What is Anisotropic Filtering and should you use it in Valorant? (February 2024)

Since its release in 2020, Valorant has quickly established itself as one of the most popular esports titles. Notably, the game can run on a PC with basic specs and even rely on integrated graphics, which adds to its value. Even so, fine-tuning your settings is still crucial as it might offer you an advantage in the game.

Anisotropic Filtering is a well-known but puzzling term for those new to the game. In short, it's a graphical option that allows users to adjust specific in-game textures and other visual elements. If you’ve wondered how Anisotropic Filtering works in Valorant, this article explains more.

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What is Anisotropic Filtering, and how does it work in Valorant?

Anisotropic Filtering (AF) enhances the look of textures when viewed from afar compared to directly above. Although it may sound vague, there might be a significant impact on the screen. The performance of your system is not affected by Anisotropic Filtering as the standard graphic-based parameters. As a result, you may experience better graphics in games without worrying about frame drops.

Anisotropic Filtering doesn't swap out low-resolution textures with higher-resolution ones. Rather, it changes the texture's appearance when viewed from an opposite angle—which is how most players often interact with video games.

This method, which maintains the performance level while reducing texture distortion, is highly recommended by experts. Like many other games, Valorant allows players to customize the in-game Anisotropic Filtering setting to suit their preferences.

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How to change the Anisotropic Filtering value in Valorant

You can adjust, disable, or enable Anisotropic Filtering values through the Valorant in-game settings. For that, you must click the cog icon on the top right of the lobby screen to access the game settings. Then, navigate to Video > Graphics Quality.

To access the options, scroll down and select the downward arrow to expand the dropdown list. Now, select an Anisotropic Filtering value based on your tastes.

Anisotropic Filtering can be generously increased to a maximum value of 16x or 8x for Valorant on high-end PC owners. Gamers with mid-range and low-end PCs can adjust the value based on their system. Nevertheless, 4x Anisotropic Filtering appears to be the best value for most system setups, including low and mid-end PCs. Remember that with 2x, changes might not be noticeable enough.

After enabling the settings, you will see noticeable changes in object textures. Characters, terrain settings, and gun skins will look detailed, and the gameplay might be smoother.

To improve texture quality and sharpness, Anisotropic Filtering can also be combined with anti-aliasing (AA), another option for enhancing graphics. For example, to enhance in-game graphics, choose MSAA 2x or MSAA 4x for AA and 8x or 16x for Anisotropic Filtering.

The game's performance shouldn't suffer when the AF setting is increased or turned on, though certain older systems might exhibit strain. After tinkering with the settings and observing frame drops, return to the default settings to see whether the problem still exists. Another option is to try lowering the value.