Many new games are launching in a state of poor optimization, relying on demanding tech and upscaling as a crutch. This results in a frustrating player experience, a stark contrast to titles that successfully balance visual fidelity with smooth performance.
A growing number of modern video games launch with significant performance issues, frustrating players who expect a smooth experience. Titles like Monster Hunter Wilds and Doom: The Dark Ages exhibit poor optimization, demanding powerful hardware to achieve playable frame rates, often with visual compromises. These releases frequently rely on upscaling technologies not as an enhancement, but as a necessity to run, even at standard resolutions. This trend contrasts sharply with their predecessors, such as Monster Hunter World and Doom Eternal, which offer excellent performance and visual quality on a wider range of systems.
The core of this issue often lies in the implementation of new, demanding technologies. Game engines like Unreal Engine 5 offer powerful features like Lumen for real-time global illumination and Nanite for complex geometry. While these tools can streamline development, they are immensely taxing on hardware. Games such as Black Myth: Wukong and the fan project Oblivion Remaster showcase the pitfalls, where dynamic lighting systems are used in static environments, leading to massive performance costs for negligible gameplay benefit. This approach can even result in a visually inferior experience, with artifacts like blurring and ghosting in games like Marvel Rivals.
However, excellent optimization is still achievable. Titles like Stellar Blade, built on Unreal Engine 4 with traditional baked lighting, demonstrate a strong balance of visuals and performance. Even within Unreal Engine 5, games like Expedition 33 prove that careful implementation can yield good results. Other examples, like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and the current version of Cyberpunk, show that prioritizing a stable and accessible experience is possible. Ultimately, optimization is about finding a harmony between graphical fidelity and performance, ensuring the final product is enjoyable for the widest possible audience.
