Shipped

Arc Optimizer — ARC Raiders Windows Performance Tool

A local Windows utility for applying and restoring ARC Raiders performance settings without manually editing configuration files.

Make ARC Raiders configuration changes easier to inspect, apply, back up and reverse from one local Windows tool.

Arc Optimizer is a local Windows utility for ARC Raiders. It reads the game's configuration, shows the current values, applies a defined set of performance-oriented settings and creates backups before changing anything.

I built it to remove the repetitive part of editing Unreal Engine configuration files by hand while keeping the changes visible and reversible.

What it does

Apply a defined settings profile

The app can update 22 values in GameUserSettings.ini, including display mode, frame-rate, DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex and graphics-quality settings. Replacement is regex-based, so the tool reads and replaces the current value rather than depending on one known starting configuration.

The profile is an opinionated configuration, not a guarantee that every setting is optimal for every PC. Hardware, drivers, game updates and personal preferences can change the best result.

Create and restore Engine.ini changes

Arc Optimizer can create an Engine.ini profile that disables several Unreal Engine post-processing effects such as motion blur, depth of field, bloom, lens flare and volumetric fog.

Before changing configuration files, the app creates timestamped backups. The Backups tab lists them and can restore a previous configuration.

Show the current system and game state

The dashboard detects information including the GPU, driver, VRAM, ARC Raiders installation/config paths, power plan and audio devices. The settings table compares current values with the target profile so the user can see what would change.

Keep the work local

The application runs locally and does not require an account. It does not send telemetry or analytics. The privacy policy and source are available in the GitHub repository.

Implementation

Arc Optimizer is a PowerShell WinForms application packaged as a standalone Windows executable with PS2EXE.

The main pieces are:

  • configuration parsing and regex-based replacement;
  • timestamped backup and restore;
  • optional Engine.ini generation;
  • Steam-library/game-path discovery;
  • GPU and Windows system detection;
  • a WinForms interface for inspecting and applying the changes.

The interface also includes keyboard navigation, Windows light/dark theme detection and accessibility names/roles for interactive controls.

Files changed

The tool works with two ARC Raiders configuration files:

  1. GameUserSettings.ini — reads and updates the selected game settings.
  2. Engine.ini — optionally adds the visual/post-processing profile.

The app can set the files read-only after applying the profile to reduce unwanted overwrites. Restore removes those flags where required and restores the backed-up configuration.

Privacy

Arc Optimizer is designed to operate without transmitting user data. The repository contains the current privacy policy and source code.

Changelog

v1.2.0 — May 2026

  • Changed optimization to regex-based replacement so existing values can vary.
  • Added dynamic ARC Raiders discovery across Steam library locations.
  • Added backup restore from the Backups tab.
  • Switched generated configuration to UTF-8 without BOM.
  • Replaced shell attrib calls with .NET file APIs for catchable errors.
  • Added clearer success/error output.
  • Added Windows light/dark theme detection.
  • Added keyboard shortcuts and navigation.
  • Added accessibility metadata to interactive controls.
  • Added UI responsiveness during system scans.
  • Packaged the utility as a standalone EXE.
  • Fixed several configuration, drawing and backup errors found during testing.

v1.1.0 — May 2026

  • Added the privacy notice and consent flow.
  • Added error handling around file/system operations.
  • Added an uninstall command and SECURITY.md.

v1.0.0 — May 2026

  • Initial WinForms release.
  • Settings inspection and one-click profile application.
  • Timestamped backups.
  • System dashboard and settings comparison.
  • Optional Engine.ini profile.

Changelog

  1. 30 May 2026 feature v1.2.0 — Regex-based optimization, Steam-library discovery, backup restore, standalone EXE, theme detection, keyboard navigation and accessibility metadata.
  2. 30 May 2026 feature v1.1.0 — Privacy notice and consent flow, error handling around file/system operations, uninstall command and SECURITY.md.
  3. 30 May 2026 feature v1.0.0 — Initial WinForms release: settings inspection, one-click profile, timestamped backups, system dashboard and optional Engine.ini profile.