Wondering what the Apex Legends Mobile graphics settings mean? It’s no surprise. The mobile version of Respawn’s hit battle royale has several options to optimize your experience, but explains approximately none of them, which is a bit of a problem seeing as the settings can drastically affect how your game performs.
This guide explains what the Apex Legends Mobile graphics settings mean and what you should opt for depending on the kind of device you’re running.
If you’re new to Respawn’s battle royale game, check out our picks for the best weapons in Apex Legends Mobile and our Apex Legends Mobile best Legends tier list to get an edge over the competition.
Apex Legends Mobile Graphics Settings Explained
The graphics settings are under the “Display Settings” tab of the “Settings” menu. Your first choice is the image quality, which is also one of the most important choices. You get:
- Smooth
- Balanced
- HD
- UltraHD
- ExtremeHD
- Original
Some players in the early rollout are recommending Smooth, but, frankly, it just looks poor. Balanced is the ideal lowest setting, even though the game recommends HD. Anything over HD should be avoided unless you have a more powerful device. Higher image quality on a device that can’t handle it well means low FPS, not to mention the possibility of the device overheating and shutting down. It also drains your battery faster.
There's a peculiar bonus to the lower settings in the form of removing ground clutter and other objects, which means fewer hiding spots for your enemies.
We’ve covered how to get higher FPS in Apex Legends Mobile already, and the next step is picking your graphics style. Realistic is the best choice for this, as the other three are blurry, muddy, or both.
Should I Prioritize FPS or Graphics in Apex Legends Mobile?
Like other first-person shooter games, you want to sacrifice visual quality to boost your fps whenever possible. Higher framerates can affect your performance, especially in a more competitive setting. If you’re unsure which settings combination is best for your device, we recommend turning the “Adaptive Smoothing” option on. Adaptive Smoothing automatically adjusts the settings to match the FPS cap you chose.
“Cap” is key there. Even if you pick 60fps as your cap, there’s no guarantee you’ll hit that mark or remain there consistently.
There's plenty more Apex in store beyond the mobile launch. Rumours for Apex Legends Season 13 are already rolling in fast, and while we understand you're probably waiting for this mobile version for a reason, learning about the best landing spots for Olympus, Storm Point, and Kings Canyon can cover you for each new map that arrives.