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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFor smoother Half-Life: Alyx gameplay, start with SteamVR’s Settings > Video > Render Resolution > Auto, then adjust resolution, refresh rate and the game’s separate performance and texture controls according to what your PC can handle. There is no single best preset for every headset and PC: make changes and judge them in a gameplay scene, where Valve says performance is best tested.
Start by checking what is causing the slowdown
Before lowering graphics settings, check the basics Valve identifies in its Half-Life: Alyx performance tips:
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- Install current NVIDIA or AMD graphics drivers.
- Close resource-heavy background applications and check whether another application is using dedicated GPU memory.
- Confirm that your VR setup and tracking are stable. Poor tracking can feel like low frame rate, even when graphics settings are not the cause.
The game automatically benchmarks the CPU and GPU and checks available system memory on first launch or after hardware changes, then selects initial graphics settings. Those settings are a starting point, not a guarantee that every scene will run smoothly.
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Set SteamVR render resolution
- Open SteamVR and go to Settings > Video > Render Resolution.
- Select Auto if it is not already selected.
- Test in a gameplay scene. If performance improves but still falls short, reduce render resolution further only as much as needed.
Lower resolution can give the GPU more headroom, but it also reduces image clarity. The useful balance depends on your headset and PC; Valve does not specify a universal resolution percentage.
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Try a lower refresh rate if the GPU is overloaded
For a Valve Index, Valve says Half-Life: Alyx can run at up to 144Hz and suggests trying 90Hz when frame-rate lag appears to come from an overtaxed GPU. To try it, open SteamVR and go to Settings > General > Refresh Rate.
Think of 90Hz as a troubleshooting step for that situation, not a universal target for all headsets. A lower refresh rate reduces the GPU workload, while a higher rate demands more from the system. The page’s 144Hz figure describes Index capability; it is not a promise that a particular PC will sustain that rate in every scene. Valve’s example of an 8-core CPU and 12GB GPU being kept fully busy during complex VR gameplay at up to 144Hz illustrates potential workload, not a minimum requirement or a benchmark result for all systems.
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Tune the game’s performance and texture controls
- While in gameplay, open Settings > Performance.
- Try the low-fidelity preset as a diagnostic if performance is worse than expected, then raise overall fidelity to the highest level your system handles smoothly.
- Adjust Texture Quality separately from overall fidelity. If needed, lower it and work upward.
- Use the gear icon in the lower-left to open advanced performance settings.
Overall fidelity and Texture Quality are separate controls, so adjust them independently rather than assuming one setting controls both. Valve recommends testing during gameplay instead of relying on the main menu; settings can be changed while playing.
Make changes you can evaluate
Use a representative gameplay scene and change one control at a time. That makes it easier to tell whether resolution, refresh rate, overall fidelity or texture quality helped. If graphics changes do not address the problem, revisit drivers, background GPU use and tracking rather than continuing to lower image quality without identifying the bottleneck.
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