How Alan Wake 2 Defied GPU Expectations and Snuck Up On Gamers

Despite the game's initial warning about the GTX 1070's lack of a key feature - mesh shaders - it surprisingly managed to operate at 20 fps on low settings. When the settings were cranked to "High", the GPU powered through, albeit with a noticeable drop in frames. Of course, the experience wasn't optimal, but the fact that it could run on such hardware was commendable.

It's essential to comprehend the importance of mesh shaders in this context. Remedy Entertainment listed the Nvidia RTX 2060 or the AMD RX 6600 XT RDNA2 as the minimum requirements for Alan Wake 2, given their support for the DirectX 12 Ultimate feature-set and, specifically, mesh shaders. This sparked confusion among many gaming enthusiasts who believed that without this hardware feature, the game might be unplayable. However, tests have debunked this as hearsay. While the lack of mesh shaders does impose a significant performance penalty, gameplay remains unbroken.

Comparative analysis between GPUs brings more clarity to the table. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, for instance, which lacks hardware mesh shaders, performed suboptimally in tests. Contrarily, the GTX 16-series, which does have hardware support for mesh shaders, showcased performance in line with expectations. The discrepancy in performance stems primarily from the absence or presence of hardware mesh shaders.

Now, does this mean those with older GPUs should dive headfirst into Alan Wake 2? Well, probably not. While tests by TechPowerUp have shown that the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti can run the game, the results were far from impressive, averaging around 16 FPS at max settings without upscaling or ray tracing. Alan Wake 2's reliance on mesh shaders for rendering and the GTX 1080 Ti's lack thereof accounts for such performance lags. Players would have to depend heavily on features like DLSS and FSR to improve performance, and even then, it might not reach an optimal gaming experience.

This doesn't mean that Remedy to a poor job at optimizing Alan Wake 2, though.

Keep mind that the industry has seen significant evolution over the years. Those who recall the late '90s and early 2000s might remember the almost annual need to upgrade graphics cards to meet the demands of new games. Fast forward to the present, and while GPUs have become more expensive, their longevity has increased, making the upgrade cycle longer. The 1080 Ti, for example, is a nearly-7-year-old graphics card. Even though it was a beast back in 2017, it's no longer as impressive in 2023, especially when modern games require newer features.

As video game graphics inch closer to realism, the distinction between sequential upgrades becomes less pronounced, while hardware demands skyrocket. But amidst these evolutions and shifts, it's clear that developers such as Remedy are making an effort to ensure even those with older hardware can have a taste of modern gaming marvels. Whether it's a slideshow or a seamless experience, the doors are open for all to walk through.

Unfortunately, while everyone can check if their PC meets the minimum requirements for Alan Wake 2 or not, the game isn't available on Steam. It's unclear if the future updates will change this. But, at least two expansions for Alan Wake 2 are on the table.