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The secrets to Arc Raiders' UE5 optimization: Restrained feature usage and a performance-first mindset
The reason Arc Raiders shows excellent performance in Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) is that, instead of indiscriminately using all the latest features, they carefully selected and optimized only the features needed for the game. A mindset that prioritizes performance from the early stages of development and the removal of unnecessary engine bloat is key. Even if you don't use custom engine forks like ViteFork, you can greatly improve the performance of your UE5 game with this approach.
1. 🚀 Amazing UE5 Performance in Arc Raiders: The Importance of Restraint
- ✅ Arc Raiders shows very smooth frame rates and minimal stuttering, despite being made with Unreal Engine 5.
- ✅ This is because, instead of utilizing every next-gen feature, they carefully selected and optimized only the features they needed.
- ✅ This approach is also why Unreal Engine forks like ViteFork are gaining attention.
00:00 - 00:29
1. 🚀 Amazing UE5 Performance in Arc Raiders: The Importance of Restraint
- ✅ Arc Raiders shows very smooth frame rates and minimal stuttering, despite being made with Unreal Engine 5.
- ✅ This is because, instead of utilizing every next-gen feature, they carefully selected and optimized only the features they needed.
- ✅ This approach is also why Unreal Engine forks like ViteFork are gaining attention.
00:30 - 01:25
2. 🛠️ What is ViteFork: UE5 Optimization and a Return to UE4.27 Style
- ✅ ViteFork is an Unreal Engine fork that optimizes UE5 and reverts to a UE4.27-style base structure to prioritize stability, predictability, and pure performance.
- ✅ There's no evidence that Arc Raiders used ViteFork, but they are following a similar approach of prioritizing optimization and removing unnecessary parts.
- ✅ Arc Raiders is a game made by Embark Studios with a heavily modified version of Unreal Engine 5, which is an internal branch of Embark Studios, not a public fork like Bitefork.
01:26 - 02:28
3. 🥇 'Performance First' Mindset: ViteFork's Core Principle
- ✅ ViteFork is a custom Unreal Engine fork built on a single principle: 'Performance first, everywhere.'
- ✅ This means smoother editor interaction, more predictable frame times, and reduced stuttering in real gameplay loads.
- ✅ ViteFork presents a new way of thinking about game development. Performance is not something to optimize at the final stage, but something to consider from the beginning when designing the engine and pipeline.
02:29 - 03:09
4. 🔙 The Importance of UE4.27: A Benchmark for Stability and Optimization
- ✅ Unreal Engine 4.27 was the final, fully realized version of a perfectly designed engine generation by studios, not an experimental transitional version.
- ✅ Rendering behavior, lighting costs, editor overhead, etc., were all understood, and it can be a great benchmark if you value consistency and avoid experimental attempts.
- ✅ UE5 introduced amazing systems like Nanite, Lumen, and Virtual Shadow Maps, but they are not always good for performance-sensitive projects.
03:10 - 03:44
5. 💡 Selective Optimization: The Key to Improving UE5 Game Performance
- ✅ You can make UE5 games run very smoothly with selective optimization. Not everything needs Nanite, and not everything needs dynamic global illumination.
- ✅ By Fork applies these ideas at the engine level. Editor performance is part of game performance, and many developers overlook this.
- ✅ A fork that removes unnecessary overhead can improve iteration speed, debugging flow, and compilation predictability, which is just as important as runtime FPS.
03:45 - 04:25
6. 🆚 UE5.7 vs ViteFork: Which Philosophy to Follow?
- ✅ UE5.7 is much better than the initial UE5 release. Epic has clearly put effort into improving CPU performance, improving frame pacing, and reducing overhead in various systems.
- ✅ The key is not that UE5 is slow, but what philosophy you are building your system on.
- ✅ UE5.7 supports optimization on the premise that you want next-generation features, while By Fork prioritizes performance stability and considers visuals next. Arc Raiders shows what happens when developers treat performance as a design constraint.
04:26 - 05:00
7. ⚠️ Precautions When Using ViteFork: Engine Forks Specialized for Specific Purposes
- ✅ There is currently no public documentation that lists releases, AAA games, or indie games that use By Fork in a way that provides official licensing, like the current Epic Showcase.
- ✅ When evaluating By Fork, treat it like an engine fork specialized for a specific purpose. Test real gameplay scenes, capture frame time graphs, validate packaging pipelines, and check plugin compatibility.
- ✅ Don't blindly trust forks just because of hype. You should only trust it when it solves a specific bottleneck.
05:01 - 06:04
8. 🧠 Lessons Learned from ViteFork: Applying a Performance-First Mindset
- ✅ You can adopt ViteFork's mindset even if you don't use ViteFork. Think of performance first.
- ✅ Instead of planning projects and cinematic settings from the start, start with scalability in mind. Set a budget to build lighting and materials, and think of performance as a creative constraint.
- ✅ U5 features are optional, not required. Arc Raiders made this clear. Just because you use U5 doesn't mean you need Nanite, Lumen, and dynamic lighting everywhere.
06:05 - 06:10
9. 🔑 How to Access Unreal Engine Forks via GitHub
How to access forks through GitHub and Epic Games Linking
06:11 - 07:37
10. ⚙️ How to Connect Your GitHub and Epic Games Accounts: Get Access to Unreal Engine Forks
- Create and log in to your GitHub account.
- Log in to your Unreal Engine account from Epic Games.
- Go to Account > Apps and Accounts > GitHub.
- Connect your GitHub account and authorize access.
- Accept the Epic Games GitHub organization invitation sent by email. (Check your spam folder too)
If you have completed all the steps above and still cannot see the repository, try disconnecting and reconnecting.
07:38 - 08:14
11. 🚀 Next Video Preview: Setting Up a Fork-Style Performance Pipeline in UE 5.7 and Introducing Move 2.0
- ✅ In the next video, we'll detail how to set up a fork-style performance pipeline in vanilla UE 5.7.
- ✅ We'll also provide information on character movement in Unreal Engine, especially Move 2.0, which may replace the character movement component in the future.