Guide

Best Apex Legends settings: color, stretched res and crosshair

Updated 10 November 2026 · PixelForge team

Apex Legends has busy maps, lots of smoke and fast movement. Here is how to make enemies easier to read with color, how stretched resolution works in Apex, and how to customize your reticle.

Color and vibrance in Apex

Many Apex maps lean brown, orange and grey, and smoke abilities are everywhere. A moderate saturation boost helps legends stand out without making the screen garish.

NVIDIA: 65 to 75% digital vibrance.
AMD: Saturation 125 to 140.
Color blind modes: Apex has color blind modes in Accessibility. Some players use them to change damage and highlight colors.

NVIDIA

NVIDIA Control Panel, Display, Adjust desktop color settings, Digital vibrance (default 50%).

AMD

AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, Display, turn on Custom Color, raise Saturation (default 100).

Intel

Intel Graphics Command Center or Arc Control, Display, Color, Saturation.

These apply to your whole desktop. To use a different value per game automatically, see vibrance per game on any GPU.

Stretched resolution in Apex

By default Apex keeps the view and adds black bars when you choose a 4:3 resolution. Players who want a stretched picture commonly add these launch options in Steam or the EA app:

+mat_letterbox_aspect_goal 0 +mat_letterbox_aspect_threshold 0

Then set the 4:3 resolution in the game and GPU scaling to full screen. Popular choices are 1440x1080 and 1680x1050 (16:10, a lighter stretch). Launch options can change with game updates, so check they still work after a season update.

To stretch instead of getting black bars: NVIDIA Control Panel, Adjust desktop size and position, Full-screen scaling on the GPU; AMD Adrenalin, GPU Scaling on with Full panel; Intel, Scale, Stretch. Full help: black bars fix. Find the best resolution for your exact monitor with the free stretched resolution calculator.

Crosshair and reticle in Apex

Apex lets you customize optic reticle colors in its settings, so you can make sight reticles stand out on any map. Pick a color that is rare on the maps you play most; cyan and bright green are common choices.

The hip-fire crosshair changes with each weapon. Apex uses Easy Anti-Cheat; overlays only draw on your screen, but in ranked and tournaments follow EA's rules, which can be stricter. Most players are best served by tuning the in-game reticle colors.

Other Apex settings

Field of view: higher shows more at the sides; many players use 100 to 110.
NVIDIA Reflex on, if available.
Cap FPS just under your refresh rate.

Common Apex mistakes

Choosing 4:3 without the launch options: you get black bars, not a stretch.
Very high FOV with stretched: far targets get tiny at the edges. Try a slightly lower FOV with a stretched resolution.
Red reticles on red-heavy maps: pick a reticle color that is rare on the map you play most.

Quick setup order for Apex

Set reticle colors first, then FOV, then decide on stretched in the firing range, and add vibrance last in small steps.

How PixelForge fits

PixelForge gives Apex its own color profile that switches on with the game and off when you leave, and the resolution switcher sets your 4:3 or 16:10 resolution in one click. Combined with the launch options above, that is a full stretched setup you can undo instantly. Tune optic reticle colors in Apex itself.

Per-game color for Apex in one click

PixelForge is a small Windows app that does all of this in one place, with a free 24-hour trial and no install.

See pricing Try it free for 24 hours

Questions

Is 1680x1050 good for Apex?

Yes, it is a light 16:10 stretch that many players like because it stretches less than 4:3.

How do I get stretched resolution in Apex without black bars?

Many players add +mat_letterbox_aspect_goal 0 +mat_letterbox_aspect_threshold 0 to the launch options, pick a 4:3 resolution and set GPU scaling to full screen.

What digital vibrance is best for Apex Legends?

About 65 to 75% NVIDIA digital vibrance or 125 to 140 AMD saturation.

Can I change my reticle color in Apex?

Yes, Apex lets you customize optic reticle colors in its settings.

What FOV should I use in Apex?

Many players use 100 to 110. Higher shows more at the sides but makes far targets smaller.

Is it safe?

PixelForge does not inject into games, touch game files or read game memory. It only changes how your screen looks and draws overlays. No tool can promise what every anti-cheat or server admin will accept, and some Rust servers ban external zoom tools, so check the rules and leave those features off if you are not sure.