Unreal Engine 5 Stutters Will Improve but Persist for Now
▼ Summary
– Epic showcased Unreal Engine 5 features at Unreal Fest, including a Witcher 4 tech demo, and held developer training sessions on performance optimization.
– Performance issues in Unreal Engine games often stem from development practices rather than the engine itself, as highlighted in a session by a renowned developer.
– Epic recommends PSO precaching in UE 5.2+ for shader compilation, but neither this nor older methods fully eliminate stutters yet.
– Obsidian’s Avowed faced optimization challenges due to starting on UE 4, switching to UE 5 mid-development, and targeting Xbox Series S as the baseline hardware.
– Many UE 5 games may miss performance improvements by shipping on older engine versions, and optimizations require significant developer effort beyond default settings.
Unreal Engine 5 performance issues, particularly shader compilation stutters, remain a challenge for developers despite ongoing improvements from Epic Games. Recent discussions at Unreal Fest in Orlando shed light on why these problems persist, revealing that engine limitations are only part of the story, development practices play an equally crucial role.
During the event, technical sessions highlighted how modern AAA games rely on thousands of complex shaders, which must be compiled before GPUs can process them. While Unreal Engine 5.2 introduced PSO precaching to streamline this process, older versions still struggle with optimization. Epic continues refining these systems, but the reality is that many studios begin projects on outdated engine iterations, missing out on critical performance enhancements.
A case in point is Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed, which started development in Unreal Engine 4 before transitioning to UE5. Despite shipping on UE 5.3.2, the team faced constraints, limited technical staff, tight deadlines, and the need to optimize for Xbox Series S as a baseline. These factors made adopting newer engine features, like PSO precaching, difficult. The result? A visually impressive game that still exhibits familiar stuttering issues.
The situation isn’t unique to Avowed. Many studios face similar hurdles: migrating projects mid-development, balancing graphical fidelity with performance, and working with smaller technical teams. Unreal Engine 5.6 brings significant optimizations, including default PSO precaching and upcoming Nanite Foliage support in 5.7. However, leveraging these improvements requires deliberate effort, developers must rewrite code and rethink shader management strategies.
Epic’s packed sessions at Unreal Fest demonstrate growing awareness of these challenges. The hope is that future titles will prioritize engine updates and optimization from the outset. Until then, smoother performance hinges on studios dedicating resources to implement Epic’s recommendations, a tall order in an industry where time and budget constraints often dictate priorities.
For now, players should temper expectations. While shader stutters may diminish over time, their persistence reflects deeper development complexities rather than a simple engine flaw. The path to buttery-smooth UE5 games isn’t just about better tools, it’s about how teams use them.
The takeaway? Engine improvements alone won’t eliminate stutters overnight. It’s a collaborative effort between Epic’s innovations and developers’ ability to integrate them, meaning patience remains key for gamers awaiting flawless UE5 experiences.
(Source: PCGAMER)
