diff --git a/include/rendering/wmo_renderer.hpp b/include/rendering/wmo_renderer.hpp
index 3376e5c7..7520902f 100644
--- a/include/rendering/wmo_renderer.hpp
+++ b/include/rendering/wmo_renderer.hpp
@@ -645,7 +645,7 @@ private:
 
     // Normal mapping / POM settings
     bool normalMappingEnabled_ = true;   // on by default
-    float normalMapStrength_ = 1.0f;     // 0.0 = flat, 1.0 = full, 2.0 = exaggerated
+    float normalMapStrength_ = 0.8f;     // 0.0 = flat, 1.0 = full, 2.0 = exaggerated
     bool pomEnabled_ = false;            // off by default (expensive)
     int pomQuality_ = 1;                 // 0=Low(16), 1=Medium(32), 2=High(64)
     bool materialSettingsDirty_ = false; // rebuild UBOs when settings change
diff --git a/include/ui/game_screen.hpp b/include/ui/game_screen.hpp
index 69450693..6acda358 100644
--- a/include/ui/game_screen.hpp
+++ b/include/ui/game_screen.hpp
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ private:
     int pendingGroundClutterDensity = 100;
     int pendingAntiAliasing = 0;  // 0=Off, 1=2x, 2=4x, 3=8x
     bool pendingNormalMapping = true;   // on by default
-    float pendingNormalMapStrength = 1.0f;  // 0.0-2.0
+    float pendingNormalMapStrength = 0.8f;  // 0.0-2.0
     bool pendingPOM = false;            // off by default (expensive)
     int pendingPOMQuality = 1;          // 0=Low(16), 1=Medium(32), 2=High(64)
 
diff --git a/src/ui/game_screen.cpp b/src/ui/game_screen.cpp
index e38d1475..a18a4a4a 100644
--- a/src/ui/game_screen.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/game_screen.cpp
@@ -5970,7 +5970,7 @@ void GameScreen::renderSettingsWindow() {
                     pendingGroundClutterDensity = kDefaultGroundClutterDensity;
                     pendingAntiAliasing = 0;
                     pendingNormalMapping = true;
-                    pendingNormalMapStrength = 1.0f;
+                    pendingNormalMapStrength = 0.8f;
                     pendingPOM = false;
                     pendingPOMQuality = 1;
                     pendingResIndex = defaultResIndex;