PC ports have hardly always been perfect, but in the past few months, many are the games that don't seem to run well on most system configurations due to a variety of issues,  shader compilation issues. Tango Gameworks' Hi-Fi Rush is among the games released in 2023 that doesn't suffer much from these issues, and the game's lead graphics programmer detailed how the developer managed to keep stuttering to a minimum.

　　Speaking with PC Gamer a few days ago, Kosuke Hirata explained they were able to keep performance issues to a minimum by carefully choosing performance tech that fit the game's aesthetics and gameplay, keeping constant track of CPU and GPU performance, and using standard Unreal Engine 4 functionality.

　　First, we were careful in choosing performant tech that fits our gameplay and game aesthetics, so that we can have a great CPU/GPU performance base to work from. We also track CPU/GPU performance daily at the in-game checkpoints to make sure we aren’t introducing  performance problems. We use standard UE4 functionality to adjust latency timings and analysis with  profiling tools and careful in-game playtesting to make sure we are providing users with the best gameplay feel."

　　Speaking specifically about shader compilation, which is the main reason behind the stuttering seen in some recent games, the Hi-Fi Rush lead graphics programmer revealed the game uses the engine's PSO Caching functionality to avoid large stutters. There are still some hitches, but they are mostly during cutscene transitions and don't affect gameplay.

　　"Hi-Fi Rush uses Unreal Engine 4’s PSO Caching functionality to avoid large hitches. UE4 misses some cases such as certain lighting shader combinations, computer shaders, Niagara VFX, and these may still cause hitches. In Hi-Fi Rush, some hitches remain, but they are mostly during certain cutscene transitions that don’t affect gameplay. In another one of our UE4 titles, Ghostwire: Tokyo, we currently preload problematic assets in the title screen background to minimize hitching and try to provide a better gamer experience."

　　Hi-Fi Rush is now available on PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S worldwide. You can learn more about the excellent game by Tango Gameworks by checking out Ule's review.

　　Hi-Fi Rush is a fantastic game that combines two very popular genres and makes a wonderful and innovative game with a low skill floor but a high skill ceiling. The game is both accessible to newcomers to rhythm games and very challenging for veterans looking to be tested in several other areas that don't necessarily have to do with just rhythm games. The combat is varied, the combos you learn are great to execute, and the music is a joy to listen to. Overall, a great success.