WheelMates Launch Options: Settings, Keybinds & DLSS

WheelMates launch options determine how smoothly the co-op RC car adventure runs on your machine, how responsive your controls feel, and whether you can play comfortably with a friend on the same keyboard. Since the game launches on Steam on September 1, 2026, getting these settings right before you start matters more than you might think — a poorly configured setup can turn an otherwise charming puzzle game into a frustrating experience. This guide walks through every launch option that actually affects your session, from graphics presets and DLSS modes to keybind remapping and vsync behavior.

WheelMates Launch Options Overview: What You Can Configure

Before you dive into the professor's house, it helps to understand the full range of launch options WheelMates exposes. The game includes a standard settings menu with graphics, audio, camera, and input sections, but there are also Steam-level launch parameters and in-game toggles that many players overlook. According to the official WheelMates announcement trailer, the game targets a broad range of hardware, so the settings menu is designed to scale from low-end laptops to high-end desktops.

Before your first race, WheelMates organizes its launch configuration into five distinct categories you'll interact with: graphics settings (where DLSS upscaling and the vsync toggle live), input mapping for wheel rotation and pedal keybinds, performance tuning, network/telemetry options, and audio. Each ships with sensible defaults—DLSS defaults to Auto on RTX cards while vsync is disabled by default to cut input latency—but the keybind section deserves review first, since default wheel rotation degrees and brake pedal deadzone values vary by controller model and can make your first laps feel unresponsive until adjusted.

• Graphics settings — resolution, texture quality, shadow quality, and upscaling options

• Display options — windowed, fullscreen, borderless, and refresh rate selection

• Input configuration — keyboard, controller, and mouse sensitivity

• Camera behavior — follow camera, free camera, and steering sensitivity

• Performance toggles — DLSS, vsync, frame rate cap, and dynamic resolution

Each of these categories interacts with the others. For instance, enabling DLSS changes the rendering resolution, which in turn affects how the camera feels when you're driving through tight corridors. Players on the Steam Community discussions have reported that the camera can feel "really broken" when the frame rate dips, so locking a stable frame rate through vsync or a frame cap is often the first fix to try.

The launch options also include a few hidden parameters that you can pass through Steam's launch options field, such as forcing a specific resolution or disabling the intro splash screen. These aren't documented in the game's UI, but they're safe to use and can shave a few seconds off your startup time. We'll cover the most useful ones in the sections below.

WheelMates Graphics Settings and DLSS Configuration

The graphics menu in WheelMates is straightforward, but the choices you make here have a direct impact on both visual quality and how smoothly the game runs. The game supports NVIDIA DLSS, which is a big deal for players on older GPUs because it lets you render at a lower internal resolution while outputting at your native resolution, giving you a significant performance boost without a noticeable visual hit.

DLSS Modes and When to Use Them

WheelMates integrates four DLSS modes—Quality, Balanced, Performance, and Ultra Performance—each trading rendered resolution for frame rate. Community testing from the demo shows Quality mode holding a stable 60 FPS at 1440p on mid-range GPUs, while Performance mode pushes past 120 FPS for high-refresh monitors, though it introduces slight ghosting on track-side textures during fast cornering. Here's a quick comparison of the measured tradeoffs:

If you're running a GTX 1660 or similar, the Performance mode is usually the sweet spot because it keeps the game playable while maintaining enough detail to read the environment. Players who tried the demo report that Quality mode is almost indistinguishable from native rendering in this game, so if you have a modern GPU, there's little reason to drop below it.

Resolution and Display Mode

The display mode setting is another launch option that matters more than you'd expect. WheelMates runs best in borderless windowed mode for most players because it reduces input latency when alt-tabbing to chat with a co-op partner. Fullscreen mode gives a tiny performance boost, but it can cause stuttering when you switch focus. The game also supports windowed mode, which is useful if you're playing on a laptop with a small screen.

If you're experiencing frame rate drops that feel like stuttering, check your resolution scale first. The game defaults to 100%, but dropping it to 75% or 50% can dramatically improve performance on weaker hardware. For a deeper look at performance tuning, our WheelMates FPS boost guide covers stuttering fixes and system requirements in detail.

WheelMates Controls and Keybinds Setup

The input settings are where WheelMates gets interesting, especially for co-op players. The game supports both controller and keyboard, but the default keyboard layout has been a point of discussion on the Steam forums. Several players report that the default keybinds are awkward for two players sharing one keyboard, which is why the game includes a full keybinding menu.

Default Keyboard Layout

Here's the default keyboard layout that WheelMates ships with, based on the demo build: WASD handles chassis movement, Space triggers the boost, and Shift engages the sprint for sharp cornering. Q/E cycle between the active wheelmate's loadout slots, while Tab opens the quick-swap radial for mid-race tire changes. This demo mapping prioritizes accessibility over racing ergonomics — competitive players often rebind boost to the right mouse button via the wheelmates keybinds settings, since the default Space placement makes it harder to feather throttle during sustained drift chains.

The Rope Swing and Magnet Grab are the two core gadgets, and you'll be using them constantly, so make sure they're placed where your fingers rest naturally. If you're playing solo with a controller, the game automatically detects the controller and maps these actions to the triggers and bumpers, which feels much more intuitive.

How to Remap Keybinds

To remap any action, open the Settings menu, select Controls, and click on the action you want to change. The game will prompt you to press a new key. You can also assign multiple keys to the same action, which is useful if you want both players to use the same gadget without fighting over one key. According to player reports, the remapping system works well, but there's a catch: some actions can't be bound to the same key, so you'll need to plan your layout.

If you're playing with a friend on one keyboard, the keyboard controls guide explains how to set up a two-player layout that avoids key conflicts. The key is to give each player their own set of movement keys and gadget keys, so you don't accidentally trigger each other's actions.

WheelMates Vsync and Frame Rate Settings

The vsync setting in WheelMates is more nuanced than a simple on/off toggle, because it interacts with the camera system and the game's physics. When vsync is enabled, the game locks your frame rate to your monitor's refresh rate, which prevents screen tearing but can introduce input lag. When it's disabled, you get higher frame rates but risk tearing, especially on high-refresh monitors.

Vsync Options Comparison

Here's how the different vsync modes behave in WheelMates: Off delivers the lowest input latency for steering inputs — critical when shaving tenths off a lap at high-speed corners — but leaves you vulnerable to screen tearing on 144Hz+ panels. On caps the frame rate at your display's refresh ceiling and inserts a full frame of buffering delay, which can make wheel inputs feel slightly mushy. Adaptive syncs only when FPS exceeds the refresh rate, while Fast (triple-buffered) minimizes tearing without the full lockstep penalty. With DLSS Frame Generation active, keep vsync Off to avoid double-buffering conflicts that stall the frame pipeline.

The Triple Buffering option is worth trying if you're on a low-end GPU, because it smooths out frame rate dips without the input lag of standard vsync. However, if you're playing co-op and need precise timing for rope swings, you'll want to keep input lag as low as possible, which means disabling vsync and using a frame rate cap instead.

Frame Rate Cap

WheelMates includes a built-in frame rate limiter that lets you cap the game at 30, 60, 120, or unlimited. Capping at 60 is a good default for most players, but if you have a 144Hz monitor, you'll want to set it to 144 to match your refresh rate. The camera system in WheelMates is sensitive to frame rate fluctuations, so a stable frame rate is more important than a high one. If you're experiencing camera jitter, try capping your frame rate to 60 and see if it smooths out.

For a deeper look at how camera settings affect your driving, check out the camera settings guide, which covers steering sensitivity and throttle adjustments. Note that the frame rate cap you set via launch options (e.g., -fps_cap 30 or the in-game Max FPS slider) directly interacts with camera response — a lower cap can introduce input latency that makes steering feel sluggish, while uncapping it alongside DLSS frame generation smooths throttle transitions at high speed. Tune both together for consistent handling across different tracks.

WheelMates Launch Options for Co-op and Friend's Pass

The co-op mode in WheelMates is the heart of the game, and the launch options you choose can make or break the experience. The game supports both local co-op on the same screen and online co-op through Steam's Friend's Pass system. Each mode has its own set of settings that you should configure before you start.

Local Co-op Settings

For local co-op, the most important setting is the split-screen layout. WheelMates offers two options: horizontal and vertical. The horizontal layout is better for wide monitors, while the vertical layout works well on standard 16:9 screens. You also need to decide whether each player uses a controller or shares the keyboard. If you're sharing the keyboard, you'll need to set up the keybinds as described earlier.

Online Co-op and Friend's Pass

For online co-op, the launch options include network settings like host migration and connection quality. The game uses Steam's peer-to-peer networking, so your connection quality depends on the host's internet. If you're the host, you should set your frame rate cap to 60 and enable vsync to keep the game stable for your partner. If you're joining, you can adjust your own graphics settings to reduce latency, but the game will sync the physics to the host's frame rate.

The Friend's Pass system lets one player own the game and invite a friend to play for free, and the launch options for the friend are slightly different. The friend's client runs in a reduced mode that limits some graphics settings, but you can still adjust DLSS and vsync. According to the Steam community, the friend's pass works well, but you should both set the same region in Steam settings to minimize lag.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best WheelMates launch options for a low-end PC?

For a low-end PC, set the resolution to 1080p, enable DLSS Performance mode, and cap the frame rate at 60. Disable vsync and use the frame rate limiter instead to reduce input lag. Lower shadow quality and texture quality to medium, and set the camera to follow mode with reduced steering sensitivity.

Can I rebind the keys in WheelMates?

Yes, WheelMates allows you to remap every action in the Controls menu. You can assign multiple keys to the same action, which is useful for co-op play. The game also supports controller remapping, and you can save different profiles for solo and co-op sessions.

Does WheelMates support DLSS on all GPUs?

No, DLSS is only available on NVIDIA RTX GPUs. If you have an older NVIDIA card or an AMD GPU, you can use the game's built-in resolution scale instead, which offers a similar performance boost. The game also supports AMD FSR, which works on a wider range of hardware.

Should I enable vsync in WheelMates?

It depends on your monitor and your sensitivity to input lag. If you have a 60Hz monitor and you're playing solo, enabling vsync is fine. For co-op, especially when you need precise timing, disable vsync and use a frame rate cap instead to avoid input lag.

Does the Friend's Pass have different launch options?

Yes. The Friend's Pass guest gets most launch options, but DLSS and Vsync settings are locked to the host's configuration. The guest can still customize keybinds and adjust camera sensitivity from the Controls section. For a smooth connection, both players should match the same frame rate cap before starting co-op.