How to Fix FPS Drops in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Best Settings & Tweaks)

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is one of the most visually stunning games on PC in 2025. However, many players encounter a frustrating issue: sudden dips into single-digit FPS, often during cutscenes or heavy transitions. These slowdowns usually coincide with VRAM spikes or GPUs downclocking due to power limits.

The good news? Players and technical reviewers have discovered several reliable workarounds. By reducing memory pressure, forcing maximum GPU performance, and stabilizing the game’s upscaler, you can dramatically improve performance.

This guide compiles the most effective fixes, with step-by-step instructions and explanations so you know why each tweak helps.

Method 1: Reduce VRAM Pressure and Heavy Effects

Low VRAM headroom is the number one cause of Hellblade II’s severe stutters. Always keep at least 0.5 GB of free VRAM visible on the in-game meter.

Step 1 – Lower Texture Quality

• Set Texture Quality to Low.
• This single change frees up hundreds of MB of VRAM and often stops 5–10 FPS crashes on 8 GB GPUs at 1440p.
• Restart the game after changing textures to recalculate streaming budgets.

👉 Once stable, try Medium later, but monitor the VRAM meter closely.

Step 2 – Reduce Volumetric Effects

• Set Volumetrics (fog, smoke, atmospherics) to Low.
• This reduces transient memory spikes in cinematic scenes and particle-heavy battles.
• Test Medium if you want a visual balance, but step back if VRAM creeps too high.

Step 3 – Test TSR Upscaler

• Switch to TSR (Temporal Super Resolution) instead of DLSS/FSR.
• TSR is built into the engine and often delivers smoother frame pacing.
• Start with TSR Quality, then try Balanced if still near VRAM limits.

Step 4 – Adjust DLSS/FSR if Preferred

• Keep DLSS/FSR but lower mode: Quality → Balanced → Performance.
• Reduces render resolution and trims VRAM usage during cutscenes.
• Always recheck the in-game VRAM meter; keep ~0.5 GB of buffer.

Method 2: Force Maximum GPU Performance

Some FPS drops stem from GPUs downclocking at scene transitions.

Step 1 – NVIDIA Power Management

• Open NVIDIA Control Panel > Manage 3D settings > Program Settings.
• Add Hellblade2-Win64-Shipping.exe.
• Set Power management mode → Prefer maximum performance.

Step 2 – Windows Power Mode

• In Windows 11, search for Power mode and set it to Best performance.
• Prevents aggressive CPU/GPU power saving that causes slowdowns.

Step 3 – Force High-Performance GPU (Laptops)

• Go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics.

• Add Hellblade II and set to High performance.

• Prevents fallback to integrated GPU on hybrid systems.

Step 4 – ASUS Armoury Crate Specific Fix

• On ASUS TUF/ROG laptops, switch GPU mode from Ultimate to Standard/Performance.
• Several users report this instantly stabilizes 50–60 FPS.

Method 3: Update Drivers and Adjust Shader Cache (NVIDIA)

Step 1 – Update GPU Drivers

• Install the latest NVIDIA Game Ready or AMD Adrenalin driver.
• Newer builds improve VRAM management and cutscene stability.

Step 2 – Unlimited Shader Cache (NVIDIA)

• In NVIDIA Control Panel > Manage 3D settings, set Shader Cache Size → Unlimited.
• Some players report smoother transitions and fewer stalls.

Method 4: Upscaler and Frame Generation Tweaks

Step 1 – Disable Frame Generation (RTX 40-Series)

• If using DLSS 3 Frame Generation, disable it.
• Reduces input latency and optical flow workload, stabilizing transitions.

Step 2 – Stick with TSR for Stability

• TSR can outperform DLSS/FSR in this game for consistency.
• Cap FPS to 60–90 while testing for smoother pacing.

Method 5: Quick Recovery During Severe Drops

Step 1 – Reload via Main Menu

• Exit to Main Menu, wait 10–30 seconds, then Continue.
• Clears memory pressure and restores FPS.

Step 2 – Toggle Global Preset

• Temporarily set graphics preset to Low, then back to your preferred settings.
• Flushes VRAM creep without restarting the game.

Step 3 – Reset Graphics Driver

• Press Win + Ctrl + Shift + B.
• Reloads GPU driver instantly; game recovers from stuck FPS states.

Method 6: Advanced .ini Tweaks (Optional)

Step 1 – Apply Optimized Engine.ini

• Replace Engine.ini in:
  • Game Pass: %localappdata%\Hellblade2\Saved\Config\WinGDK
  • Steam/GOG: %localappdata%\Hellblade2\Saved\Config\Windows
• Use curated configs (e.g., “Ultimate Engine Tweaks”) for stutter reduction.
• Always back up your original file.

Step 2 – Lock Config to Read-Only

• Right-click Engine.ini → Properties → enable Read-only.
• Prevents the game from overwriting tweaks on launch.

Extra Notes and Best Practices

• Watch the in-game VRAM usage meter closely. Stutters start once you exceed capacity.
• 8 GB GPUs at 1440p: Use Low Textures + Balanced upscaler for best stability.
• Close overlays (Discord, GeForce Experience) to avoid additional hitches.
• Disable Hardware-accelerated GPU Scheduling if you notice periodic stutter.
• Game Pass and Steam builds behave slightly differently, but fixes apply to both.

Conclusion

If you’re struggling with FPS crashes in Hellblade II, the two most effective solutions are:

1. Lower Texture Quality to cut VRAM load.
2. Force Maximum GPU Performance to prevent downclocking.

From there, experiment with TSR vs DLSS/FSR, keep VRAM headroom, and apply quick recovery tricks when needed. With these adjustments, you can enjoy Senua’s haunting journey at a stable framerate—without the immersion-breaking stutters.