Marvel Rivals is Pushing Unreal Engine 5 to its Limits So Much, One Inferior ‘Current Gen’ Console Can’t Handle It

The Xbox Series S and the Unreal Engine 5 don't get alone and Marvel Rivals does not perform well in the console. The fans aren't happy.

Marvel Rivals

SUMMARY

  • Marvel Rivals highlights the lack of power of the Xbox Series S.
  • Everything indicates that Unreal Engine 5 and this Microsoft platform do not get along well, especially in the latest titles that use this technology.
  • According to new reports, this highly anticipated title from NetEase Games cannot run above 540p on this console.
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With each new release that demands high visual performance, the lack of power of the Xbox Series S becomes more evident. This has happened in games such as Baldur’s Gate 3 and even the recent Hellblade 2. It appears that the highly anticipated title Marvel Rivals will also suffer from the platform’s lack of power. 

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According to new reports, Microsoft’s second console is unable to make the game run above 540p. This is further proof that Unreal Engine 5 and this type of console do not work well together when it comes to running a game stably.

The Xbox Series S Once Again Frustrates Its Users Due to the Lack of Power, This Time With Marvel Rivals

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Venom swinging in the game.
A gameplay screenshot from Marvel Rivals shows Spider-Man using his "Get Over Here" ability to entangle an enemy Rocket Raccoon in webs and reel him in his team's direction.
A promotional screenshot of Marvel Rivals.
Thor Odinson is seen inspecting his Mjolnir in Marvel Rivals.

It seems that every new title with high graphical power due to the use of the popular Unreal Engine 5 is proving to be more than a challenge for certain less powerful platforms.

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Recent AAA games have demonstrated that the hardware is not up to par with these games’ visual offerings. One of the major victims of this lack of power is Microsoft’s second console, the Xbox Series S. The limitations are noticeable.

Developers have been saying for years that this console hinders the development of many large-scale games. New reports indicate that a new title, Marvel Rivals, cannot run above 540p.

Marvel Rivals Hands-On - PS5/Xbox Series/PC - Can Unreal Engine 5 Deliver A Locked 60FPS?

This year will see the release of Marvel Rivals, potentially leaving many console users unsatisfied or leading them to choose another platform for optimal gameplay and enjoyment. This third-person action title does not seem compatible with the hardware.

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Low-Power Hardware Cannot Run Unreal Engine 5, an Essential Tool

Marvel Rivals still.
Marvel Rivals does not perform well on Xbox Series S. Unreal Engine 5 is not adapting to this limited hardware. Image via NetEase Games.

The well-known digital media outlet Digital Foundry discovered this by releasing a video showing the game’s performance on various platforms. Obviously, due to the hardware limitations of the Xbox Series S, it could not run Marvel Rivals properly.

The video demonstrates the need to make several visual adjustments, including disabling certain enhancements like Lumen technology, for the console to run the game correctly.

In order to function more smoothly, the game also removes some shadows and even lowers the quality of certain models.

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Despite all these adjustments, the game does not seem to function entirely well, as it still loses all kinds of quality when running on the console, reaching a low point of 540p—an unrealistic performance for a game of this era. Unreal Engine 5 is having a lot of trouble adapting to this console and its technical limitations.

Despite this detailed analysis, the game performs flawlessly on the console 95% of the time, but the 5% of issues where the resolution significantly drops are too noticeable to ignore.

Microsoft is receiving more and more alerts about the limitations of the Xbox Series S, and almost without exception, developers have complained about how difficult it is to adapt a AAA game to this console’s hardware. All platforms will see the release of Marvel Rivals this year.

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What are your thoughts on this performance issue? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by Lucas Lapetina

Articles Published: 867

I'm a big fan of movies and videogames in general. I really love Pokémon and Godzilla. One of my favorite games is The Last of Us, Part II. A compelling and well-written story is always welcome.