For a sensible starting point, use the current Breath of the Wild Graphics pack at its default 1280×720 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio, select Vulkan with Async shader compile if it works well on your GPU, and leave anti-aliasing at its default. Increase resolution or shadows only while the game stays smooth. Enable FPS++ for a higher frame-rate target, but return to 30 FPS if a quest or gameplay event misbehaves.
There is no single best preset for every PC: Cemu advises testing resolution on your own system, and the game becomes demanding at higher resolutions and frame rates. The settings below are a practical starting point, not a hardware-specific benchmark.
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Set up the game and graphics packs first
Breath of the Wild requires its latest game update to function in Cemu. The Cemu Wiki says game version V208 (1.5.0) is needed for FPS++ and many other graphics packs to work properly. See the Cemu guide to installing games for the game-update requirement and installation guidance, and the Breath of the Wild page on the Cemu Wiki for pack version details.
To update community packs, open the game’s graphics-pack settings in Cemu and use the update option there. The current pack’s baseline is 1280×720 at 16:9, according to the Breath of the Wild Graphics pack rules.
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Recommended starting settings
| Setting | Start with | When to change it |
|---|---|---|
| Renderer | Vulkan | Compare with OpenGL if Vulkan has rendering or compatibility problems on your system. |
| Async shader compile | Enabled, if available | Use Cemu’s recommended general performance starting point. |
| Resolution and aspect ratio | 1280×720, 16:9 | Raise resolution only if your PC sustains your target frame rate. |
| Anti-aliasing | Default | Adjust only if you have a reason to trade performance for a different image. |
| Shadow resolution | Default or moderate | Raise for sharper shadows if performance remains smooth; keep it at or below 300%. |
| Shadow draw distance | Very High | Change if you prefer shadows rendered farther away, bearing in mind they may look blurrier. |
| FPS++ | Enable for a higher frame-rate target; its guide default is 60 FPS | Set the limit to 30 FPS when a quest, event, or physics behavior has problems. |
Cemu recommends Vulkan and asynchronous shader compilation as general performance starting points in its FAQ. The Breath of the Wild optimization guide recommends leaving anti-aliasing at its default initially and cautions that 400% shadow resolution may cause instability; it recommends no more than 300%.
Choose a resolution your PC can sustain
Start at the graphics pack’s 720p default, then try 1080p, 1440p, or 4K if you want a sharper image and your GPU can hold the frame-rate limit you chose. Cemu’s optimization guide advises trying resolutions on your own system: higher-resolution rendering and supersampling are computationally expensive, and the game is unusually demanding on graphics hardware at higher resolution and frame rate.
Supersampling—rendering above your monitor’s native resolution—can improve anti-aliasing, but it adds graphics workload. For a useful comparison, change one setting at a time and check the same repeatable area of the game. A brief smooth start does not establish that a setting will remain smooth in demanding areas.
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Vulkan or OpenGL?
Try Vulkan first because Cemu recommends it as a general starting point, and its Breath of the Wild guide specifically suggests it for higher resolutions. Community Graphic Packs version 4 supports both Vulkan and OpenGL, so OpenGL is a reasonable comparison if Vulkan causes a rendering or compatibility problem. The documentation does not establish one renderer as faster on every GPU; keep the one that behaves better on your system.
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Shadow resolution
Higher shadow resolution can make shadows sharper, but costs performance. Increase it gradually if the game remains smooth; Cemu’s optimization guide recommends no more than 300%, warning that 400% may cause instability.
Shadow draw distance
Draw distance controls how far away shadows are rendered, separately from their resolution. Raising it can show shadows farther into the distance but may make them blurrier. Cemu recommends Very High as a balance.
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Use FPS++ with a 30 FPS fallback
FPS++ is the pack option for targeting a higher frame rate; the Cemu guide lists 60 FPS as its default limit. That is a target, not a guarantee that a particular PC will sustain 60 FPS or that every part of the game will behave correctly. The Cemu Wiki explains that the game’s physics expect a constant timestep and records unresolved issues above 30 FPS.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →If a quest, event, or other gameplay behavior goes wrong, set the FPS++ limit to 30 FPS. If the problem persists, try Static mode at 30 FPS or disable FPS++. The 30 FPS setting is a troubleshooting fallback, not a claim that every issue has the same cause.
Troubleshoot poor performance
- Lower resolution first: Higher output resolution increases graphics workload.
- Reduce shadow resolution: This can ease the GPU load while preserving your chosen resolution.
- Check VRAM: The Cemu Wiki notes that Vulkan users with less than 4 GB of VRAM may encounter VRAM-related performance problems; lowering resolution and shadow settings is one possible mitigation, not a guaranteed fix.
- Check laptop power and cooling: Cemu’s Wiki troubleshooting guidance includes thermal throttling and laptop power or ventilation issues as possible causes.
- Compare renderers if there are graphics faults: Try OpenGL if Vulkan misbehaves, then use the renderer that is more compatible on your PC.
How to compare settings fairly
Pick the resolution and frame-rate limit you care about, then test each candidate preset in the same area under similar conditions. Compare whether performance holds in demanding gameplay, not just whether the game launches or looks smooth at the start. When choosing between feasible presets, weigh image clarity, sustained performance, shadow quality and stability, gameplay correctness, and renderer compatibility. No cited documentation provides a current controlled benchmark or a universal preset for unspecified hardware.
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