave ray tracing off. Our MW4 server status and known issues page tracks when the fix lands.
Upscaler presets: if you are below your target fps, AllThingsHow suggests dropping the preset (Quality to Balanced to Performance) before touching other settings. Dexerto runs DLSS with Sharpness 80; AllThingsHow suggests 50 to 60 for DLSS. Start at 50 and raise it until edges look crisp without halos.
Test your settings with the built-in Benchmark Tool
MW4 includes a Benchmark Tool that plays a simulated multiplayer sequence and shows average fps, CPU, GPU, ping and input latency, then breaks results down by zone with setting suggestions. Run it before and after each change. That is more reliable than copying any guide’s numbers, including ours.
Best MW4 FOV settings
| Setting | Starting point | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Field of View (FOV) | 105 | Go up to 110-120 for more awareness; distant enemies get smaller |
| Enhanced FOV (PC only) | Off | Activision says it widens the edges without changing the center; worth trying if you prefer a low FOV |
| ADS Field of View | Affected | Keeps zoom consistent with your FOV |
| 3rd Person Field of View | 90 | Both guides’ pick |
| 1st / 3rd Person Camera Movement | Minimal (25%) | Less screen shake while sprinting |
Fog and dark interiors are where brightness, FOV and motion blur settings make the biggest difference. Image: Activision
Best MW4 settings for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S
Console players have fewer graphics options, but one setting matters more than any other. On October 20, @CODUpdates said PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players must have Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) enabled for Performance Mode in MW4’s Campaign and DMZ, and that the same will apply to Performance Mode in Warzone from Season 1. If you’re stuck at 60 Hz, check that your display supports 120 Hz and VRR and that VRR is turned on in your console’s video output settings. Activision’s PlayStation page adds that PS5 Pro gets upgraded PSSR in its 120 Hz and 60 Hz modes, and an unlocked frame rate with VRR and 120 Hz enabled.
Inside the game, Dexerto’s console settings are a good starting point:
- World Motion Blur and Weapon Motion Blur: Off; Film Grain: 0.
- World and Weapon Depth of Field: Off, for a sharper image.
- FidelityFX CAS: On, strength around 80 (lower it if the image looks over-sharpened).
- Field of View 105, ADS Field of View Affected, camera movement Minimal.
Activision describes Enhanced FOV as PC-only, so don’t worry if your console menu lacks it.
Best MW4 controller settings
Dexerto and peripheral maker SCUF agree on the aim settings and differ only on sensitivity, so pick a number inside their range and adjust one setting at a time:
| Setting | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Horizontal / Vertical Stick Sensitivity | 1.2 (Dexerto) to 1.65 (SCUF) |
| Target Aim Assist | On |
| Aim Response Curve Type | Dynamic |
| ADS Sensitivity Transition Timing | Instant |
| Left / Right Stick Min (deadzone) | Around 3-5; raise it only if you see stick drift |
| Aim Down Sight Behavior | Hold |
| Auto Move Forward / Auto Door Peek | Off |
Dexerto also suggests Swap L1/R1 with L2/R2 to fire with the bumpers, and turning Controller Vibration and Trigger Effect off. Those are comfort choices, not must-haves. Note that the launch patch notes changed the Blood Rush perk so sprinting triggers Tactical Sprint by default; you can change that under Movement Advanced Settings.
Best MW4 DMZ settings
DMZ uses the same Graphics, View and Controller menus as multiplayer, and both guides recommend the same values for the two modes. A few points matter more in DMZ’s longer, quieter matches:
- Console Performance Mode needs VRR. Activision’s VRR rule names DMZ specifically, so console players who want more than 60 Hz in DMZ need VRR and a 120 Hz display.
- Audio: Dexerto and AllThingsHow both use Audio Mix: Headphones and Speaker Output: Stereo, with gameplay music at or near 0 so footsteps stand out.
- Brightness: Dexerto suggests adjusting Gamma/Brightness until enemy silhouettes are visible in dark rooms without washing out bright areas.
- Ray tracing: it works in DMZ, but the performance cost and the DLSS conflict apply there too.
Once your settings are dialed in, our MW4 Prestige guide covers max level and rewards, and our MW4 killstreaks list covers every multiplayer streak and its kill cost.
From Activision's PC tech post; DMZ uses the same graphics and controller menus as multiplayer. Image: Activision
Where MW4 settings guides disagree
Not every value is settled. These settings differ between the two most complete guides, so test both options:
| Setting | Dexerto | AllThingsHow |
|---|---|---|
| Texture Resolution | Normal | Very Low (low-end) / High (high-end) |
| Upscaling on a strong PC | DLSS (or FSR/XeSS) | Off (native) on high-end |
| World Motion Blur | Off | Cutscenes Only |
| World / Weapon Depth of Field | Off / Off | On / On |
| Variable Rate Shading | On | On (low-end) / Off (high-end) |
| Sprint Assist | On | Off |
| Corner Slice | Off | On |
A reasonable rule: if a setting costs frames you can’t spare, take the lower option; if your fps is already at your cap, the visual choice is personal preference.
FAQ
What are the best MW4 settings for FPS?
Turn off Ray Tracing, Frame Generation and motion blur, use Fullscreen Exclusive with V-Sync off, cap fps just below your refresh rate, and lower shadows, volumetrics and particles first. Use DLSS, FSR or XeSS if you still need frames, and confirm changes with the built-in Benchmark Tool.
Why is DLSS greyed out in MW4?
It’s a known launch issue: DLSS is unavailable while ray tracing (the VRRT Denoiser) is enabled. Turn ray tracing off to use DLSS, or use SMAA Nx with Variable Rate Shading, as Activision suggests.
Why is MW4 locked at 60 Hz on PS5 or Xbox?
Activision says Performance Mode in Campaign and DMZ requires VRR. Make sure your TV or monitor supports 120 Hz and VRR and that VRR is enabled in the console settings.
What FOV should I use in MW4?
105 is the common starting point. Go up to 110-120 if you want more awareness and can still hit distant targets.
Can my PC run MW4?
The minimum is a GTX 970/1060, RX 470 or Arc A580 with 8 GB of RAM, a 115 GB SSD, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. For 90 fps in multiplayer on High, Activision recommends an RTX 3060 Ti, RX 6600 XT or Arc B580 with 16 GB of RAM.
Sources: Call of Duty blog: MW4 PC tech specs and features; MW4 launch patch notes; Infinity Ward Trello: DLSS and VRRT Denoiser; @CODUpdates on X (DLSS and ray tracing, VRR for Performance Mode); Call of Duty: MW4 on PlayStation; Dexerto (PC, console, controller, audio); AllThingsHow PC settings; SCUF controller settings.
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