Graphics Tweaking

Want to improve the quality of Batman Arkham Asylum, click on this guide to know how.

Introduction

I have finally started to play Batman Arkham Asylum and absolutley loved it. I always wondered how to improve the quality and performace of the game by doing more then just maxing out the settings. Here's a guide that will improve it more.

Requirements

• You will need notepad++
  
• You will need a to max out the settings to the highest

What to do

Now the main part of this tweaking will be carried out in your:
\Documents\Square Enix\Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY\BmGame\Config

There should be a bunch of ini files, the one we need is UserEngine.ini.

So, right-click that and open it in Notepad++ and you can take what you want from my ini settings or all of it. If you want all of it, just delete the text on it and copy and paste mine.

PLEASE NOTE, CHANGE THE RESOLUTION TO WHAT YOU WANT
Somewhere in the code is UseMinimalNVIDIADriverShaderOptimization=False which is for nvidia gpu users.
If your using AMD gpu, delete that code and replace it with: DisableATITextureFilterOptimizationChecks=False

Code:

[Configuration]
BasedOn=..\BmGame\Config\DefaultEngine.ini

[SystemSettings]
Fullscreen=True
UseVsync=True
AllowD3D10=True
ResX=1920
ResY=1080
Trilinear=True
MaxAnisotropy=16
EffectsLevel=3
MaxMultisamples=10
DynamicLights=True
CompositeDynamicLights=False
DirectionalLightmaps=True
FloatingPointRenderTargets=True
AllowSubsurfaceScattering=True
DepthOfField=True
EnableHighPolyChars=True
GeometryPolygons=10000000
SkeletalMeshLODBias=-1
ParticleLODBias=-1
LensFlares=True
Bloom=True
bAllowLightShafts=True
DynamicShadows=True
SmokeShadows=True
LightEnvironmentShadows=True
MotionBlur=False
Distortion=True
FogVolumes=True
DisableSphericalHarmonicLights=False
bAllowWholeSceneDominantShadows=True
EnableLightEnvSHLights=True
AmbientOcclusion=True
BufferAmbientOcclusion=True
DetailMode=2
MinShadowResolution=256
MaxShadowResolution=1024
MaxTextureSize=4096
DisableHWShadowMaps=False
BIOPixelShaderVersion=ps_4_0
BIOVertexShaderVersion=vs_4_0
VShaderVersion=4.0
PShaderVersion=4.0
HighQualityShaders=1
bUseTextureStreaming=True
bUsePostProcessEffects=True
bEnableBranchingPCFShadows=True
AllowShadowVolumes=True
bEnableVSMShadows=True
bAllowBetterModulatedShadows=True
bEnableForegroundShadowsOnWorld=True
bEnableForegroundSelfShadowing=True
bAllowHardwareShadowFiltering=True
ShadowFilterQualityBias=5
TessellationAdaptivePixelsPerTriangle=512
ShadowTexelsPerPixel=4.000000
Stereo=False
VelocityShader=True
PixelShader=True
GFxPixelShader=True
GFxVertexShader=True
VertexShader=True
TextureDensityShader=True
IniVersion=5.8
HighDynamicRange=True
UserMaxTextureSize=4096
bCinematicMode=True
TerrainMaterialMaxTextureCount=64
TerrainTessellationCheckCount=24
MaxCharacterCinematicLightingPasses=9
TEXTUREGROUP_Character=(MinLODSize=512,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_CharacterNormalMap=(MinLODSize=512,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_RenderTarget=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=2048,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_Effects_Hi=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=2048,LODBias=0)

[Engine.Engine]
bOnScreenKismetWarnings=FALSE
bSubtitlesEnabled=FALSE
bAllowMatureLanguage=TRUE
PhysXLevel=2
bPhysXuseGRB=False
bPhysXPatched=True
Language=int
MipLevelFadingInRate=0.0
MipLevelFadingOutRate=0.0
TerrainMaterialMaxTextureCount=64
TerrainTessellationCheckCount=24
bUseInvertedLeftStick=False
bUsePixelShaderComplexity=True
bUseAdditiveComplexity=True
MaxPixelShaderAdditiveComplexityCount=600.000000
MaxPixelShaderOpaqueComplexityCount=200.000000
MaxVertexShaderComplexityCount=200.000000
MaxFluidNumVerts=2097152
MaxParticleVertexMemory=263944
PhysXGpuHeapSize=256
PhysXMeshCacheSize=16
MinShadowResolution=256

[Engine.GameEngine]
bUsePostProcessEffects=True
bAllowMatureLanguage=True
MeshLODRange=1000.000000

[Engine.StaticMeshCollectionActor]
MaxStaticMeshComponents=1000

[Engine.StaticLightCollectionActor]
MaxLightComponents=200

[Engine.ISVHacks]
UseMinimalNVIDIADriverShaderOptimization=False

[TextureStreaming]
PoolSize=2048

[AnimationCompression]
DefaultCompressionAlgorithm=AnimationCompressionAlgorithm_RemoveTrivialKeys
TranslationCompressionFormat=0
RotationCompressionFormat=0

[DevOptions.Shaders]
bAllowMultiThreadedShaderCompile=True
VShaderVersion=4.0
PShaderVersion=4.0
ShaderCache=True

[MemoryPools]
FLightPrimitiveInteractionInitialBlockSize=1024
FModShadowPrimitiveInteractionInitialBlockSize=1024

Extras

If you want to use a higher quality SSAO than the game's default settings will permit, follow the stuff below.

Go to: Program Files (x86)\Square Enix\Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY\Engine\Shaders or where ever you've got your game located.

Find AmbientOcclusionShader and open it with notepad++

Change:
#ifndef NUM_OCCLUSION_SAMPLES
#define NUM_OCCLUSION_SAMPLES 8
#endif

#ifndef NUM_FILTER_SAMPLES
#define NUM_FILTER_SAMPLES 8
#endif

To:
#ifndef NUM_OCCLUSION_SAMPLES
#define NUM_OCCLUSION_SAMPLES 16
#endif

#ifndef NUM_FILTER_SAMPLES
#define NUM_FILTER_SAMPLES 16
#endif

Now, save it and go back out and right click again -> properties, and tick 'Read Only' again.
YOU ARE NOW DONE! YAY!

[SEV-1207]

Is there something similar for Arkham City? Recently got both games on a sale and want to up the graphics like the remaster.

[CaptTalion]

Bro, I did all this and its fine.

I am still facing some lag in the combat, like it's a little bit slower than it should be, do you know any way to fix that?

*My system is more than capable to run it on these settings

[Wraithix]

Bravo!

[WyldHuman]

VERY FUKN NICE

[Taki]

some photos with before/after?

[CassiusGreen]

So I did everything you said but when I launched the game, it simply told me it was unable to open it or something, then I saw no graphical changes :/

[BossCord]

what about macbook air users?!