NetEase Games' Marvel Rivals is an ambitious hero shooter aiming to stand out with Unreal Engine 5 features, destructible environments, and over-the-top superhero abilities. While its core gameplay shows promise, performance issues across all platforms are a major concern.

The game's visual fidelity is impressive, especially on PC where players can fully leverage Unreal Engine 5’s Lumen global illumination and reflections. However, even high-end systems struggle to maintain a consistent 60fps, with shader compilation stutter and frame rate drops frequently interrupting gameplay.

PC players

For PC players, Marvel Rivals offers the potential for a visually stunning experience, thanks to high-end hardware and the flexibility of PC gaming. However, the current performance issues, including shader compilation stutters and frame rate drops, can be frustrating, even on high-end systems. 

While graphics settings can be adjusted to improve performance,the underlying optimization issues need to be addressed for a consistently smooth gameplay experience. Despite these challenges, PC players have access to various performance-enhancing technologies like DLSS and FSR, which can help mitigate some of the performance issues.

Other consoles

Consoles face similar challenges. PS5 and Xbox Series X deliver a generally solid 60fps experience, but the game's demanding nature leads to occasional stutters, particularly during intense action sequences or when utilizing specific character abilities. The Xbox Series S, on the other hand, makes significant visual compromises to hit the 60fps target,sacrificing features like character shadows, Lumen GI, and screen-space reflections.

While Marvel Rivals showcases potential as a fresh take on the hero shooter genre, its performance issues hinder the overall experience. If NetEase Games can address these technical challenges, the game could become a strong contender in the competitive market. Until then, players may want to temper their expectations. The beta is currently ongoing, and it remains to be seen if the developer can optimize the game sufficiently before its official release.

About the Author

Tom Valentine

Tom is a tech writer with a detailed view on ensuring the best buying advice, most useful information, and latest news makes its way into PC Guide's articles.