Marvel Rivals has announced that it will launch an experimental update feature called ‘Switch Shaper Compilation Mode’ (SSCM) to reduce in-game memory usage and improve stability.
These changes should improve gaming experiences for players with lower-spec PC’s, thus impacting Season 2: Hellfire Gala and potentially fostering a larger esports scene.
In the announcement by Marvel Rivals yesterday, it was revealed that SSCM would be available when Season 2 launches on April 11th.
What is Switch Shaper Compilation Mode?
As shared on the online blog post, SSCM is a PC-exclusive feature that aims to address long-time frustrations with the games’ sudden FPS drops and high memory consumption.
With this feature activated, the in-game shader compilation process will only run upon entering a game after a new game version or graphics driver update.
Players should see a decrease in memory usage in the Marvel Rivals update, meaning fewer instances of severe FPS drops, frozen visuals and crashes caused by memory shortages.
In the blog post, NetEase said: “We recommend that players with 16GB of RAM or less, who have experienced significant FPS drops, frozen screens, or frequent crashes in previous seasons, consider activating this experimental feature.
“And remember, if you encounter any issues after enabling it, our support team stands ready to assist on this quest for an optimal gaming experience.”
The New feature Is a Work In Progress
As an ‘experimental’ feature, naturally, the new mode isn’t without a couple of issues. In the same blog post, NetEase acknowledges and addresses some of the problems users activating SSCM may face.
Marvel Rivals shares that with each new match, some materials may load abnormally as a result of the delayed shader process, and will take a while before returning to their intended shape. Though rendering should ‘behave normally’ for the rest of the game.
Some visual glitches may also occur, including stuttering when initially loading certain materials and assets. Once again, this shouldn’t become an issue later in the match.
NetEase Games also warns that users who enable both SSCM and AMD FSR3 Frame Generation for smoother performance may find additional stutters.
As an experimental feature, it may very well see alterations and additions over time.
How Will This Effect The Esports Scene?
The Marvel Rivals update brings an experimental feature that will most affect players with less-powerful PCS. This feature evens out the playing field to ensure matches are determined by skill and not specs.
It is the latest move by NetEase to ensure more people are able to enjoy the game, and as a result, a larger pool of players may feel more confident in participating in its esports scene. If it helps drive more users to the game, it could bring some much-needed variety in a scene which is dominated by the top teams.
With FPS and RAM being less of an issue, more teams may try to compete in the upcoming Marvel Rivals Championships, which has already seen multiple changes to be bigger and better than before.