client-settings.md

Client Settings Guide

This guide helps players find the most useful openQ4 settings without digging through every advanced option.

Best Places to Start

If you are setting up openQ4 for the first time, these are the areas most players adjust first:

• Display for fullscreen mode, resolution, monitor selection, and image quality
• Controls for keyboard, mouse, controller, and bindings
• Game Options for gameplay comfort settings and a few audio-related tweaks

Recommended First Checks

• Set your preferred fullscreen or borderless mode
• Run Auto-Detect for the Performance Preset if this is a new machine or you are near the minimum requirements
• Adjust mouse sensitivity or controller dead zone
• Confirm your display target if you use multiple monitors
• Pick whether you want extra visual effects such as bloom or shadow mapping
• Lower or raise music volume to taste

Which Guide Covers What?

• Display Settings - resolution, fullscreen, windowed mode, multi-monitor, anti-aliasing, and aspect behavior
• Input Settings - keybinds, mouse tuning, controller support, and config-file behavior
• Gameplay Settings - convenience toggles and a few gameplay/audio settings
• Shadow Mapping - optional advanced shadow-map tuning
• Cel Shading - banded lighting and outline settings for the cel-shaded look
• DDS Texture Replacements - DXT/BC7 texture-pack layout and diagnostics
• Steam Deck - launcher and handheld-specific input notes

In-Game Menus

Most player-facing options are available directly in the in-game menus:

• Settings -> System
• Settings -> Controls
• Settings -> Game Options
• Difficulty (single-player) - restart the current level at another difficulty; see Gameplay Settings

Modern and Classic Screens

The title screen, the single-player pause menu and the loading screens use openQ4's modern interface. The other menus, including Settings -> System, keep the classic Quake 4 look for now.

• To use the classic screens throughout, open the console and enter ui_retained 0. The choice is saved; ui_retained 1 brings the modern screens back.
• If a modern screen can't be shown, openQ4 shows the classic one instead, with nothing to fix on your side. This happens when a mod brings its own main menu, or when a modern screen's files are missing or damaged.

If you want deeper technical details or console-level configuration, see TECHNICAL.md.