When Capcom released the benchmark for Monster Hunter Wilds, it forced players to confront significant choices regarding graphics settings. Many found their aging GPUs, like the RTX 3070, struggling to maintain desirable frame rates.

Unlike past installments, players noticed challenging performance with high graphics settings. The expectation of smooth gameplay at 1440p resolutions now led users to question if sacrifices would be necessary to enjoy the game fully.

Specifically, on the benchmark’s default high settings with DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), users averaged around 54.43 fps—satisfactory for some, but not for a lengthy gaming session. More demanding scenes rapidly dropped average rates below 60 fps, particularly when weather effects and intricate monster animations were in play.

Despite some adjustments reducing quality, such as lowering texture details or rendering distances, these tweaks yielded minimal improvements. Conversely, DLSS Swapper provided a means to switch to the latest version 4 upscaler, achieving an impressive average of 64.24 fps. Yet, even this could not guarantee consistency during the more action-packed sequences in the game.

In light of these findings—similar benchmarks often seeing 50 fps under stress—it’s clear gamers may need to reevaluate how much they’re willing to compromise for performance. The hopeful takeaway? While concerns linger over playable performance upon launch, players are at least reassured they won’t face catastrophic issues. More insights are anticipated from PC Gamer’s hardware team when they have hands-on experience with the full game.