osu! - Best Settings to Improve & Reduce Input Lag

Follow the instructions below

osu! Settings

Open up your Options, and simply set the Select language option to your preferred language. Below, check the Prefer metadata in original language and Use alternative font for chat display options. Next, under Updates, I prefer to set the Release stream option to Stable, which is reducing lag on my end. Some players prefer to play on Cutting Edge (Experimental).

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I recommend playing around with both to see what works best for you. Set your frame limiter to Unlimited, which will in turn also reduce input lag. When enabling the FPS counter, you will see how many ms your input lag will reduce. Turn off Compatibility Mode.  In case you experience lag or stutter, then enable the Reduce Dropped Frames option and keep the Detect Performance issues options enabled.

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Set the Resolution to your native monitor resolution which in my case is 1080p. You should also play in full screen mode. Setting it to full screen mode will in any case decrease input lag. Under Detail settings, I suggest leaving the Sneaking sliders and Storyboards options enabled. All of the other options can increase lag if you are playing on a low-end PC and can also be distracting for some users. Your main menu options can all be set to your personal preference. In case you want to see your custom background, then I suggest setting the Seasonal backgrounds option to Never. Disable the Show backgrounds option.

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Set the background dim to 100%, or set it lower but it can be distracting for a lot of players. The other General settings can be set to your personal preference. I like to increase the Score meter size to about twice the size. (2x)

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Under Volume, I usually set the Master volume to around 80%. The Music volume is set to around 50%, and effect volume to around 80%. Also, disable the beatmaps hitsounds option, when there are annoying custom hitsounds. I suggest setting the Universal offset option to 0 ms. As this will compensate for your delays. In case you know what your actual offset is, then you can tweak this option to your liking.

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Set the skin to your preferred skin, and select to ignore beatmap skins if you prefer not to see those. Use Skin's sound samples, as this can be a big part of why you might be using a skin. Use a skin cursor, again if you prefer to use it, otherwise you can use the same custom cursor if you like. I like using the regular cursor size, and enable the Use combo colour as tint for slider ball option.

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As to your sensitivity, I suggest getting used to a value which works best for you and your setup. This can be adjusted when starting out.

  • When using a tablet, then stick to 1x, which should be the best option for you.

  • Enable the raw input option, reduce mouse acceleration, which is not caused by you.

  • Set Confine mouse cursor to Never and Enable Mouse buttons in play mode.

For your keyboard bindings, I suggest taking your time once to bind your keys and sticking to your changes. Lastly, I suggest disabling the Show notification popups instantly during gameplay option.

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