GTA settings XML

This page covers the gta5_settings.xml format that FiveLaunch manages. When gtaSettings is on, FiveLaunch writes the file at launch to every location FiveM reads settings from:

• %APPDATA%\CitizenFX\gta5_settings.xml, the usual one
• %LOCALAPPDATA%\CitizenFX\gta5_settings.xml, used by some installs
• FiveM.app/settings.xml, used by some launch flows

Import from game

Import from game in the settings editor reads your existing GTA settings, so a client starts from your real configuration. It reads the file GTA V itself writes first:

• Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA V\settings.xml comes first. FiveLaunch finds it through the Windows known-folder API, so OneDrive and custom Documents locations work. Steam, Rockstar, and Epic installs all write to this same file.
• The FiveM and CitizenFX copies listed above are fallbacks.

FiveLaunch prefers the Documents copy because it’s the only file that always has the full graphics config and <VideoCardDescription>, the name of your GPU. The next section explains why that name matters.

When settings apply but don’t take effect

GTA records your graphics card in <VideoCardDescription> and compares it to the hardware it detects at boot. If the element is missing or doesn’t match, GTA decides your hardware changed, throws away the graphics block, and runs auto-detection again. The file on disk looks right, but the game runs on regenerated defaults.

To prevent that, FiveLaunch copies the real <VideoCardDescription> into every file it saves and applies. It gets the name from the first of these that has one:

1. your Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA V\settings.xml
2. the settings file FiveM currently uses
3. your hardware. On a new PC with no GTA settings yet, FiveLaunch asks Windows for your GPU. If you have both integrated and discrete graphics, it picks the discrete card, since that’s the one GTA renders on.

FiveLaunch never hardcodes the value. It always matches your actual graphics card.

Example file (template)

FiveLaunch ships this template, and Load example in the editor loads it. This copy lives in the docs repo at src/content/docs/reference/settings-template.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Settings>
  <configSource>SMC_USER</configSource>
  <version value="27"></version>
  <graphics>
    <Tessellation value="1"></Tessellation>
    <LodScale value="0.5"></LodScale>
    <PedLodBias value="0.200000"></PedLodBias>
    <VehicleLodBias value="0.000000"></VehicleLodBias>
    <ShadowQuality value="0"></ShadowQuality>
    <ReflectionQuality value="0"></ReflectionQuality>
    <ReflectionMSAA value="2"></ReflectionMSAA>
    <SSAO value="0"></SSAO>
    <AnisotropicFiltering value="0"></AnisotropicFiltering>
    <MSAA value="0"></MSAA>
    <MSAAFragments value="0"></MSAAFragments>
    <MSAAQuality value="0"></MSAAQuality>
    <SamplingMode value="0"></SamplingMode>
    <TextureQuality value="0"></TextureQuality>
    <ParticleQuality value="0"></ParticleQuality>
    <WaterQuality value="0"></WaterQuality>
    <GrassQuality value="0"></GrassQuality>
    <ShaderQuality value="0"></ShaderQuality>
    <Shadow_SoftShadows value="5"></Shadow_SoftShadows>
    <UltraShadows_Enabled value="false"></UltraShadows_Enabled>
    <Shadow_ParticleShadows value="false"></Shadow_ParticleShadows>
    <Shadow_Distance value="2.000000"></Shadow_Distance>
    <Shadow_LongShadows value="false"></Shadow_LongShadows>
    <Shadow_SplitZStart value="0.930000"></Shadow_SplitZStart>
    <Shadow_SplitZEnd value="0.890000"></Shadow_SplitZEnd>
    <Shadow_aircraftExpWeight value="0.990000"></Shadow_aircraftExpWeight>
    <Shadow_DisableScreenSizeCheck value="false"></Shadow_DisableScreenSizeCheck>
    <Reflection_MipBlur value="false"></Reflection_MipBlur>
    <FXAA_Enabled value="false"></FXAA_Enabled>
    <TXAA_Enabled value="false"></TXAA_Enabled>
    <Lighting_FogVolumes value="false"></Lighting_FogVolumes>
    <Shader_SSA value="false"></Shader_SSA>
    <DX_Version value="2"></DX_Version>
    <CityDensity value="1.000000"></CityDensity>
    <PedVarietyMultiplier value="1.000000"></PedVarietyMultiplier>
    <VehicleVarietyMultiplier value="1.000000"></VehicleVarietyMultiplier>
    <PostFX value="0"></PostFX>
    <DoF value="false"></DoF>
    <HdStreamingInFlight value="false"></HdStreamingInFlight>
    <MaxLodScale value="1.000000"></MaxLodScale>
    <MotionBlurStrength value="0.000000"></MotionBlurStrength>
  </graphics>
  <system>
    <numBytesPerReplayBlock value="9000000"></numBytesPerReplayBlock>
    <numReplayBlocks value="30"></numReplayBlocks>
    <maxSizeOfStreamingReplay value="1024"></maxSizeOfStreamingReplay>
    <maxFileStoreSize value="65536"></maxFileStoreSize>
  </system>
  <audio>
    <Audio3d value="false"></Audio3d>
  </audio>
  <video>
    <AdapterIndex value="0"></AdapterIndex>
    <OutputIndex value="0"></OutputIndex>
    <ScreenWidth value="2560"></ScreenWidth>
    <ScreenHeight value="1440"></ScreenHeight>
    <RefreshRate value="239"></RefreshRate>
    <Windowed value="2"></Windowed>
    <VSync value="0"></VSync>
    <Stereo value="0"></Stereo>
    <Convergence value="0.100000"></Convergence>
    <Separation value="1.000000"></Separation>
    <PauseOnFocusLoss value="1"></PauseOnFocusLoss>
    <AspectRatio value="5"></AspectRatio>
  </video>
</Settings>

Template values, element by element

This table lists every element in the template, its value there, and the values GTA accepts for it.

XML element	In-game name	Template value	Meaning / allowed values
<version value="…" />	version	27	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<Tessellation value="…" />	Tessellation	1 Normal	0: Off 1: Normal 2: High 3: Very High
<LodScale value="…" />	Distance Scaling	0.5	0 … 1 (step 0.1)
<PedLodBias value="…" />	Ped Lod Bias	0.200000	0 … 1 (step 0.1)
<VehicleLodBias value="…" />	Vehicle Lod Bias	0.000000	0 … 1 (step 0.1)
<ShadowQuality value="…" />	Shadow Quality	0 Off	0: Off 1: Normal 2: High 3: Very High
<ReflectionQuality value="…" />	Reflection Quality	0 Normal	0: Normal 1: High 2: Very High 3: Ultra
<ReflectionMSAA value="…" />	Reflection MSAA	2 X2	0: Off 2: X2 4: X4 8: X8
<SSAO value="…" />	Ambient Occlusion	0 Off	0: Off 1: Normal 2: High
<AnisotropicFiltering value="…" />	Anisotropic Filtering	0 Off	0: Off 2: X2 4: X4 8: X8 16: X16
<MSAA value="…" />	MSAA	0 Off	0: Off 2: X2 4: X4 8: X8
<MSAAFragments value="…" />	MSAAFragments	0	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<MSAAQuality value="…" />	MSAAQuality	0	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<SamplingMode value="…" />	Frame Scaling Mode	0 Off	0: Off 1: x0.500 2: x0.667 3: x0.750 4: x0.833 5: x1.000 6: x1.250 7: x1.500 8: x2.000
<TextureQuality value="…" />	Texture Quality	0 Normal	0: Normal 1: High 2: Very High
<ParticleQuality value="…" />	Particles Quality	0 Normal	0: Normal 1: High 2: Very High
<WaterQuality value="…" />	Water Quality	0 Normal	0: Normal 1: High 2: Very High
<GrassQuality value="…" />	Grass Quality	0 Normal	0: Normal 1: High 2: Very High 3: Ultra
<ShaderQuality value="…" />	Shader Quality	0 Normal	0: Normal 1: High 2: Very High
<Shadow_SoftShadows value="…" />	Soft Shadows	5 NVIDIA PCSS	0: Sharp 1: Soft 2: Softer 3: Softest 4: AMD CHS 5: NVIDIA PCSS
<UltraShadows_Enabled value="…" />	High Resolution Shadows	false Off	false: Off true: On
<Shadow_ParticleShadows value="…" />	Particle Shadows	false Off	false: Off true: On
<Shadow_Distance value="…" />	Extended Shadows Distance	2.000000	0 … 2 (step 0.1)
<Shadow_LongShadows value="…" />	Long Shadows	false Off	false: Off true: On
<Shadow_SplitZStart value="…" />	Shadow Split ZStart	0.930000	0.5 … 1 (step 0.01)
<Shadow_SplitZEnd value="…" />	Shadow Split ZEnd	0.890000	0.5 … 1 (step 0.01)
<Shadow_aircraftExpWeight value="…" />	Shadow aircraft Exp Weight	0.990000	0.9 … 1 (step 0.01)
<Shadow_DisableScreenSizeCheck value="…" />	Shadow Disable Screen Size Check	false Off	false: Off true: On
<Reflection_MipBlur value="…" />	Reflection Mip Blur	false Off	false: Off true: On
<FXAA_Enabled value="…" />	FXAA	false Off	false: Off true: On
<TXAA_Enabled value="…" />	NVIDIA TXAA	false Off	false: Off true: On
<Lighting_FogVolumes value="…" />	Fog Volumes	false Off	false: Off true: On
<Shader_SSA value="…" />	Shader SSA	false Off	false: Off true: On
<DX_Version value="…" />	DirectX Version	2 DirectX 11	0: DirectX 10 1: DirectX 10.1 2: DirectX 11
<CityDensity value="…" />	Population Density	1.000000	0 … 1 (step 0.1)
<PedVarietyMultiplier value="…" />	Population Variety (Peds)	1.000000	0 … 1 (step 0.1)
<VehicleVarietyMultiplier value="…" />	Population Variety (Vehicles)	1.000000	0 … 1 (step 0.1)
<PostFX value="…" />	Post FX	0 Normal	0: Normal 1: High 2: Very High 3: Ultra
<DoF value="…" />	In-Game Depth Of Field Effects	false Off	false: Off true: On
<HdStreamingInFlight value="…" />	High Detail Streaming While Flying	false Off	false: Off true: On
<MaxLodScale value="…" />	Extended Distance Scaling	1.000000	0 … 1 (step 0.1)
<MotionBlurStrength value="…" />	Motion Blur Strength	0.000000	0 … 1 (step 0.1)
<numBytesPerReplayBlock value="…" />	num Bytes Per Replay Block	9000000	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<numReplayBlocks value="…" />	num Replay Blocks	30	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<maxSizeOfStreamingReplay value="…" />	max Size Of Streaming Replay	1024	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<maxFileStoreSize value="…" />	max File Store Size	65536	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<Audio3d value="…" />	3D Audio	false Off	false: Off true: On
<AdapterIndex value="…" />	Adapter Index	0	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<OutputIndex value="…" />	Output Monitor	0	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<ScreenWidth value="…" />	Resolution Width	2560	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<ScreenHeight value="…" />	Resolution Height	1440	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<RefreshRate value="…" />	Refresh Rate	239	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<Windowed value="…" />	Screen Type	2 Windowed Borderless	0: Fullscreen 1: Windowed 2: Windowed Borderless
<VSync value="…" />	VSync	0 Off	0: Off 1: On 2: Half
<Stereo value="…" />	Stereoscopic 3D	0 Off	0: Off 1: On
<Convergence value="…" />	Convergence	0.100000	0 … 1 (step 0.01)
<Separation value="…" />	Separation	1.000000	0 … 1 (step 0.01)
<PauseOnFocusLoss value="…" />	Pause Game On Focus Loss	1 On	0: Off 1: On
<AspectRatio value="…" />	Aspect Ratio	5 16:9	0: Auto 1: 3:2 2: 4:3 3: 5:3 4: 5:4 5: 16:9 6: 16:10

What each setting means (mapping)

The tables below come from gtaSettingsMap.ts. Since v2.7, every value label matches the name the in-game menu shows, checked against files GTA V writes itself. The “In-game name” column is the setting’s name in GTA’s menus, so FiveLaunch and the game’s settings screen line up one to one.

A few settings changed from the older mapping:

• SamplingMode is Frame Scaling Mode in Advanced Graphics. It multiplies render resolution from x0.500 to x2.000. It doesn’t pick DLSS or FSR.
• Shadow_SoftShadows goes Sharp, Soft, Softer, Softest, then the vendor options AMD CHS and NVIDIA PCSS.
• AnisotropicFiltering has no x1 step. The menu only writes Off, X2, X4, X8, and X16.
• Stereo is 0 or 1 in files the game writes, not true or false.
• MSAAFragments and MSAAQuality are hidden tuning values the menu never shows, so FiveLaunch keeps them as raw numbers without labels.

Advanced

XML element	In-game name	Type	Values
<AsyncComputeEnabled value="…" />	Async Compute Enabled	select	false - Off true - On
<DX_Version value="…" />	DirectX Version	select	0 - DirectX 10 1 - DirectX 10.1 2 - DirectX 11
<maxFileStoreSize value="…" />	max File Store Size	text	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<maxSizeOfStreamingReplay value="…" />	max Size Of Streaming Replay	text	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<MSAAFragments value="…" />	MSAAFragments	text	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<MSAAQuality value="…" />	MSAAQuality	text	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<numBytesPerReplayBlock value="…" />	num Bytes Per Replay Block	text	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<numReplayBlocks value="…" />	num Replay Blocks	text	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<Shader_SSA value="…" />	Shader SSA	select	false - Off true - On

Anti-Aliasing

XML element	In-game name	Type	Values
<FXAA_Enabled value="…" />	FXAA	select	false - Off true - On
<MSAA value="…" />	MSAA	select	0 - Off 2 - X2 4 - X4 8 - X8
<SamplingMode value="…" />	Frame Scaling Mode	select	0 - Off 1 - x0.500 2 - x0.667 3 - x0.750 4 - x0.833 5 - x1.000 6 - x1.250 7 - x1.500 8 - x2.000
<TXAA_Enabled value="…" />	NVIDIA TXAA	select	false - Off true - On

Audio

XML element	In-game name	Type	Values
<Audio3d value="…" />	3D Audio	select	false - Off true - On

Display

XML element	In-game name	Type	Values
<AdapterIndex value="…" />	Adapter Index	text	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<AspectRatio value="…" />	Aspect Ratio	select	0 - Auto 1 - 3:2 2 - 4:3 3 - 5:3 4 - 5:4 5 - 16:9 6 - 16:10
<OutputIndex value="…" />	Output Monitor	text	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<PauseOnFocusLoss value="…" />	Pause Game On Focus Loss	select	0 - Off 1 - On
<RefreshRate value="…" />	Refresh Rate	text	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<ScreenHeight value="…" />	Resolution Height	text	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<ScreenWidth value="…" />	Resolution Width	text	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<TripleBuffered value="…" />	Triple Buffering	select	false - Off true - On
<VSync value="…" />	VSync	select	0 - Off 1 - On 2 - Half
<Windowed value="…" />	Screen Type	select	0 - Fullscreen 1 - Windowed 2 - Windowed Borderless

Effects

XML element	In-game name	Type	Values
<DoF value="…" />	In-Game Depth Of Field Effects	select	false - Off true - On
<MotionBlurStrength value="…" />	Motion Blur Strength	slider	0 … 1 (step 0.1)
<ParticleQuality value="…" />	Particles Quality	select	0 - Normal 1 - High 2 - Very High
<PostFX value="…" />	Post FX	select	0 - Normal 1 - High 2 - Very High 3 - Ultra

Graphics Quality

XML element	In-game name	Type	Values
<AnisotropicFiltering value="…" />	Anisotropic Filtering	select	0 - Off 2 - X2 4 - X4 8 - X8 16 - X16
<GrassQuality value="…" />	Grass Quality	select	0 - Normal 1 - High 2 - Very High 3 - Ultra
<Lighting_FogVolumes value="…" />	Fog Volumes	select	false - Off true - On
<Reflection_MipBlur value="…" />	Reflection Mip Blur	select	false - Off true - On
<ReflectionMSAA value="…" />	Reflection MSAA	select	0 - Off 2 - X2 4 - X4 8 - X8
<ReflectionQuality value="…" />	Reflection Quality	select	0 - Normal 1 - High 2 - Very High 3 - Ultra
<ShaderQuality value="…" />	Shader Quality	select	0 - Normal 1 - High 2 - Very High
<ShadowQuality value="…" />	Shadow Quality	select	0 - Off 1 - Normal 2 - High 3 - Very High
<SSAO value="…" />	Ambient Occlusion	select	0 - Off 1 - Normal 2 - High
<Tessellation value="…" />	Tessellation	select	0 - Off 1 - Normal 2 - High 3 - Very High
<WaterQuality value="…" />	Water Quality	select	0 - Normal 1 - High 2 - Very High

Performance

XML element	In-game name	Type	Values
<HdStreamingInFlight value="…" />	High Detail Streaming While Flying	select	false - Off true - On
<LodScale value="…" />	Distance Scaling	slider	0 … 1 (step 0.1)
<MaxLodScale value="…" />	Extended Distance Scaling	slider	0 … 1 (step 0.1)
<PedLodBias value="…" />	Ped Lod Bias	slider	0 … 1 (step 0.1)
<VehicleLodBias value="…" />	Vehicle Lod Bias	slider	0 … 1 (step 0.1)

Population

XML element	In-game name	Type	Values
<CityDensity value="…" />	Population Density	slider	0 … 1 (step 0.1)
<PedVarietyMultiplier value="…" />	Population Variety (Peds)	slider	0 … 1 (step 0.1)
<VehicleVarietyMultiplier value="…" />	Population Variety (Vehicles)	slider	0 … 1 (step 0.1)

Shadows

XML element	In-game name	Type	Values
<Shadow_aircraftExpWeight value="…" />	Shadow aircraft Exp Weight	slider	0.9 … 1 (step 0.01)
<Shadow_DisableScreenSizeCheck value="…" />	Shadow Disable Screen Size Check	select	false - Off true - On
<Shadow_Distance value="…" />	Extended Shadows Distance	slider	0 … 2 (step 0.1)
<Shadow_LongShadows value="…" />	Long Shadows	select	false - Off true - On
<Shadow_ParticleShadows value="…" />	Particle Shadows	select	false - Off true - On
<Shadow_SoftShadows value="…" />	Soft Shadows	select	0 - Sharp 1 - Soft 2 - Softer 3 - Softest 4 - AMD CHS 5 - NVIDIA PCSS
<Shadow_SplitZEnd value="…" />	Shadow Split ZEnd	slider	0.5 … 1 (step 0.01)
<Shadow_SplitZStart value="…" />	Shadow Split ZStart	slider	0.5 … 1 (step 0.01)
<UltraShadows_Enabled value="…" />	High Resolution Shadows	select	false - Off true - On

Stereoscopic 3D

XML element	In-game name	Type	Values
<Convergence value="…" />	Convergence	slider	0 … 1 (step 0.01)
<Separation value="…" />	Separation	slider	0 … 1 (step 0.01)
<Stereo value="…" />	Stereoscopic 3D	select	0 - Off 1 - On

System Info

XML element	In-game name	Type	Values
<configSource value="…" />	config Source	text	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<version value="…" />	version	text	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)
<VideoCardDescription value="…" />	Video Card	text	Free text / numeric (depends on GTA)

Texture & Details

XML element	In-game name	Type	Values
<TextureQuality value="…" />	Texture Quality	select	0 - Normal 1 - High 2 - Very High

Validation and repair

GTA throws away its settings file and regenerates auto-detected defaults when the file is missing, cut off, incomplete, or has a value GTA rejects. Since v2.6, FiveLaunch validates and repairs the file when you save it and again right before launch:

• It checks each value against the schema in the tables above. Booleans must be true or false, enums must be values the in-game menu writes, and numbers and resolutions must parse. FiveLaunch replaces anything invalid.
• It keeps hidden below-menu values. Quality settings accept -1, which popular low-end “potato” configs use, even though the menu stops at Normal. The editor shows these as “(custom)” and leaves them alone.
• It fills in missing settings, including the version node, configSource=SMC_USER, and <VideoCardDescription>.
• It takes replacement values from your Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA V\settings.xml and your live game settings first, and only then from the template.
• It writes the file atomically and reads it back, so the game never sees a partial write.

The editor lists every fix it made when you save.

Troubleshooting

• You set a value GTA doesn’t know. GTA or FiveM may clamp it, ignore it, or rewrite it at launch.
• Settings apply but don’t take effect. The cause is almost always a missing or wrong <VideoCardDescription>. FiveLaunch copies your real GPU name into the file, and Import from game is the most reliable way to get it there.
• Settings keep resetting. FiveLaunch repairs the file before it applies it, so a reset after that means something else overwrites it after launch. Check for “optimizer” tools, fivem_sdk.cfg, and read-only files.