Marvel Rivals, with its vibrant visuals and explosive team fights, offers an exhilarating hero shooter experience. However, for many players, this excitement is frequently interrupted by frustrating frame rate drops and stuttering. If your game feels less fluid than it should, you’re not alone.
Several factors can contribute to inconsistent FPS (frames per second) in Marvel Rivals, spanning from your PC’s hardware to software settings and even in-game optimization. Understanding these can help you reclaim a seamless heroic battle.
The Culprits: Why Your Frames Are Falling
Here’s a detailed look at the most common reasons behind performance dips in Marvel Rivals:
1. Outdated Drivers: The First Line of Defense
One of the most frequent offenders for FPS drops is outdated graphics drivers. Modern games like Marvel Rivals are constantly optimized for the latest advancements from GPU manufacturers (NVIDIA, AMD).
If your drivers are not current, your system might not be utilizing your graphics card efficiently, leading to compatibility issues and a noticeable drop in performance. Regularly updating your GPU drivers is non-negotiable for smooth gameplay.
2. Insufficient Hardware or Overly Ambitious Settings
Marvel Rivals is built on Unreal Engine, a powerful engine capable of rendering stunning, detailed environments and effects. While beautiful, this comes at a cost. If your PC components – particularly your graphics card (GPU) and processor (CPU) – are older or mid-range, they might struggle to keep up.
Furthermore, running the game on “High” or “Ultra” graphics settings, especially for demanding features like global illumination, detailed shadows, complex effects, and reflections, can heavily tax even powerful systems. Lowering these graphical settings is often the most impactful way to boost your FPS.
3. Background Apps and Overlays: Resource Hogs
It’s easy to forget about applications running in the background, but they can be significant resource consumers. Programs like Discord, Steam, NVIDIA’s GeForce Experience overlay, web browsers with numerous tabs open, or even streaming software can hog CPU cycles and memory that Marvel Rivals desperately needs. Disabling unnecessary background applications and overlays can free up crucial resources, leading to significantly smoother performance.
100% Win Rate Smurfs
For only 16,99 €
4. In-Game Optimization Features: Your Secret Weapons
Marvel Rivals incorporates advanced technologies designed to enhance performance. Leveraging these can make a substantial difference:
- DLSS (NVIDIA) or FSR (AMD): These upscaling technologies render the game at a lower resolution and then intelligently upscale it to your display’s native resolution. This can provide a significant FPS boost with minimal perceived loss in visual quality.
- NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency: For NVIDIA users, enabling this feature can reduce input lag, making your actions feel more immediate and responsive, even if it doesn’t directly increase your FPS. Experimenting with and tuning these settings according to your specific hardware can unlock hidden performance.
5. Network and Connectivity: Beyond the Frames
While typically not a direct cause of frame drops, network issues can mimic performance problems. High ping (latency) or packet loss can lead to character teleporting, delayed hit registration, and general choppiness that feels like FPS stuttering. Ensuring a stable internet connection, preferably wired Ethernet, and minimizing network congestion can alleviate these issues.
6. Overheating and Thermal Throttling: The Silent Killer
Prolonged gaming sessions push your PC components to their limits. If your CPU or GPU get too hot, your system’s built-in safeguards will kick in, reducing performance (known as thermal throttling) to prevent damage. This manifests as sudden and significant FPS drops. Monitoring your system’s temperature and ensuring adequate cooling (clean fans, good airflow, proper thermal paste) is vital for sustained performance.
7. Game Optimization and Bugs: A Developer’s Domain
Sometimes, the issue lies not with your system but with the game itself. Specific characters, abilities (like Doctor Strange’s portals), or even certain map areas have been reported by players to cause universal frame drops, regardless of hardware. These are typically optimization issues or bugs that require patches from NetEase Games to resolve.
Quick Fixes and Best Practices for Better Performance
To combat frame drops and achieve a smoother Marvel Rivals experience, implement these steps:
- Update your graphics drivers regularly.
- Lower in-game graphics settings, prioritizing shadows, effects, reflections, and global illumination.
- Enable DLSS or FSR (if available) and use NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency.
- Close all unnecessary background programs and overlays.
- Play in fullscreen mode for optimal resource allocation.
- Monitor your system’s temperature and ensure proper cooling; consider cleaning your PC to improve airflow.
- Watch for game patches that address known performance issues and bugs.
By systematically addressing these potential causes, you can significantly reduce or eliminate frame drops in Marvel Rivals, allowing you to focus on the epic battles and unleash your inner hero without technical frustration.
Would you like to read more about the fixes? Click the following link to learn how to increase frame rate in Marvel Rivals.
Written by:
Christian