Graphics cards that don’t support mesh shading may not be able to play Alan Wake 2
With Alan Wake 2‘s launch rapidly approaching, fans are more than ready to jump back into Bright Falls. Before you get too excited, you should check your PC specs to ensure your graphics card supports mesh shading.
On Twitter, a Remedy developer stated that the Nvidia GeForce 10 series and AMD Ryzen 5000 graphics cards aren’t mentioned in the PC spec requirements because “only cards with mesh shaders are officially supported” and they’re “not sure it will run without it.” Hence, just because an RX 5700 XT can perform in the same ballpark as some of the supported cards, this doesn’t guarantee you’ll be able to play the game.
The tweets have since been deleted, though screenshots are still available on Reddit. Remedy was going to implement vertex shaders, which the cards support, but they dropped after it caused performance issues and bugs. The developer states that vertex shaders could, in theory, be added later via a mod, but it’s not something you should hold your breath for.
This news comes as fans are still reeling from the high PC spec requirements for the game. A new Nvidia trailer showcasing ray tracing in Alan Wake 2 makes it apparent why Remedy has made the choices it had. With ray tracing on, Bright Falls becomes a visual treat filled with reflective puddles, accurate shadows, and shiny surfaces that reflect light.
It has been a 13-year-long wait but Alan Wake 2 will finally launch on October 27.
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