The Star Citizen tech preview highlights promising graphical and performance improvements, including Vulkan API enhancements, better VRAM management, a new Transformer DLSS model for sharper upscaling, and the upcoming global illumination feature. While still in development and testing, these updates indicate significant progress toward higher visual fidelity and smoother gameplay, though high-end hardware may be necessary to fully benefit from them.
The recent Star Citizen tech preview, now open to all players beyond the Evocati testers, showcases significant updates primarily focused on Vulkan API changes and graphical enhancements. Initial testing revealed that Vulkan outperforms DirectX 11 (DX11) in terms of stability and frame rates, although the sample size was limited and DX11 showed some stuttering issues. The presenter cautions against immediately switching to Vulkan as the best option, emphasizing that this remains a tech preview with ongoing logging and development. Streaming sessions also highlighted VRAM usage, which can be quite high, especially at 4K resolutions, with texture settings being the most impactful on memory consumption.
The graphics menu has seen improvements, now allowing players to better understand and adjust settings based on their VRAM limitations. Even on a minimum spec system with an i5 10400 and a 6GB VRAM card, the game sometimes warns of VRAM shortages, indicating that memory optimization is still a work in progress. The jump in VRAM usage from low to ultra settings is significant, which has implications for both Star Citizen and the upcoming Squadron 42. This suggests that future high-end GPUs like the RTX 4090 or 5090 might become necessary to handle the game’s demands smoothly.
One of the exciting upcoming features hinted at in this preview is global illumination (GI). Although the settings for GI are present in the menu, players cannot yet enable it, indicating that it’s still under development. The presence of these settings suggests that GI will be integrated into the game in future updates, offering improved lighting realism and visual fidelity. This addition is eagerly anticipated as it would mark a substantial enhancement in the game’s graphical quality.
A major highlight of the tech preview is the introduction of the new Transformer model for DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling). Compared to the older CNN-based DLSS model, the Transformer model preserves significantly more detail and sharpness, even when upscaling from lower resolutions like 1080p. This improvement means players can enjoy better image quality with less performance cost, although there may be a slight performance hit with the new model. The Transformer DLSS is particularly notable for maintaining fine details that were previously lost, making it a considerable upgrade for Nvidia GPU users.
Overall, the tech preview demonstrates promising progress in Star Citizen’s graphical and performance capabilities, though many features remain in testing phases. The Vulkan API shows potential but requires more extensive evaluation across different gameplay scenarios. VRAM management and optimization are critical areas still being refined, especially with the increasing graphical demands. The new DLSS Transformer model and the upcoming global illumination feature represent substantial advancements that could significantly enhance the visual experience. While the timeline for these updates to reach the live game remains uncertain, the preview indicates that Cloud Imperium Games is steadily moving forward with their development goals.