Ensure Windows Game Mode is toggled ON (found in Windows Settings > Gaming). This tells your system to background-limit other apps while the game is running.
is widely regarded as the king of the city-building genre. However, for those of us gaming on a laptop with integrated graphics, an older desktop, or a machine without a dedicated GPU, the game can quickly turn into a slideshow. As your population climbs past 10,000, the simulation chugs, the frame rate drops, and the famous "simulation speed" slows to a crawl.
: Completely close web browsers, Discord, and overlay software (like GeForce Experience or Discord Overlays) before launching the game to maximize available RAM. If you want to fine-tune your setup further, let me know: Your exact hardware specs like RAM and GPU Whether you are using mods currently cities skylines settings for low end pc better
Lower this if you are still lagging at your native monitor resolution. is a common "sweet spot" for very low-end systems. Depth of Field:
If you have 8GB of RAM, stick strictly to vanilla assets. Do not download custom building packs or high-detail vehicle models. If you have 16GB of RAM, limit yourself to fewer than 500 custom assets. Ensure Windows Game Mode is toggled ON (found
Beyond in-game settings, there are several system optimizations you can make:
Cities: Skylines is a notoriously demanding game. As your population grows, the simulation tracks thousands of individual citizens, vehicles, and pathfinding routes, which heavily taxes both your CPU and GPU. If you are playing on a low-end laptop or an older desktop, performance can quickly degrade into a slideshow. However, for those of us gaming on a
| Setting | Recommended Value | Why? | |---------|------------------|------| | | Fullscreen | Gives slightly more FPS than borderless window. | | Resolution | 1366x768 or 1280x720 | Lower pixels = less GPU work. Avoid 1080p if you have integrated graphics. | | VSync | Off | Prevents frame drops when FPS dips below 30. | | Shadow Quality | Disabled or Low | Shadows are extremely costly. Disable completely. | | Texture Quality | Low | Reduces VRAM usage. Note: roads will look blurry. | | Level of Detail (LOD) | Low | Objects at a distance switch to low-poly models sooner. | | Shadows | Disabled | (Duplicate of above) Ensure it's off. | | Anisotropic Filtering | Off | Minimal visual gain for big performance cost. | | Anti-aliasing | Off | FXAA can be turned on only if edges bother you; otherwise off. | | Depth of Field | Off | Unnecessary blur effect. | | Ambient Occlusion | Off | Big GPU hit. | | Motion Blur | Off | Purely aesthetic and costly. | | Film Grain | Off | Saves tiny resources. |
Apply the settings above, then gradually increase one quality setting at a time (start with textures) until frame drops return. Target 720p as the baseline.