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S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chernobyl

I wish GSC all the success in the world with this game, one of the very rare goodguy developers.

Gc1v0FNXIAAPfx6.jpeg
 
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I haven't had much chance to play yet, but so far it's...okay. Performance is not what I'd call good, but it's playable. I get a lot of GSync flickering for some reason, it only really ever happens in menus in other games, not sure what's going on here. Also, the blacks/gradients in the opening truck scene were all fucked up, like it's running in low-bit color or something. Seemed okay once I got into the game, though.
 
MavericK said:
I get a lot of GSync flickering for some reason, it only really ever happens in menus in other games, not sure what's going on.
Click to expand...

Because your frametimes are going crazy due to how miserable this game is CPU optimized.
 
If you have a powerful GPU then turn off Gsync,m this removes the VRR flicker and you still have smooth motion. On a 4090 this is exactly the case and now I don't use Gsync in any game due to this as even dark grey scenes VRR flicker regardless of frametime quality in many games.
 
MavericK said:
I haven't had much chance to play yet, but so far it's...okay. Performance is not what I'd call good, but it's playable. I get a lot of GSync flickering for some reason, it only really ever happens in menus in other games, not sure what's going on here. Also, the blacks/gradients in the opening truck scene were all fucked up, like it's running in low-bit color or something. Seemed okay once I got into the game, though.
Click to expand...

robbiekhan said:
If you have a powerful GPU then turn off Gsync,m this removes the VRR flicker and you still have smooth motion. On a 4090 this is exactly the case and now I don't use Gsync in any game due to this as even dark grey scenes VRR flicker regardless of frametime quality in many games.
Click to expand...

Do your monitors have the G Sync modules? I recall reading about VRR flicker on some monitors that don't have it (G Sync compatible monitors). I've never experienced it though my monitor is one with the module.
 
VRR flicker is perfectly normal on OLED and VA, the presence of a module does not matter.

If your frametimes are unstable enough you will see it. It's how often and fast they change, that makes the flicker stands out. That's why not all people have the same experience with the same monitor, they don't have the same settings and computer behind it, nor do they play the same games.

Usually it's CPU more than GPU related. Cap your framerate at something your PC can hold, with nvidia limiter or RTSS (or SpecialK). Framegen helps A LOT with VRR flicker by filling the gaps.

STALKER 2 happens to have it for everyone (FSR frame gen is universal, 4000 series get the superior DLSS one).

Saying "turn off VRR" is a bit of a joke since you lose the smoothness and tearing removal of VRR, but you do you.
 
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There is no smoothness lost and no tearing introduced assuming you don't exceed your refresh rate, I am on a 240Hz 4K OLED so no such issues are ever observed. Those on lower refresh rate panels or non OLEDs may see otherwise of course. With a capable GPU and a fast monitor, this is a non issue.

For anyone interested they can simply try it and see on their specific system. It works perfect for me and others and this is how we remove VRR flicker.

Usually it's CPU more than GPU related. Cap your framerate at something your PC can hold, with nvidia limiter or RTSS (or SpecialK). Framegen helps A LOT with VRR flicker by filling the gaps.
Click to expand...
Key word being usually.... This is not the case in most games however released recently. Any game with dark scenes, Silent Hill 2, Star Wars games, any horror etc will all have VRR flicker even on the menu screens where CPU matters 0% - As long as those shades of grey are being rendered, there is VRR flicker. I've tested all this extensively, locking the game to a constant 80fps with a 100% flat frametime graph still shows VRR flicker because those greys are dominating the screen.

Flogger23m said:
Do your monitors have the G Sync modules? I recall reading about VRR flicker on some monitors that don't have it (G Sync compatible monitors). I've never experienced it though my monitor is one with the module.
Click to expand...
I have both the AW3423DW (Gsync Ultimate, so module) and the AW3225QF (Gsync but no module) and in both cases what I said above applies.
 
robbiekhan said:
There is no smoothness lost and no tearing introduced assuming you don't exceed your refresh rate, I am on a 240Hz 4K OLED so no such issues are ever observed. Those on lower refresh rate panels or non OLEDs may see otherwise of course. With a capable GPU and a fast monitor, this is a non issue.


I have both the AW3423DW (Gsync Ultimate, so module) and the AW3225QF (Gsync but no module) and in both cases what I said above applies.
Click to expand...
False.

Without VRR your need v-sync to avoid tearing. And to have smooth motion you need your framerate to be equal or a an integer multiplier of your refresh rate. Otherwise, frames are constantly dropped or repeated or displayed for longer or shorter than they should: not smooth.

That is how a fixed refresh display works, physics.

At 240hz the tearing and microstuttering is reduced, but not gone. We would need something like 1000hz to forgo VRR for the most sensitive of us.
 
On paper that may track, but the reality is that's not what's observed under the above conditions. Look I have been testing all this for years, this is what I have found directly and then learned others do the same too.

I'm going to use stalker 2 as an example to repeat the above, there is no smoothness loss or tearing introduced by not using Gsync. What do you want me to do to prove this, a 240fps camera recording of my screen during gameplay to show it? Crazy...

Keep in mind that VRR flicker also results in frame motion juddering (even when the RTSS frametime graph is flat) which is perceived as movement stutter as it bogs down the system slightly too, so not only is it a visual issue, but also a practical one too.
 
If you are happy this way, that's fine. But in your setup there is tearing and microstuttering.

You are not perceiving it and that's totally cool, just enjoy your hardware however you want.
 
It's pretty cool that you know my hardware better than me.

For everyone else, if you have a capable system and a 240Hz+ monitor, just try it and maybe rid yourself of VRR flicker until vendors solve it at a factory level in years to come.
 
So you have no actual experience with the combination of hardware and are only going off what you expect to see based on what's written on paper. Seems a bit crazy to be so sure of something without actually experiencing the very hardware combo being talked about.
 
robbiekhan said:
Keep in mind that VRR flicker also results in frame motion juddering (even when the RTSS frametime graph is flat) which is perceived as movement stutter as it bogs down the system slightly too, so not only is it a visual issue, but also a practical one too.
Click to expand...

I have never seen VRR flickering with a flat frametime graph and I'm playing with VRR on different OLED TVs since 2019. VRR-flickering is ALWAYS a sign of bad frametimes. No exception.
 
robbiekhan said:
So you have no actual experience with the combination of hardware and are only going off what you expect to see based on what's written on paper. Seems a bit crazy to be so sure of something without actually experiencing the very hardware combo being talked about.
Click to expand...

What? I have hardware too, what are you even talking about?

I just learned how it works over the years, through experience and with the help of websites such as blurbusters.

You're trying to deny the laws of physics.
 
lors said:
I have never seen VRR flickering with a flat frametime graph and I'm playing with VRR on different OLED TVs since 2019. VRR-flickering is ALWAYS a sign of bad frametimes. No exception.
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Yup. RTSS or nvidia or SpecialK framelimiters are a godsend to stabilize things. Alongside X3D CPUs. Some games just suck though.
 
Ryzen 7700x, and 7900xtx. Running epic/high. 80-100 fps native. No fsr or anything. Runs great smooth as silk! Great to be back in the zone.
 
lors said:
I have never seen VRR flickering with a flat frametime graph and I'm playing with VRR on different OLED TVs since 2019. VRR-flickering is ALWAYS a sign of bad frametimes. No exception.
Click to expand...
The fact that VRR flicker can be seen on the main menu of some games, a place where the frametime graph is completely flat for ref so you can baseline it easily, proves my point. If you haven't seen it then you haven't played the same games, or paid attention to it in those games which is also fine.
 
I have VRR off on my LG oled all the time flickers in some games and not others. I mean you can see the the whole screen flicker.
 
robbiekhan said:
The fact that VRR flicker can be seen on the main menu of some games, a place where the frametime graph is completely flat for ref so you can baseline it easily, proves my point. If you haven't seen it then you haven't played the same games, or paid attention to it in those games which is also fine.
Click to expand...
I know those menus and no, the frametimes aren't flat at all. You are probably looking at framerate.

On most VRR monitors and TVs, there is a frame/hz overlay that can be enabled (tap the green button on LG OLED TVs a few times for example), in those menus you see that the refresh rate is all over the place when the flickering is happening.

And to be clear sensitivity to flicker varies greatly from person to person. I can totally get that some would just disable VRR because mitigating it is too much of a hassle. Because it can definitely be a pain in some games and with some hardware.
 
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robbiekhan said:
The fact that VRR flicker can be seen on the main menu of some games, a place where the frametime graph is completely flat for ref so you can baseline it easily, proves my point. If you haven't seen it then you haven't played the same games, or paid attention to it in those games which is also fine.
Click to expand...

There is a huge variance in games when it comes to frametime graph smoothness and visible flickering. The frametime graph could be basically flat with only some really really small visible hiccups, but you would still see VRR-flickering. Like kalston said, you can check this on LG OLED TVs with the frame/hz overlay. The refresh rate is jumping from like 60-100hz/120Hz constantly when you see VRR-flickering, in every single case.
 
I'm enjoying the hell out of this... Either I'm a filthy casual anymore or all of these sophisticated shenanigans aren't really affecting my gameplay... My random OCD of wanting to climb every tall thing finally paid off... I was starting to lose hope, then found a stash that had a weapon with a decent scope on it. Now asploding heads like the good little stalker I am.

I've died alot because I'm stupid hard-headed and like to trial and error. I have also failed alot at clicking the button to go down ladders and may or may not have taken the express way down a bit.
 
So I just tested both GSync on against Gsync off (vsync also off and framerate global cap at 223fps)

Gsync On:

View: https://youtu.be/tjMD3P1m3YA


View: https://youtu.be/z8VImluBSyA

Gsync Off:

View: https://youtu.be/TVjAPVZozL0


View: https://youtu.be/K74RnlJuz1E

Note the flickering, note the frametime graph being more stable with gsync off because the system isn't having to constantly keep up with the VRR variances. At times the 2nd clip of Gsync on drops to 57Hz due to the variance whereas the frametime is less bogged down with Gsync off as the system isn't having to work as hard at the same time. Smoothness feels better with Gsync off as a result in this context. Now smoothness can never be captured on video this way obviously but this is exactly what I note above and what I feel through the mouse on an OLED display that has basically 0ms pixel response latency.

So yes, on this specific type of combo of hardware and display, Gsync off offers the better experience. So even if on paper the frame motion should not be as smooth, it relatively is smooth because of the fixed 240Hz mitigating any loss of smoothness that would otherwise be seen on a lower fixed refresh rate panel. I note that the same isn't as obvious on my AW3423DW which is running at 144Hz. So higher fixed refresh rates definitely are a plus here.

And incase it was missed, my main gameplay video showing frametimes using various upscaling/native etc:


View: https://youtu.be/mmBL7fc-HnY
 
revenant said:
I have everything on epic, dlls3 enabled, 4k.. HDR... it looks great, plays great... happy so far.

def has a new vegas meets oblivion vibe so far.. although the flashlight access tab + e is totally weird.
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It's also bound to 'L' by default like the original game. This game is doing non-standard keybinds again that you'll probably want to move around. The quick access keys being on 'Q' and 'E' by default instead of lean was messing me up a lot.
w35t said:
So uh, how many times have y’all died so far? Asking for a friend.
Click to expand...
8 so far. I had to get used to how the guns handle in a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game again. I also died a couple times trying to get artifacts until I figured out how that mechanic works.
Flogger23m said:
Do your monitors have the G Sync modules? I recall reading about VRR flicker on some monitors that don't have it (G Sync compatible monitors). I've never experienced it though my monitor is one with the module.
Click to expand...
Mine doesn't and I don't have any flickering in this game with G-SYNC on. Using a LG C3 with the last webOS 23 firmware (haven't "upgraded" to webOS 24 yet). People say flickering is a big issue with LG WOLED panels, but it seems to me the most complaints are coming from QD-OLED panel users.
kalston said:
False.

Without VRR your need v-sync to avoid tearing. And to have smooth motion you need your framerate to be equal or a an integer multiplier of your refresh rate. Otherwise, frames are constantly dropped or repeated or displayed for longer or shorter than they should: not smooth.

That is how a fixed refresh display works, physics.

At 240hz the tearing and microstuttering is reduced, but not gone. We would need something like 1000hz to forgo VRR for the most sensitive of us.
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False. That is what triple buffering is for. Have people been so spoiled by VRR that they have forgotten about triple buffering? The only side effect of triple buffering is added latency. There is otherwise no visual artifact that should be noticeable to anybody.
 
Armenius said:
False. That is what triple buffering is for. Have people been so spoiled by VRR that they have forgotten about triple buffering? The only side effect of triple buffering is added latency. There is otherwise no visual artifact that should be noticeable to anybody.
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Triple buffering is unrelated to anything I was writing about. Fixed refresh displays need a matching framerate to display smooth motion. Triple buffered v-sync absolutely still stutters/judders whatever you want to call it.

robbiekhan said:
So I just tested both GSync on against Gsync off (vsync also off and framerate global cap at 223fps)
[...]
Click to expand...
Menus are always weird but the gameplay experience looks as expected, there are plenty of variances in the graph in both cases. VRR does not add load to the game, what it does is force the display to obey the GPU to the letter. The opposite of v-sync, where the GPU waits for the monitor.
 
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Bug or not has no relevance, the result is what it is and only one solution provides the better experience, that is all that matters and this seems a common theme with modern games nowadays.

Just like DLSS vs native, doesn't matter how you get there, on paper native SHOULD be better than DLSS, but in practice it is not, it's lower fps, it's higher latency, whilst DLSS looks identical with superior performance. All that matters is the end output just like how Digital Foundry have been saying for months now.

FWIW I do not use vsync at all, it is off globally, gsync off, vsync off. Solely relying on the performance of a 4090 and OLED 240Hz and globally capped at 223fps max for super smooth visual performance to the eyes and recorded (4K 120fps H265 in NVApp) game videos.
 
robbiekhan said:
Bug or not has no relevance, the result is what it is and only one solution provides the better experience, that is all that matters and this seems a common theme with modern games nowadays.

Just like DLSS vs native, doesn't matter how you get there, on paper native SHOULD be better than DLSS, but in practice it is not, it's lower fps, it's higher latency, whilst DLSS looks identical with superior performance. All that matters is the end output just like how Digital Foundry have been saying for months now.

FWIW I do not use vsync at all, it is off globally, gsync off, vsync off. Solely relying on the performance of OLED 240Hz and capped at 223fps max for super smooth visual performance to the eyes and recorded (4K 120fps H265 in NVApp) game videos.
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Sure, I have zero issue with you enjoying the game the way you are. I would find my way around the flicker if I experienced it during gameplay, but I will not say it is bad to deal with things differently.
 
Flogger23m said:
Wondering if it is hitting a VRAM limit?
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The max usage that I've seen @ 1440p is around 11GB and 17-18GB of system RAM. I don't think VRAM is the issue.
The longer you play, the worse it gets like most memory leaks.

It will slow down to around 15-20fps out of the blue and maintain it instead of bouncing back like it usually does.
That's when I know I need to restart the game.
 
Anybody know where the option is to turn off the yellow paint? I read a post that said there would be an option for it, but I can't find it.
 
Figured to vote with my wallet - I've been playing the Gamepass version, but went ahead and bought the Ultimate Edition on Steam. Maybe my older boys will try it out and get bit by the Stalker bug.

Death is a resource for me in this game :p. Maybe I can create a new generation of Stalkers.

GSC deserves support on this... Yeah, crazy long development cycle, but lots of trauma along the way and they pulled this off. Yeah, maybe imperfect for some, but it's definitely not Concord?
 
Liking the game so far. Gives me flashbacks of playing Robocop because of the engine. I love the crazy weather effects they're able to achieve with UE5.
 
I can't believe it, but Gamepass is broken in terms of performance.
I compared the two and can't believe how much better the Steam version runs. No weird slowdowns anymore and much, much better frame times. I tested with the exact same settings. This is a night and day difference. WTF...
 
lors said:
I can't believe it, but Gamepass is broken in terms of performance.
I compared the two and can't believe how much better the Steam version runs. No weird slowdowns anymore and much, much better frame times. I tested with the exact same settings. This is a night and day difference. WTF...
Click to expand...

It's either Gamepass running an older version of the game or something with their coding and how they launch games from what I've read.
 
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lors said:
I can't believe it, but Gamepass is broken in terms of performance.
I compared the two and can't believe how much better the Steam version runs. No weird slowdowns anymore and much, much better frame times. I tested with the exact same settings. This is a night and day difference. WTF...
Click to expand...
Could explain the deviation in opinions on the game. I bought it on Steam and am having a good time. I'm kind of tempted to install the Game Pass version now to find out, myself, but I am out of drive space again...
 
Armenius said:
Could explain the deviation in opinions on the game. I bought it on Steam and am having a good time. I'm kind of tempted to install the Game Pass version now to find out, myself, but I am out of drive space again...
Click to expand...

It runs absolutely fine for me too now on Steam. I was nearly losing my mind. I already uninstalled the Gamepass-Version, but I could swear that I now see much much lower VRAM numbers with MSI Afterburner/RTSS too.
 
lors said:
I can't believe it, but Gamepass is broken in terms of performance.
I compared the two and can't believe how much better the Steam version runs. No weird slowdowns anymore and much, much better frame times. I tested with the exact same settings. This is a night and day difference. WTF...
Click to expand...
Oh no... I remember some games like Darktide where they did not let Steam and Gamepass users match together, because of differing versions. It's uncommon, but it's also very uncool.
 
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