Cities: Skylines 2 is a remarkable city-building game that immerses players in the art of urban planning. It offers stunning visuals and intricate details, but like any complex game, it may encounter issues. One common problem that players face is screen flickering, which can be quite distracting. In this guide, we’ll explore the steps to fix this issue and enhance your gaming experience.

How To Fix Screen Flickering in Cities: Skylines 2

Before diving into troubleshooting, it’s essential to ensure that your computer meets the game’s system requirements.

Update Your Graphics Drivers

Graphics drivers are the backbone of your gaming experience. They ensure that your hardware and software work seamlessly. Outdated or incompatible drivers can often result in graphical glitches, including shadow flickering.

To resolve this, visit the official website of your graphics card manufacturer (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel) and download the latest drivers for your specific GPU model. Ensure that you install the most up-to-date drivers, as game developers often release patches and updates to optimize performance.

Adjust In-Game Settings

Cities: Skylines 2 offers a plethora of in-game settings that allow you to tailor your gaming experience. The shadow quality setting, in particular, can significantly impact the performance and visual quality of the game. To address shadow flickering, consider the following adjustments:

• Lower Shadow Quality: High shadow quality settings can be demanding on your GPU, potentially causing flickering issues. Try reducing the shadow quality in the in-game settings menu to see if it alleviates the problem.
• Experiment with Other Settings: Beyond shadow quality, adjust other graphical settings like anti-aliasing, texture quality, and view distance to find the right balance between visual fidelity and smooth performance.

Verify Game Files

Sometimes, game files can become corrupted, leading to graphical glitches and shadow flickering. Platforms like Steam offer a useful feature to verify the integrity of game files. Here’s how to do it:

1. Right-click on Cities: Skylines 2 in your Steam library.
2. Go to “Properties.”
3. Select the “Local Files” tab.
4. Click on “Verify Integrity of Game Files.”

This process will check for any corrupted or missing game files and replace them with the correct ones, potentially solving the shadow flickering issue.

Adjust GPU Settings

Your GPU settings can also play a crucial role in the game’s performance. Access your graphics card control panel, whether it’s NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Radeon Settings, and consider the following optimizations:

• Anti-Aliasing: Experiment with anti-aliasing settings to reduce jagged edges in the game.
• V-Sync: Enabling V-Sync can help to synchronize the game’s frame rate with your monitor’s refresh rate, reducing screen tearing and flickering.
• Power Management Mode: Adjust the power management mode to optimize performance. For example, you can set it to “Prefer Maximum Performance” in NVIDIA Control Panel.

These GPU settings can improve the overall gaming experience, including addressing shadow flickering.

Update DirectX and Visual C++ Redistributables

Outdated versions of DirectX and Visual C++ redistributables can lead to graphical problems in games. It’s essential to ensure that you have the latest versions installed. Here’s how:

• DirectX: Visit the official Microsoft DirectX download page and install the latest version available.
• Visual C++ Redistributables: Check the installed versions of Visual C++ redistributables on your system and update them to the latest ones if necessary.

By keeping these components up to date, you can prevent potential conflicts that cause shadow flickering.

Check for Game Patches

Game developers often release patches and updates to address known issues and improve performance. It’s crucial to ensure that your copy of Cities: Skylines 2 is up to date. To check for patches, visit the game’s official website, forums, or your gaming platform’s news section.

Reinstall the Game

If all else fails and shadow flickering persists, you can consider the last resort: reinstalling the game. Reinstallation can resolve any underlying issues, such as corrupted files or conflicting settings. Ensure that you back up your save files and mods before uninstalling the game.

In conclusion, shadow flickering in Cities: Skylines 2 can be a common but fixable issue. By following these steps and optimizing your system, you can enjoy a smooth and immersive gaming experience without distractions. Keep in mind that the solutions provided here are effective for addressing shadow flickering and improving your gameplay.