The latest technical analysis from Digital Foundry reveals how ARC Raiders performs on PC. The extraction shooter developed by Embark Studios takes advantage of the Unreal Engine 5, though with some particular choices.
Performance and Engine Compromises
The game intentionally avoids using several of Epic Games’ advanced technologies—Lumen, Nanite, and Virtual Shadow Maps—to improve performance. These features can significantly affect frame rates and the scalability of the experience.
Thanks to this compromise, ARC Raiders achieves smooth frame pacing, almost completely eliminating shader compilation stutter. Only a bit of traversal stutter remains, which can be reduced by setting a frame rate limit.
Of course, giving up certain technologies has a noticeable impact on visual quality. ARC Raiders shows some inconsistencies in lighting and shadows, including minor glitches that can be distracting.
A Balanced Trade-Off for Online Play
Having reportedly sold around 2.5 million copies, ARC Raiders focuses on performance as its top priority. As an online experience, this technical choice by Embark Studios seems reasonable.
Moreover, scaling the game based on hardware is simple: lowering Dynamic RTXGI and GI Resolution from Ultra to High provides a 24% improvement in frame rate without further sacrifices.
In other news, Embark Studios introduces an automated system in Arc Raiders that restores items lost to cheaters, ensuring fair play and keeping the game fun and balanced for all players.
