ARC Raiders has gained recognition for its impressive performance powered by Unreal Engine 5, demonstrating the capability to run at 100FPS in Native 4K with Epic Settings and Ray Tracing on an NVIDIA RTX 5090. Initially, the developers locked the game’s Cinematic/Max Settings, which could have contributed to its optimized performance. However, with Patch 1.7.0 now available, PC gamers can finally experience the game with these enhanced visuals.
For those familiar with the Unreal Engine 5 games, there’s a well-known method to unlock these high-end settings by tweaking the configuration files. Players who have previously made these adjustments will know what to expect from the newly available settings. For others, it’s essential to be aware that utilizing the Cinematic settings may result in an approximate 30% decrease in performance. Although no comparison videos have surfaced yet, there is a link to a video showcasing these hidden settings at the end of the article.
ARC Raiders isn’t the sole title that launched with locked Cinematic settings; other games like Silent Hill f and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 implemented similar restrictions. The reasons for this decision can be understood — many gamers are under the impression that mid-tier GPUs can handle Ray Tracing at Native 4K while achieving 60FPS, which isn’t feasible without the most optimized games or a compromise in quality settings.
There is an irony in the gaming community regarding perceptions of older titles, often praised for their lingering visual appeal despite past criticisms for lacking performance. Games such as Crysis, Assassin’s Creed: Unity, and Red Dead Redemption 2 faced significant backlash for poor performance, yet are often fondly remembered today.
A recent controversy surfaced involving the animations in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, particularly regarding a Titan depicted in a crossover with “Attack on Titan.” Critics claimed the animations were poorly executed; however, the Titan was faithful to its source material — a design choice aimed at fan service rather than incompetence. This highlights a trend where content creators, motivated by clicks and views, sometimes misinform their audience without grasping the full context.
If ARC Raiders had launched with its Cinematic Settings from the onset, it likely would have faced heavy scrutiny for performance issues. Instead, by releasing the game with optimized settings first, it has established a reputation as one of the more efficient PC games.
As gamers anticipate future Unreal Engine 5 releases, it’s crucial to recognize that having access to in-game Max Settings doesn’t equate to utilizing the actual Cinematic Settings. This deliberate decision by developers serves to protect players from unrealistic expectations and frustration.
For those interested in the various fixes and changes introduced in Patch 1.7.0, comprehensive patch notes are available for review.
With the unlocked Cinematic settings, players can look forward to a visually stunning experience, reaffirming the ongoing evolution of gaming technology and its capabilities.