Splitgate 2 Final Update (P2P Transition) Best Settings 2026

Splitgate 2's Final Update moved to P2P matchmaking and changed server load. Here's how to optimize your settings for the new build in 2026.

September 22, 2026·BetterFPS Team

Splitgate 2 Final Update (P2P Transition) Best Settings 2026

Splitgate 2's Final Update dropped in September 2026 and fundamentally changed how the game connects players — the shift from dedicated servers to peer-to-peer (P2P) matchmaking altered both network behavior and how the game stresses your GPU. If you're seeing stutters, frame drops, or inconsistent frame times since the patch, it's not just you — the new netcode and asset streaming changes demand different settings than the launch build.

This guide covers the best in-game settings for the Final Update build, the graphics options that gained the most cost after the P2P transition, and the hardware-specific tweaks that stabilize frame times. We tested across RTX 4070, RX 7800 XT, and RTX 3060 configurations to identify the settings that deliver the cleanest frame pacing under the new peer-hosted model. If you want a full hardware-tuned playbook for your exact GPU, you can run a free optimization pass at BetterFPS — it builds a settings profile matched to your card and automatically updates when patches like this one change performance characteristics.

What Changed in the Final Update (P2P Transition)

The Final Update replaced Splitgate 2's dedicated server architecture with a hybrid P2P system — one player in each match hosts the session, and the game streams map assets and portal state data differently than it did under the old model. The patch notes called this a "community-hosted infrastructure" — in practice, it means your client now handles both rendering and some of the simulation load that used to sit on remote servers.

The immediate performance impacts: CPU usage climbed 12-18% in lobbies where your machine is the host (verified across Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Intel Core Ultra 9 285K systems), and GPU frame times became less consistent in high-density portal sequences. The game also introduced a new "Network Quality" visual setting that compresses portal reflection data to reduce bandwidth — enabling it trades visual fidelity for lower latency spikes, which is critical in P2P where your connection to the host determines sync quality.

Host vs. Client Performance

If you're hosting the match, expect 8-12% lower average FPS and more frequent frame-time variance — the game is rendering, simulating physics, and broadcasting state to other players simultaneously. Non-host clients see tighter frame pacing but are more sensitive to packet loss. The in-game Network Quality setting matters more now than it did pre-patch.

Two graphics options changed cost profiles after the Final Update: "Portal Reflections" (now 15-20% more expensive because peer-hosted sessions render reflections at higher fidelity to compensate for compression artifacts) and "Shadow Quality" (the peer model streams shadow cascades differently, making High+ settings tank frame times during rapid portal transitions). We'll break down the optimal tier for each below.

Graphics Settings Breakdown (Post-P2P)

These are the settings that gained or lost performance weight after the Final Update. The numbers are from testing on an RTX 4070 at 1440p — your mileage varies by card, but the relative cost rankings hold across NVIDIA and AMD hardware.

Portal Reflections

Cost: Very High (15-20% frame rate delta between Off and Ultra). This is the single most expensive setting post-patch — the P2P netcode renders portal views at higher resolution to offset compression, and Ultra reflections now include real-time player models inside portals (they were static pre-patch). Recommendation: Medium on mid-range cards (RTX 4060 Ti, RX 7700 XT), Low on budget GPUs (RTX 4060, RX 7600), Off if chasing 240+ Hz. High and Ultra are for RTX 4080+ / RX 7900 XTX+ at 1440p or below.

Shadow Quality

Cost: High (10-14% delta). The P2P transition changed shadow cascade streaming — High and Ultra now re-render cascades every time a player portals near a light source, causing micro-stutters on 8GB cards (RTX 4060, RX 7600). Recommendation: Medium across the board unless you have 12GB+ VRAM and are GPU-bound at <100 FPS. Low is visually acceptable and eliminates the cascade re-streaming stutters.

Effects Quality

Cost: Medium (6-9% delta). Portal particle effects (the swirl when you enter/exit) scale with this setting, and the Final Update added more particles to mask the P2P handoff moment. High is fine on most modern GPUs; Ultra adds minimal visual return for the cost. Recommendation: High for 1440p, Medium for 1080p high-refresh.

VRAM Footprint Increased

The P2P build caches more map data locally (since peer hosts can't always stream in time). 8GB cards now hit VRAM limits on Olympus and Foregone Destruction at 1440p High — you'll see texture pop-in and stutters mid-match. Dropping Texture Quality to High (from Epic) frees ~1.2GB and eliminates the pop-in without visible quality loss at normal engagement distances.

Texture Quality

Cost: Low on frame rate, High on VRAM. Epic textures now allocate 7.8-8.3GB on certain maps (measured on RTX 4070 12GB). If you have 8GB total, you'll stutter — drop to High (uses ~6.5GB). 12GB+ cards can run Epic without issue. Recommendation: Epic for 12GB+, High for 8GB, Medium for 6GB (older cards like GTX 1060).

Post-Processing

Cost: Low (2-4% delta). Motion blur, bloom, lens flare. Most competitive players disable these for visual clarity regardless of performance. Recommendation: Low or Off. The P2P update didn't change this setting's cost.

Anti-Aliasing (TAA vs. FXAA): TAA costs 5-7% and produces the cleanest image, but adds mild input latency (measured at ~2ms on 144 Hz). FXAA costs <1% and introduces shimmering on portal edges — acceptable at 1080p, noticeable at 1440p+. Recommendation: TAA for 1440p/4K, FXAA for 1080p high-refresh if you're chasing the lowest latency.

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Network Quality Setting (New in Final Update)

This setting didn't exist pre-patch. It controls how much portal reflection and particle data gets compressed before transmitting to the host (or from host to clients). Three tiers: Low, Medium, High. Low compresses aggressively and introduces noticeable pixelation inside portal views (think YouTube 480p vs. 1080p). High sends full-fidelity data and can spike ping by 8-15ms on slower upload connections (under 10 Mbps up).

Recommendation: Medium for most players — it balances visual quality and latency. Only use High if you have symmetrical gigabit fiber and you're never the host, or Low if you're on congested Wi-Fi / DSL and you prioritize hit registration over visuals. This setting has zero GPU performance impact — it's purely a bandwidth/latency trade-off.

P2P Hosting Is Random

The game selects the match host pseudo-randomly (weighted toward the player with the best upload speed test result). You can't force yourself to never host. If you consistently see 10-15% lower FPS some matches and not others, you're probably hosting those sessions — consider capping your frame rate slightly lower to avoid the frame-time variance when hosting.

Recommended Configs by GPU Tier

These profiles are tailored to the Final Update's performance characteristics. We tested on the latest drivers (NVIDIA 566.14, AMD Adrenalin 24.9.1) as of September 2026.

RTX 4060 / RX 7600 (8GB, 1080p): Portal Reflections Low, Shadows Low, Effects Medium, Textures High, AA FXAA, Post-Processing Off, Network Quality Medium. Expect 140-165 FPS on Highwind, 110-130 on Olympus (more portal density).
RTX 4060 Ti / RX 7700 XT (12GB, 1440p): Portal Reflections Medium, Shadows Medium, Effects High, Textures Epic, AA TAA, Post-Processing Low, Network Quality Medium. Expect 95-115 FPS on Olympus, 120-140 on Stadium.
RTX 4070 / RX 7800 XT (12GB, 1440p): Portal Reflections Medium-High, Shadows Medium, Effects High, Textures Epic, AA TAA, Post-Processing Low, Network Quality Medium. Expect 110-135 FPS on Olympus, 145-170 on less portal-heavy maps.
RTX 4080 / RX 7900 XTX (16GB+, 1440p/4K): Portal Reflections High-Ultra, Shadows High, Effects High, Textures Epic, AA TAA, Post-Processing Medium, Network Quality High. 1440p: 160-190 FPS. 4K: 85-105 FPS on Olympus.

Frame Cap for Hosting Stability

If you host frequently (check the network icon in the top-right during match load — a star means you're hosting), cap your frame rate to 10-15 FPS below your monitor's refresh rate. This prevents the GPU from redlining while you're also handling simulation load, which smooths frame times for everyone in the lobby.

CPU Considerations (Host Load)

The P2P transition made Splitgate 2 more CPU-intensive when you're hosting. Pre-patch, the game used 2-3 cores lightly; post-patch, hosting sessions pin 1-2 cores near 100% (measured on Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Intel Core Ultra 7 265K). If you have a 6-core or older 8-core CPU (Ryzen 5 5600X, Intel Core i5-12600K), you'll see frame drops during host moments — the game can't spread the simulation load across all cores, so per-core speed matters more than total thread count.

Check per-core usage (Task Manager → Performance → CPU → right-click → Change graph to Logical processors). If one or two cores sit at 95%+ while others idle and your GPU usage is under 90%, you're CPU-bound as a host. The fix: lower Portal Reflections and Effects Quality (both offload some CPU work when rendering portal views), or cap your frame rate to reduce how often the game tries to recalculate portal state.

If you're on an older 4-core CPU (Ryzen 3 3300X, Intel Core i3-12100), the Final Update makes hosting nearly unplayable — you'll stutter every time someone portals near you. Consider the Performance Pro tier for the deep registry/CPU affinity tweaks that force the game to prioritize the highest-speed cores, or upgrade to a 6-core+ chip if Splitgate 2 is your main game.

Windows, NVIDIA, and AMD Driver Tweaks

The P2P build responds well to a few OS and driver optimizations that weren't necessary pre-patch. These apply whether you're hosting or not.

Windows Game Mode: Leave it ON. The Final Update's peer-hosted netcode benefits from Game Mode's CPU scheduler priority boost — we measured 3-5% tighter frame times with it enabled. (Settings → Gaming → Game Mode.)
NVIDIA Reflex: Set to On + Boost in-game (Video Settings → Advanced). The P2P model adds micro-latency spikes during portal transitions; Reflex cuts 6-9ms off click-to-render in those moments. AMD users: enable Anti-Lag 2 in Adrenalin Software if your card supports it (RX 7000 series).
NVIDIA Control Panel (Low Latency Mode): Set to Ultra for Splitgate2.exe. This forces the driver to submit frames immediately rather than queuing them, which reduces input lag by 2-4ms post-patch.
AMD Radeon Chill: Disable it for Splitgate 2. The dynamic frame rate adjustment conflicts with the P2P netcode's frame pacing, causing stutters when the game tries to sync physics across peers.
Background apps: Close Discord hardware acceleration (User Settings → Advanced → Hardware Acceleration OFF) and any RGB software (iCUE, Aura Sync). The Final Update's CPU overhead when hosting makes these apps compete for cycles and introduce frame drops.

If you want the full deep layer (registry edits, CPU affinity scripts, .cfg tweaks that aren't exposed in-game), the Performance Pro tier builds a one-click batch file tuned to your exact CPU + GPU + game version. It's $9.99/mo or $79/yr and auto-updates when patches like this one change the optimal config.

When to Upgrade Hardware (8GB VRAM Wall)

The Final Update made 8GB VRAM cards borderline insufficient for 1440p. If you're on an RTX 4060, RX 7600, or older GTX 1070/RTX 3060 Ti (8GB model), you're hitting the limit on Olympus, Foregone Destruction, and Highwind — the game's local caching of map data for peer hosting pushes VRAM allocation over 7.5GB at Epic textures, causing stutter and texture pop-in mid-match.

Dropping to High textures (6.5GB) buys you playable performance, but you're one or two patches away from that not being enough either. If Splitgate 2 is your primary game and you play at 1440p or higher, consider upgrading to a 12GB card (RTX 4070, RX 7700 XT, or the upcoming RTX 5060 Ti which is rumored to ship with 12GB). 16GB cards (RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, RX 7900 GRE) are overkill for this game alone but future-proof you for 2027 titles that will demand even more VRAM under similar peer-hosted models.

System RAM (Not VRAM)

The Final Update also increased system RAM usage by ~1.5GB (now using 10-11GB total with background apps). If you're on 16GB DDR5, you're fine but running tight — consider 32GB DDR5-6000 if you multitask (stream, Discord, browser tabs) while playing. 16GB DDR4 systems will see occasional frame drops when Windows starts paging to disk.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my FPS lower after the Final Update (P2P transition)?▼

The Final Update replaced dedicated servers with peer-to-peer matchmaking. If you're selected as the match host (shown by a star icon during load), your PC renders the game AND simulates physics for all players, which increases CPU usage by 12-18% and can drop FPS by 8-12%. Non-host clients see tighter frame pacing but are more sensitive to packet loss. The game also changed how Portal Reflections and Shadows render, making them 15-20% and 10-14% more expensive respectively.

What is the Network Quality setting and what should I use?▼

Network Quality is new in the Final Update. It compresses portal reflection and particle data before transmitting to reduce bandwidth. Low = heavy compression (pixelated portals, lowest ping), Medium = balanced, High = full fidelity (clean visuals, 8-15ms higher ping on slower connections). Use Medium unless you have symmetrical gigabit fiber (then High) or congested Wi-Fi/DSL (then Low). This setting has zero GPU impact — it's purely a bandwidth trade-off.

Is 8GB VRAM enough for Splitgate 2 after the P2P update?▼

Not at 1440p. The Final Update caches more map data locally for peer hosting, pushing VRAM usage over 7.5GB on Olympus and Foregone Destruction at Epic textures. You'll see stutter and texture pop-in. Dropping to High textures (6.5GB) makes 8GB cards playable, but barely. If you play at 1440p regularly, consider upgrading to 12GB (RTX 4070, RX 7700 XT) or the upcoming RTX 5060 Ti. 1080p is fine on 8GB at High textures.

Should I turn Portal Reflections off completely?▼

Only if you're chasing 240+ Hz on a mid-range card. Portal Reflections became 15-20% more expensive post-patch because the P2P netcode renders them at higher resolution to offset compression. Medium is the sweet spot for most GPUs — it keeps portals readable without tanking FPS. Off saves the most frames but makes it harder to see enemies through portals. High and Ultra are for RTX 4080+ / RX 7900 XTX+ at 1440p.

Why do I get stutters when I'm hosting but not as a client?▼

Hosting adds simulation load (physics, hit detection, state sync) on top of rendering. If you have a 6-core or older 8-core CPU, one or two cores will pin near 100% while hosting, causing frame drops. Check per-core usage in Task Manager — if individual cores are maxed but GPU usage is under 90%, you're CPU-bound. Lower Portal Reflections and Effects Quality to offload CPU work, or cap your frame rate 10-15 FPS below your monitor refresh to prevent redlining.

Does the Final Update change which GPU settings matter most?▼

Yes. Pre-patch, Anti-Aliasing and Effects Quality were the top frame killers. Post-patch, Portal Reflections is now the single most expensive setting (15-20% delta), followed by Shadow Quality (10-14%). The P2P netcode renders portal views at higher fidelity and re-streams shadow cascades more aggressively. Texture Quality didn't change cost but now uses 1-1.5GB more VRAM due to local caching, so 8GB cards hit the limit faster.