Optimise Your ETS2 Performance

Why Performance Matters 🖥️

Euro Truck Simulator 2 might look calm, but it quietly pushes your PC hard, especially with mods, high-res textures, and Convoy multiplayer. Poor performance leads to stutters, input delay, and ruined immersion.

A few smart tweaks can make a big difference, giving you buttery-smooth driving through every city, mountain, and storm. Let’s get your rig running at peak efficiency.

1. Check Your System Setup ⚙️

Before diving into settings, make sure your PC is ready to handle ETS2’s world.

• CPU: Aim for a 4-core processor (Intel i5/Ryzen 5 or better)
• RAM: 8GB minimum, 16GB recommended
• GPU: GTX 1050 or RX 560 for 1080p, higher for ultra graphics
• Storage: SSDs load maps much faster than HDDs

Pro Tip: ETS2 loads a lot of assets from disk. Moving your install to an SSD is the single easiest way to cut loading times.

2. Optimise In-Game Graphics 🎮

ETS2 looks great even on medium settings. Start here for the best performance-to-quality balance:

• Scaling: Lower to 100% (or 125%) instead of 400%
• Anti-aliasing: Use SMAA only
• Texture quality: High — this affects truck and road detail
• Shadow quality: Medium or low
• Mirror distance: 200% max, it’s heavy on FPS
• Vegetation detail: Medium for balance
• Weather effects: Lower reflections and rain quality if laggy

Bonus Tip: Turn off V-Sync and cap your FPS to your monitor’s refresh rate via your GPU control panel. It reduces stuttering without input lag.

3. Adjust Config Files for Extra Gains 🧩

For advanced users, tweak your config.cfg file located in Documents/Euro Truck Simulator 2/.
Open it with Notepad and look for:

• uset r_buffer_page_size → set to 20 for smoother texture streaming
• uset g_traffic → reduce from 1.0 to 0.7 to lower CPU load
• uset g_save_format → set to 2 for faster autosaves

Pro Tip: Back up this file first! Small mistakes can cause loading issues.

4. Keep Mods in Check 🔧

Mods make ETS2 incredible, but too many can crush your FPS.

• Avoid heavy graphics overhauls unless you’ve got a strong GPU
• Remove unused mods from your Mod Manager
• Check Workshop pages for optimisation notes, some creators flag high resource usage
• Keep traffic and weather mods to one at a time

Bonus Tip: Mods like “Realistic Graphics Mod” or “Sound Fixes Pack” are great options that add immersion without killing performance.

5. Optimise for Convoy Multiplayer 🚦

Hosting or joining Convoy sessions adds network load on top of rendering.

• Close background downloads and voice apps
• Use a wired Ethernet connection
• Keep traffic mods disabled for smoother sync
• Limit player count to 6–8 for best stability

If you still see lag spikes, your host’s connection might be the bottleneck, which is where dedicated hosting (like ChipHead 🚀) shines.

6. Update Everything Regularly 🔄

Outdated drivers or mods cause more lag than you think.

• Update GPU drivers monthly
• Keep ETS2 and mods current
• Defragment HDDs or trim SSDs occasionally
• Delete old save backups to speed up loads

Pro Tip: Use Steam’s “Verify Integrity of Game Files” option if things ever start crashing or stuttering.

Final Thoughts 🧠

Optimising Euro Truck Simulator 2 doesn’t require a new PC, just smart adjustments. Lower your scaling, clean up your mods, and keep your system tidy, and you’ll cruise across Europe without a hitch.

With ChipHead hosting, you can take it further: dedicated servers built for smooth Convoy sessions, quick mod loading, and zero downtime. Whether it’s a solo drive or a 10-truck meetup, we’ll keep your route running clean and steady. ⚡🚚