Start by identifying whether the problem is image softness, missing texture detail, washed-out color, or unstable performance. Install the game's current update, check Activision's recommended driver for your GPU, then change one graphics setting at a time. A lower-resolution image and a texture that fails to load need different checks.
This page covers Windows PC. It does not promise that a settings change resolves every rendering bug, and the October 29 update's stability work is not confirmation that every texture issue has been fixed.
Match the symptom before changing settings
The following is a diagnostic order, rather than a list of confirmed causes for every affected PC.
| What you see | First comparison to make | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| The entire scene looks soft | Compare your current upscaler and sharpness settings in the same scene | Resolution, upscaler, sharpness, and whether the image changes |
| Backgrounds are blurred while the weapon stays clear | Check World Depth of Field separately from Weapon Depth of Field | Which layer of the image is affected |
| Surfaces remain low-detail or appear incomplete | Check drivers and shader preparation, then compare texture settings | Whether the issue persists after a restart and in the same location |
| The picture looks washed out | Compare HDR and display configuration before changing every quality option | Monitor, HDR state, and whether menus are affected too |
| The picture is clear but stutters | Run the built-in benchmark | CPU/GPU results and the settings used |
The official PC feature guide documents a global sharpness control, separate world and weapon depth-of-field settings, HDR10+, and several upscaling options. Those controls make a controlled comparison possible; they do not establish which one caused your particular issue.
Check the driver and hardware baseline
Activision specifically recommends its listed GPU driver versions when players experience graphical issues. Activision’s October 1 launch support page lists AMD 26.7.1, NVIDIA 616.56, and Intel 32.0.101.8974, while noting a later ASD-compatible NVIDIA driver was planned. These are the published launch recommendations, not a claim that they are the newest drivers on October 30.
Use the current Activision PC requirements page and the matching GPU manufacturer's driver page to check the applicable version for your card. Avoid treating a video author's arbitrary rollback version as an official fix for every AMD or NVIDIA system.
The launch requirements also specify an SSD, 115 GB available at launch, DirectX 12 compatibility, and additional space for updates. The minimum video-memory requirement is 3 GB, while the recommended 90 FPS Multiplayer specification uses 8 GB. Meeting the minimum is not a promise that every quality setting, ray-tracing option, and resolution will run equally well. Laptop GPUs can differ from the desktop models listed by Support.
Shader preparation and image-clarity checks
The official PC guide describes Advanced Shader Delivery on supported platforms, with the Xbox PC app used to deliver precompiled shaders. Installing that app is necessary only if you want to use ASD on a supported setup; it is not presented as a universal texture repair tool.
A community troubleshooting recording demonstrates Settings → Graphics → Display → Restart Shader Preloading. If that option is available in your build, it is a reversible check to try after noting your current settings. Allow the resulting shader work to finish before comparing the same scene again. The recording's promise of a guaranteed fix is not established by the official guidance.
PC trailer reference: compare world detail and foreground weapon focus separately. Image: Activision.
For image softness, compare the supported upscaler options and sharpness using the same viewpoint. Change world depth of field separately if the softness is concentrated in the environment. If the issue is color instead, record the HDR/display state before comparing it; increasing sharpness is not a test of HDR behavior.
Use the benchmark to check the cost of a change
The built-in benchmark runs a simulated Multiplayer sequence and reports performance information, including CPU and GPU results, average FPS, and input latency. Record one baseline, apply one change, and rerun it. Compare like-for-like settings rather than assuming a sharper picture is also a faster one.
The advertised 90 FPS recommended target is for the specified Multiplayer hardware and High settings. It is not a measured guarantee for your PC, the Campaign, or DMZ. If the problem persists, keep your GPU model, driver version, display settings, affected mode, and a screenshot of the symptom together when reporting it through Activision Support. Check the official patch notes for a fix that actually names your symptom.