How to improve FPS in Hollow Knight: Silksong (PC)
Hollow Knight: Silksong is a hand-drawn 2D metroidvania on Unity, a direct successor to the original Hollow Knight in terms of technical demand: practically none. Team Cherry is a small studio that prioritizes a clean PC port without complex graphical flourishes, so this game runs at hundreds of FPS on almost any PC with a dedicated GPU from the last 8-10 years. There's no ray tracing here, no upscaling, no volumetric-shadow sliders to squeeze: the real optimization work is about locking in a stable, consistent framerate, because Silksong's combat demands frame-perfect parries, dashes, and jumps where any microstutter can cost you an unfair death.
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Calculations based on our FPS model combined with the % gain of each setting (measured in public benchmarks).
1. Quick wins (no visual loss)
Start here. Each one adds a little, but together they give +6% free FPS.
V-Sync
Silksong doesn't need more than 60-144 FPS to look perfect, but it does need that number to be constant. The game's 2D Unity engine can generate visible tearing during fast horizontal pans if V-Sync is off and the GPU fires well above the monitor's refresh rate.
Frame Rate Cap
Being such a lightweight game, the GPU can render hundreds of FPS effortlessly, which in some cases generates unnecessary heat, fan noise, and, on laptops, throttling that can introduce microstutters. Capping the framerate to a clean multiple of your monitor reduces wear with no visual cost.
Background apps
Third-party overlays can introduce occasional microstutters, something almost imperceptible in most games but that in Silksong can desync a parry by a frame.
Display Mode
Exclusive fullscreen mode reduces input latency compared to borderless windowed mode, something that in precision platformers like this one is felt more than raw FPS would suggest.
GPU driver update
Silksong won't benefit from AAA-style driver-specific optimizations, but keeping the driver updated avoids occasional Unity compatibility bugs sporadically reported in forums, especially in multi-monitor setups.
2. Medium impact settings
Here's where most of the FPS is. Minor visual impact, major performance impact.
Resolution Scale
Lowering resolution in such a lightweight 2D game doesn't provide any real extra FPS because the GPU is never the bottleneck; it only hurts the sharpness of the hand-drawn art, which is one of the game's biggest visual strengths.
Anti-Aliasing
AA in a game with hand-drawn 2D art has an almost negligible performance cost compared to a 3D game. It can be adjusted if you're after a crisper edge on the sprites, but it isn't a real performance lever.
Screen Shake Intensity
Doesn't affect performance but does affect the perceived smoothness during intense boss fights. Team Cherry includes accessibility options to reduce screen shake.
Windows Game Mode
Being such an undemanding game, Windows's Game Mode has barely any room to improve anything, but it can marginally help frame-pacing consistency on systems with many background processes.
3. Upscaling (DLSS / FSR / XeSS)
The biggest gain in the game. Compatible with almost any modern GPU.
4. Tips by GPU
NVIDIA
- •Any NVIDIA GPU from a GTX 750 Ti onward runs Silksong at max framerate with no effort; recent hardware isn't required.
- •Enable V-Sync or Fast Sync from the NVIDIA control panel if the game doesn't offer a satisfying sync option in its internal settings.
- •Don't enable DLSS or any kind of upscaling: it isn't available, and it wouldn't make sense in a natively rendered 2D game with no real GPU cost.
AMD
- •Same as NVIDIA: any modern AMD GPU is overkill for running the game at target framerate without issue.
- •Use FreeSync if your monitor supports it to eliminate any residual tearing during fast camera pans without artificially capping FPS.
- •Avoid enabling Radeon Chill or aggressive FPS limits meant for power saving: they can introduce perceptible microstutter in a game that depends on precise timing.
Sistema
- •The CPU barely matters: any processor from the last 6-7 years, including entry-level models, runs Silksong with no bottlenecks.
- •On laptops, watch for thermal throttling: even though the game asks for little, a poorly managed fan or an energy-saving power mode can introduce occasional framerate drops during long sessions.
- •If you use a controller, update its drivers/firmware to minimize input lag, which in this game matters more than any graphics setting.
5. Known game issues
Occasional microstutters in early map areas
Some players have reported small stutters when entering certain large areas for the first time, likely tied to shader compilation or Unity asset streaming in the background. It tends to disappear after the first visit to the zone.
Behavior with multiple monitors
As with many Unity games, setups with several monitors at different refresh rates can generate tearing or sync issues if the game launches on the wrong monitor. Common fix: move the window to the main monitor before switching to fullscreen.
6. Frequently asked questions
Do I need a powerful GPU to play Hollow Knight: Silksong?▾
Why should I cap FPS if my PC can give a lot more?▾
Does Silksong have DLSS, FSR, or any kind of upscaling?▾
Why does combat feel unresponsive even though I have very high FPS?▾
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Calculate FPS for Hollow Knight: Silksong →Calculations based on consensus of technical sources and our own FPS model. More about our methodology →