Last week, Konami unveiled the highly anticipated remake of Metal Gear Solid 3, titled Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Utilizing the cutting-edge Unreal Engine 5, this release invites gamers to explore its performance capabilities on PC.
Performance Benchmarks
For an in-depth analysis, I employed a robust setup featuring an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor, 32GB of DDR5 RAM clocked at 6000MHz, and a selection of graphics cards including AMD’s Radeon RX 6900XT, RX 7900XTX, RX 9070XT, alongside NVIDIA’s RTX 2080Ti, RTX 3080, RTX 4090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090. The testing environment ran on Windows 10 64-bit, equipped with the GeForce 581.15 and Radeon Adrenalin Edition 25.8.1 drivers.
Virtuos has thoughtfully integrated several graphics settings for players to customize, allowing adjustments to Textures, Global Illumination, Shadows, Effects, and more. Additionally, filters are available to evoke the nostalgic essence of the original game.
As previously noted, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is capped at 60FPS by default. It supports AMD’s FSR 3.0 and NVIDIA’s DLSS 4, although Frame Generation is not natively supported. Attempts to unlock the framerate and enable Frame Gen yielded mixed results, with visual artifacts detracting from the experience. However, utilizing the latest version of MGSDeltaFix allowed for a smooth, unlocked framerate, particularly beneficial for users with RTX-40 or RTX-50 series GPUs, enhancing overall gameplay enjoyment.
Benchmarking Results
Due to the absence of a built-in benchmark tool, I conducted tests in the initial area featuring a confrontation with Ocelot’s unit, identified as one of the more demanding sections early in the game. At 1080p with Ultra Settings, many GPUs managed to maintain a steady 60FPS. For AMD users, the minimum requirement was the Radeon RX 9070XT, while NVIDIA users needed at least the RTX 5080.
When testing at 1440p with Ultra Settings, only the NVIDIA RTX 4090 and RTX 5090 achieved a consistent 60FPS. The AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX performed comparably to the RTX 5080, with both GPUs delivering a smooth experience when paired with a G-Sync or FreeSync monitor.
At Native 4K with Ultra Settings, no GPU managed to sustain a 60FPS experience, which aligns with expectations given that Lumen employs Ray Tracing technology. This performance level mirrors trends observed in other Unreal Engine 5 titles. Notably, users with G-Sync monitors experienced smoother gameplay with the NVIDIA RTX 5090.
Graphics Settings and Visual Quality
Testing the NVIDIA RTX 5080 under various graphics settings revealed that even at Native 4K, it struggled to reach 60FPS, even on Low Settings. Transitioning from Ultra to High yielded a performance increase of approximately 14–18%, while Medium settings provided a modest boost. On Low, the performance surged by 52–58% compared to Ultra, but the visual quality suffered significantly, leaving much to be desired.
On Ultra Settings, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater stands out as one of the most visually stunning games available, showcasing exceptional lighting through Lumen and impressive 3D character models. The high-resolution textures further enhance the immersive experience, and the game avoids the common visual pitfalls associated with Software Lumen. Enabling Hardware Lumen can elevate image quality even further.
Despite some shortcomings in PC features, such as the lack of built-in options for uncapping framerate or enabling Frame Gen, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater performs admirably compared to titles like Mafia: The Old Country or WUCHANG. If your system could handle those games, it should manage this one with ease. However, the graphics settings do not offer extensive scalability, limiting the impact of adjustments.
In summary, while Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater presents a mixed bag of experiences, its Ultra settings deliver breathtaking visuals that demand high-end hardware to fully appreciate. With room for enhancements, the game is not the technical failure some critics suggest; rather, with the right setup, it promises an engaging gaming experience.
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John, the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming, is a passionate advocate for PC gaming and the modding community. His extensive background in gaming journalism includes contributions to various gaming websites. A lifelong gamer, John’s roots trace back to the 16-bit console era, with a particular fondness for the SNES. However, the allure of PC gaming, sparked by the iconic 3DFX Voodoo 2 graphics card, ultimately captured his heart. He has even penned a thesis on the evolution of PC graphics cards.
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