Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (KCD2) is already a visually stunning game, featuring expansive landscapes, realistic lighting, and intricate character designs. However, for players who want to enhance their gaming experience even further, ReShade can offer a significant visual boost. Whether you want more natural colors, enhanced brightness, or a cinematic touch with effects like Depth of Field (DoF) and High Dynamic Range (HDR), this guide will walk you through how to install and set up ReShade for KCD2 to get those vibrant, breathtaking visuals. The best part? The installation process is straightforward and completely free! Let’s dive in.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II – How to Enhance Visuals with ReShade
Why Use ReShade for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II?
ReShade is a powerful post-processing tool that can drastically improve the visual quality of your games. It provides customizable effects, allowing you to adjust color grading, lighting, and shadow details to your preferences. For Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, the application of ReShade can enhance the game’s already impressive graphics, giving it a more polished, cinematic feel with sharper images, enhanced natural color tones, and better overall lighting.
Even though KCD2 is beautiful on its own, using ReShade can take the visuals to the next level. The difference is noticeable, with a crisper picture and a more vibrant, immersive experience. The Depth of Field (DoF) effect creates a more cinematic look, and HDR brings out the brightest highlights and darkest shadows. Overall, these improvements result in a more dynamic and visually rich gaming environment.
What You Need to Get Started
Before diving into the installation process, make sure you have the following:
- A copy of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II installed on your system.
- A compatible version of ReShade. The setup is simple and requires just a few clicks to get going.
- A zip file containing the custom ReShade preset designed specifically for KCD2.
Important Notes:
- Keep in mind that while ReShade enhances visuals, it does require some additional system resources. Depending on your PC’s specifications and the in-game settings, you might experience a slight decrease in frame rates (around 15%).
- Your screen resolution also plays a role in performance. Higher resolutions may cause more noticeable drops in FPS, while lower resolutions may have minimal impact.
Step-by-Step Installation and Setup Guide
Now that you know what ReShade can do for KCD2, let’s break down the process of getting it installed and configured.
1. Download the Necessary Files
First, you will need to download the ReShade preset and the ReShade tool itself. Follow these steps:
- ReShade Preset: Download the custom KCD2 ReShade preset from this link. This zip file contains the necessary *.ini file that configures ReShade’s effects for KCD2.
- ReShade Tool: Visit reshade.me and download the latest version of the ReShade installer.
2. Installing ReShade
To begin installing ReShade, follow these easy steps:
- Execute the downloaded ReShade_Setup_6.X.X.exe file.
- During the setup, select the executable file for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (usually located in your Steam directory:
?:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\KingdomComeDeliverance2). - Choose DirectX 10/11/12 when prompted for the rendering API.
- Skip the preset selection step when asked. Instead, make sure to check all Effects Packages to ensure you have the full set of visual enhancements available.
- Complete the installation, and ReShade should now be installed for KCD2.
3. Adding the Preset to Your Game Folder
After installing ReShade, you’ll need to add the custom preset file:
- Extract the KCD2+ ReShade preset (the *.ini file) from the downloaded zip archive.
- Place this file into the Kingdom Come: Deliverance II game directory:
?:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\KingdomComeDeliverance2.
4. In-Game Setup and Configuration
With ReShade installed, launch Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and follow these steps to enable and configure the preset:
- When you launch the game, you should see a small notification in the top-left corner indicating that ReShade is active. If you encounter any visual artifacts, don’t worry — these should disappear after initial setup.
- Press the Home (POS1) key to toggle the ReShade overlay on or off while in-game.
- A brief tutorial will appear, explaining how ReShade works. You can either follow this tutorial or skip it and head straight to the Settings tab.
- Set the options to match the configuration shown in the setup screenshot.
- Enable the option to ‘Load only enabled effects’ for faster loading times (but wait until all effects are loaded successfully before ticking this box).
- Go to the Home tab and choose the preset that you downloaded earlier. Once selected, the preset will automatically be applied, transforming the game’s visuals.
5. Customizing Your Visual Experience
Once ReShade is set up, you can customize the visual effects to your liking. Adjustments like brightness, contrast, and color saturation can all be fine-tuned in the ReShade menu. You can also enable or disable specific effects like Depth of Field or HDR, depending on the type of look you want for your game.
To make further adjustments on the fly, simply press the F5-F8 keys to control the ReShade effects. These keys let you toggle various settings such as sharpening, bloom, and motion blur. Experiment with these settings to find the perfect combination for your visual preferences.
Troubleshooting: Common Bugs and Issues
While ReShade enhances visuals, there may be a few quirks that come along with it. The most common issues are:
- Blurred Compass: The compass may appear blurred in certain scenes, but this does not affect gameplay.
- Blurred Menus: The main menu and loading screens might be blurred due to the applied effects. However, important elements like the inventory and codex should remain clear.
These bugs are known, but they are typically not game-breaking and can be easily overlooked for the improved visuals.
Conclusion
ReShade is an excellent tool for enhancing the already stunning visuals of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. With just a few simple steps, you can enjoy a more cinematic, vibrant, and immersive experience while playing. The ability to adjust visual settings to your liking ensures that you can tailor the game’s aesthetics to suit your preferences, making your journey through the Bohemian countryside even more breathtaking.
Take the time to experiment with different settings, and remember that although the performance may drop slightly (depending on your system), the visual benefits far outweigh the small trade-off in frame rates. Happy gaming, and enjoy the beautiful world of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II like never before!
Last Updated on February 19, 2025
An avid listener of music from a number of countries. Writing is his hobby and passion. A follower of all the latest android and PC games. Not to mention his favorite: Mobile Legends!