After navigating a landscape of disappointing PC ports in recent months, it is refreshing to encounter a title that captivates with its stunning visuals. Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows stands out as a remarkable achievement, reminiscent of the awe inspired by CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077—particularly following its post-launch patches. This latest installment from Ubisoft is undeniably one of the best-looking games I’ve ever played on PC, and this assessment is grounded in genuine admiration rather than a desire to score points amidst the surrounding controversies.
While the game excels in visual fidelity, it does come with its challenges. Even the formidable Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 can struggle to maintain frame rates beyond 60fps at 4K native max settings. However, when compared to the myriad of recent PC ports, this performance is far from the worst. The consensus suggests that the performance hiccups may stem from the enforced Ray Traced Global Illumination (RTGI) in the game’s ‘Hideout’ area, which cannot be entirely disabled. This aspect likely contributes to the game’s demanding hardware requirements. My experience, however, was markedly different when using the Asus TUF Nvidia RTX 4080 Super OC Edition, which left me eager to explore further.
The usual stutterfest of recent times is absent in Shadows, and I couldn’t be happier
Utilizing my Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED ultrawide monitor, I played Assassin’s Creed Shadows at the ‘Ultra High’ graphics preset, complete with native AA and DLSS Frame Generation enabled. The result was an impressive average of 74fps, and the game’s benchmark tool confirmed a stutter counter reading of zero throughout my tests. While the game is undeniably beautiful, the full RTGI effect comes at a significant performance cost. Nevertheless, the frame time remained consistently flat, ensuring a smooth experience even when frame rates dipped to a minimum of 60fps.
It is worth mentioning that recent Nvidia drivers have introduced some performance issues, including black screens. The latest driver, which includes official DLSS 4 support for AC Shadows, has prompted me to stick with driver version 572.47 until stability is restored. While it’s unclear whether the performance issues reported by others—especially those using lower-end cards—are due to driver complications or the real-time RTGI, my experience has been smooth and free from major stutters.
Interestingly, I encountered a similar situation with another title, Indiana Jones: The Great Circle, where lowering the resolution resulted in slightly worse performance due to CPU bottlenecking. This raises the question of whether Shadows shares the same limitation regarding ray tracing. Fortunately, DLSS Frame Generation performs admirably in this game. Although some ghosting is present—likely due to not using DLSS 4 Override—it’s hardly noticeable unless one is actively searching for it, and there is no significant input lag. This demonstrates how upscaling and AI enhancements are increasingly vital for optimizing performance in modern AAA titles, particularly in Shadows, where upscaling feels almost essential.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ RTGI visuals make the performance hit worth it
Once again, I must emphasize that Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a visual masterpiece, a title that truly needs to be experienced firsthand to appreciate its grandeur. Static images fail to capture its essence, and the OLED screen elevates the experience to new heights. In contrast, other games that struggle to impress visually, such as Rise of the Ronin, often launch with subpar performance and erratic frame time graphs, leading to what I refer to as the ‘stutterfest.’ Despite the need for some performance adjustments in Shadows, its visual spectacle justifies its demanding nature, allowing it to shine brightly among recent PC ports.
Ubisoft’s decision to forgo last-gen consoles for Shadows is understandable; those platforms would likely falter under the game’s demands. Alongside titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Shadows represents a genuine leap in visual fidelity, and I eagerly anticipate witnessing this trend continue, ideally accompanied by performance results that meet the expectations of all players.
