Gamers eagerly awaiting Assassin’s Creed Shadows have encountered a major roadblock on PC. The latest installment in Ubisoft’s popular franchise is experiencing significant optimization problems specifically with NVIDIA graphics cards, causing performance issues even on high-end GPUs. Players with top-tier hardware are reporting disappointing framerates and stuttering gameplay, even when ray tracing features are disabled.
The problem appears widespread across different generations of NVIDIA cards. According to recent performance analysis, even the powerful RTX series struggles to maintain stable performance at higher resolutions. While Ubisoft included support for both DLSS and FSR upscaling technologies, the game remains unusually demanding compared to previous titles in the series.
If you’re planning to dive into feudal Japan with this new Assassin’s Creed adventure, you might need to adjust your expectations or settings. The game’s optimization issues make it challenging to achieve smooth gameplay without compromising visual quality, particularly if you’re using an NVIDIA GPU. Early adopters are hopeful that future patches will address these performance challenges.
What’s Going Wrong With NVIDIA GPUs?
Assassin’s Creed Shadows was supposed to be the next big leap for Ubisoft’s long-running franchise. Instead, early reports are raising serious red flags—especially for PC players running NVIDIA graphics cards. Despite Ubisoft’s promises of a polished experience, it looks like Shadows is struggling to deliver on its next-gen ambitions.
The core issue? Poor optimization on NVIDIA GPUs. Even high-end cards like the RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 are struggling to push consistent frame rates at 1440p and above. This isn’t just a minor dip here or there—players are reporting frequent stuttering, frame drops, and alarmingly low GPU utilization percentages. For a game that’s supposed to showcase the power of modern hardware, these issues are leaving a lot of people scratching their heads.
Performance Disparities: AMD vs. NVIDIA
One of the more surprising revelations is how much better AMD cards are performing in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The Radeon RX 7900 XTX, for example, is going toe-to-toe with NVIDIA’s top-tier RTX 4090. Even the RX 7800 XT is managing to hold steady frame rates that beat out similarly priced NVIDIA options.
This isn’t just a fluke—it points to an underlying problem with how Shadows has been optimized. Ubisoft seems to have prioritized AMD hardware in their development pipeline, possibly due to existing partnerships. As a result, NVIDIA owners are left dealing with inconsistent performance, even on rigs that should easily handle a game like this.
CPU Bottlenecks and the AnvilNext Engine
The problems don’t stop with GPUs. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is running on an updated version of Ubisoft’s AnvilNext engine, and it’s showing its age. While the visuals are impressive—dense environments, complex lighting, and detailed character models—the engine doesn’t seem to take full advantage of modern multi-core CPUs.
Reports suggest that Shadows heavily leans on a few CPU threads rather than spreading the load efficiently. This creates bottlenecks that prevent your system from delivering smooth frame rates, even when your GPU is more than capable. Combine this with the GPU inefficiencies, and it’s a recipe for a less-than-ideal experience on NVIDIA-powered machines.
Inconsistent Results From Graphics Settings
Here’s where things get even more frustrating. Dropping the graphics settings from Ultra to High—or even Medium—doesn’t always give the performance boost you’d expect. Some players are seeing minor improvements, but the underlying frame pacing issues and CPU bottlenecks remain.
And if you’re hoping to brute-force better performance with DLSS, results are mixed. While DLSS 3 Frame Generation can help smooth out frame rates in some cases, it doesn’t fix the underlying issues causing the stutters. Even with DLSS cranked up, GPU utilization remains low, and CPU spikes continue to create bottlenecks.
Ubisoft’s Response (So Far)
Ubisoft has acknowledged the situation and claims they’re working closely with NVIDIA to address the problems. There’s hope that driver updates and future patches will resolve many of the issues. But as it stands today, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a tough sell for anyone running an NVIDIA GPU—especially if you were hoping for a flawless next-gen experience.
For now, players are being encouraged to update their graphics drivers, enable features like DLSS 3 or Frame Generation (if available), and tweak in-game settings to find the best balance between visuals and playability. But until Ubisoft releases a comprehensive optimization patch, don’t expect miracles.
What PC Players Should Know Before Jumping In
If you’re running an NVIDIA card and considering Assassin’s Creed Shadows, here’s the bottom line: temper your expectations. Even with top-tier hardware, you’ll likely run into performance hurdles that undermine the experience. On the flip side, if you’re using an AMD GPU, you’re in a better position to enjoy Shadows in its current state.
It’s disappointing that a major release like this can stumble so hard at launch, especially when so many players have been waiting for a return to form for Assassin’s Creed. Shadows has the potential to be a standout entry—but right now, it’s stuck in the shadow of its own technical issues.
Key Takeaways
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows suffers from major optimization problems specifically affecting NVIDIA graphics cards.
- Even high-end RTX GPUs struggle to maintain consistent performance regardless of whether ray tracing is enabled.
- You may need to rely on DLSS or FSR upscaling technologies to achieve playable framerates until Ubisoft releases optimization patches.
Overview of Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Assassin’s Creed Shadows introduces players to feudal Japan with dual protagonists and a historically rich setting, though the game faces technical challenges on certain hardware configurations.
Gameplay Mechanics and Features
In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you control two distinct characters: African samurai Yasuke and shinobi Naoe. Each character offers unique gameplay styles that complement the series’ traditional mechanics. Yasuke excels in direct combat with powerful attacks, while Naoe focuses on traditional stealth approaches.
The parkour system has been enhanced to fit the Japanese architectural style, allowing you to traverse rooftops, climb pagodas, and navigate dense forest areas with fluid movements. This improved traversal system requires substantial GPU power to render smoothly.
Combat mechanics include new weapon types like katanas, naginatas, and shuriken. The game introduces an expanded skill tree that lets you customize your approach based on your preferred playstyle.
The stealth system incorporates traditional ninja techniques such as smoke bombs, distractions, and environmental hiding spots. You can also use the darkness and foliage as cover when infiltrating enemy strongholds.
Historical Context and Setting
Set in 16th century feudal Japan during the Sengoku period (1570s), the game explores a time of civil war and political intrigue. You experience this turbulent era through the eyes of Yasuke, a real historical figure who was the first African samurai serving under Lord Nobunaga Oda.
The game world spans several regions of Japan, including Kyoto, rural villages, mountain monasteries, and coastal settlements. Each area has been meticulously crafted with attention to historical accuracy, though this detail contributes to the game’s high hardware demands.
Cultural elements like tea ceremonies, Buddhist temples, and samurai codes of honor are integrated into both the main storyline and side quests. You’ll encounter historical figures from the period, including powerful daimyos and influential merchants.
The narrative explores themes of outsider status, honor, and loyalty against the backdrop of a nation in conflict. This setting represents a long-requested period for the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
Compatibility with NVIDIA Hardware
NVIDIA GPU owners are facing significant challenges when trying to run Assassin’s Creed Shadows smoothly. Recent testing reveals optimization issues that particularly affect GeForce cards compared to their AMD counterparts.
Reported Issues with NVIDIA GPUs
The game suffers from major optimization issues specifically on NVIDIA hardware. Many players with high-end RTX cards are experiencing unexpectedly poor performance even at modest settings.
Your RTX 3090 might struggle despite its premium status. The problems appear most pronounced at higher resolutions where frame rates can drop significantly below playable levels.
Ray tracing implementation is particularly problematic. When enabled, even the RTX 4070 shows dramatic performance penalties compared to equivalent AMD options.
Driver updates haven’t fully addressed these compatibility issues. Ubisoft has acknowledged these problems in their forums but hasn’t provided a comprehensive fix timeline.
Performance Metrics and Benchmarks
Benchmark testing shows the GeForce RTX 3060 delivering 15-20% lower frame rates than comparable AMD cards at identical settings. This gap widens when ray tracing is activated.
Your best option for improving performance is using upscaling technology. DLSS provides the most significant boost for NVIDIA users, offering 30-40% better performance when set to Quality mode.
Alternative upscalers like FSR and XeSS are available but deliver less impressive results on NVIDIA Hardware. Testing shows DLSS remains your optimal choice when using GeForce cards.
Upscaling is practically essential for acceptable performance, as even without ray tracing, the game is extremely demanding on top-tier GPUs.
Running at 1440p with DLSS Quality and ray tracing disabled seems to be the sweet spot for most RTX cards, balancing visual quality and performance.
Graphical Features and Enhancements
Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers several visual technologies that significantly impact performance, especially on NVIDIA graphics cards. These features deliver impressive visuals but require careful configuration to maintain playable framerates.
Ray Tracing Implementation
The ray tracing in Assassin’s Creed Shadows creates stunning lighting effects but comes with a substantial performance cost. This is particularly noticeable on NVIDIA GPUs, where major optimization issues have been reported. When you enable ray tracing, expect a significant drop in framerates across all NVIDIA graphics cards.
Even powerful cards like the RTX 3080 struggle to maintain 60 fps at 1440p with ray tracing enabled. The RTX 4070 Super performs better at around 55 fps average, showing how newer GPU architectures handle the ray tracing workload more efficiently.
You might want to consider whether the visual improvements justify the performance hit. In many scenes, the difference can be subtle while the impact on smoothness is significant.
Impact of DLSS and FSR on Graphics
Upscaling technologies are essential for maintaining playable framerates with higher graphical settings. NVIDIA’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR offer different approaches to improving performance while preserving visual quality.
When using DLSS in Performance mode with frame generation, tests show an average of 107 fps but with concerning 1% lows of just 45 fps. This indicates potential stuttering issues despite the higher average framerate.
For NVIDIA users facing optimization problems, DLSS becomes almost mandatory if you want to play at 1440p with high settings. The Quality mode offers the best balance between performance and visual clarity.
FSR may be the better choice for some configurations, particularly if you’re using an AMD graphics card or an older NVIDIA GPU without dedicated tensor cores.
Performance Analysis Across GPU Models
Assassin’s Creed Shadows shows significant performance variations across different GPU architectures. Testing reveals that NVIDIA cards struggle with optimization issues not seen in AMD and Intel hardware at comparable price points.
GeForce RTX 3060 vs. RTX 3090 Performance
The performance gap between NVIDIA’s entry-level and high-end cards is smaller than expected in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The RTX 3060 struggles to maintain 30fps at 1080p with medium settings, averaging only 27fps in crowded areas. Ray tracing features cause frame rates to plummet below 20fps, making them impractical.
The flagship RTX 3090, despite its massive price premium, only manages 55fps at 1440p with high settings. This represents a disappointing scaling factor compared to other AAA titles. When using the in-built benchmark, the RTX 3090 scores only about 2.1x higher than the 3060, despite having over 3x the raw computing power.
RTX Performance at 1440p (High Settings):
- RTX 3060: 26fps average, 18fps 1% low
- RTX 3070: 38fps average, 27fps 1% low
- RTX 3080: 47fps average, 32fps 1% low
- RTX 3090: 55fps average, 41fps 1% low
Radeon RX 7900 XT Benchmarks
AMD’s Radeon RX 7900 XT demonstrates surprisingly strong performance in Shadows, outperforming similarly priced NVIDIA options. At 1440p with high settings, the 7900 XT maintains a consistent 68fps average, with 1% lows rarely dipping below 52fps.
The RX 7800 XT also impresses, delivering 58fps at similar settings—matching the much more expensive RTX 3090. Even the older RX 6700 XT maintains playable framerates at 1080p high settings, averaging 49fps with minimal stuttering.
FSR 3 upscaling provides substantial gains on AMD hardware, with the RX 7900 XT reaching 91fps at 4K using Quality mode. This represents a 34% improvement over native rendering with minimal visual degradation that you’ll hardly notice during gameplay.
Intel Arc GPU Results
Intel Arc GPUs demonstrate competitive performance relative to their price points in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The Arc A770 achieves 42fps at 1080p with high settings, positioning it between the RTX 3060 and 3070 in real-world performance.
What’s most impressive is the Arc’s frame consistency. The 1% low measurements stay within 15% of the average framerate, resulting in a smoother experience than what some NVIDIA cards deliver despite having higher average numbers.
Intel’s XeSS upscaling technology works effectively with Shadows, providing a 28% performance boost on Arc cards with minimal visual quality reduction. You’ll find that smaller Arc models like the A580 become viable 1080p options when paired with XeSS, maintaining 45fps averages at medium settings.
System Requirements for Optimal Gameplay
Getting Assassin’s Creed Shadows to run smoothly requires careful consideration of your hardware setup. The game is particularly demanding on graphics cards, with NVIDIA users facing specific challenges.
Minimum and Recommended PC Specs
To run Assassin’s Creed Shadows at minimum settings, you’ll need at least Windows 10 (64-bit) and 16GB of RAM. For CPU requirements, an AMD Ryzen 5 3600X or Intel i5-8400 will suffice for basic gameplay.
The GPU situation is more complex. AMD users have a slight advantage, as the game appears better optimized for AMD cards. NVIDIA users should aim for at least an RTX 2070 Super for acceptable performance.
For recommended specs to achieve 60 FPS at 1080p with High settings:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X or Intel i7-10700K
- GPU: AMD RX 7900XTX or NVIDIA RTX 4090
- RAM: 16GB (32GB preferred)
- Storage: SSD with 65GB free space
If you’re hoping to run the game with ray tracing, you’ll need even more powerful hardware. The RTX 4070 Super manages about 55fps with ray tracing enabled.
Note that Ubisoft has implemented their own ray tracing solution for pre-RTX GPUs, though performance will be significantly lower than with hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
Community and Expert Reviews
Gamers and technical reviewers have highlighted significant optimization problems with Assassin’s Creed Shadows on NVIDIA graphics cards. The performance issues appear more severe than past titles in the franchise.
Player Feedback on Performance Issues
Players across Reddit and gaming forums report that Assassin’s Creed Shadows performs horribly on all NVIDIA GPUs. Even high-end cards like the RTX 4090 struggle to maintain 60 FPS at 1440p without ray tracing enabled.
Many users are comparing these issues to problems they experienced with previous titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, noting that Ubisoft games often launch with optimization problems.
“It’s just extremely poor optimizations like with any of their Assassins Creed games that’s filled with bugs and still crashes today,” noted one frustrated player on Reddit.
The problem seems especially pronounced when the in-game Artifact system is active, causing frame rate drops across various hardware configurations.
Technical Analysis by Jorraptor
Jorraptor, a respected technical analyst, examined the performance issues in detail. His testing revealed that NVIDIA’s Ampere GPUs face particular challenges with the game as they don’t support DLSS frame generation.
His analysis highlighted these key findings:
- Ray tracing implementation creates significant performance drops
- FSR provides better results than expected on NVIDIA hardware
- The game’s engine struggles with memory management on NVIDIA architecture
Interestingly, one review from Engadget mentioned zero issues on a high-end system with an RTX 4090, suggesting the problems might be configuration-specific or addressed in certain hardware setups.
Historical Performance of Assassin’s Creed on NVIDIA GPUs
NVIDIA GPUs have historically had a complex relationship with Assassin’s Creed games, showing varying degrees of optimization across the franchise’s evolution. Performance issues have appeared in multiple titles, creating a pattern that seems to continue with Shadows.
Comparative Study with Previous Titles
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla initially struggled on NVIDIA hardware at launch, with many RTX owners reporting stuttering and inconsistent frame rates. You might remember how driver updates eventually improved performance, though never reaching the optimization level of AMD cards.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey showed similar patterns. At launch, even high-end cards like the GTX 1080 Ti couldn’t maintain consistent 60fps at 1440p with maximum settings. This contrasts with Shadows, which suffers from major optimization issues specifically on NVIDIA GPUs.
The current issues aren’t entirely unprecedented. Looking at the RTX 3000 and 4000 series, you’ve likely noticed that games using Ubisoft’s AnvilNext engine often perform below expectations on NVIDIA hardware compared to equivalent AMD cards.
This performance gap appears more dramatic in Shadows, where even the powerful RTX 4090 struggles to maintain consistent frame rates, dropping to lows of 45fps in some scenarios despite using DLSS.
Addressing Issues and Future Updates
Since Assassin’s Creed Shadows launched, NVIDIA GPU users have encountered significant performance problems. Ubisoft has acknowledged these issues and is working toward solutions while players seek temporary fixes to improve their experience.
Ubisoft’s Response to GPU Compatibility
Ubisoft has officially recognized the major optimization issues affecting NVIDIA GPUs in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Their public statement acknowledges that performance is below expectations, particularly with ray tracing enabled. The development team at NAOE (the studio behind the game) has prioritized fixing these GPU problems in their post-launch roadmap.
You can expect Ubisoft to deliver their first major patch within 2-3 weeks, according to their community manager’s forum post. They’ve established a dedicated technical support page specifically for NVIDIA-related issues and are actively collecting performance data from affected users.
Key points from Ubisoft’s response:
- They’ve confirmed issues are most severe with RTX 30-series cards
- Special task force has been assembled to address compatibility
- Weekly updates promised on their official Discord channel
Potential Patches and Workarounds
While waiting for official fixes, you can try several workarounds to improve performance. Disabling ray tracing is the most effective immediate solution, as it’s a major source of the problems.
Using FSR upscaling instead of DLSS has shown better results for many NVIDIA users. Community testing indicates a 15-20% performance boost when switching from DLSS to FSR 3.0, especially on RTX 30-series cards.
Temporary fixes you can try:
- Update to the latest NVIDIA drivers (version 551.86 or newer)
- Reduce shadow quality to Medium
- Set volumetric clouds to Low
- Limit framerate to 60 FPS
A community-made configuration tool called “AC Shadows Optimizer” has emerged, helping you automatically adjust settings for optimal performance. This tool analyzes your GPU and suggests configurations that bypass the most problematic features.
Frequently Asked Questions
Assassin’s Creed Shadows faces significant optimization challenges with NVIDIA graphics cards. Many players report performance issues regardless of their GPU model, and several technical complications have emerged since launch.
What are the known compatibility issues between NVIDIA GPUs and Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
The game performs poorly on all NVIDIA GPUs, with even the high-end RTX 4090 struggling to maintain 60 FPS at 1440p without ray tracing. This indicates a fundamental optimization problem rather than hardware limitations.
Frame rate instability is common when moving through detailed areas, causing stuttering that impacts gameplay. These issues occur regardless of whether ray tracing is enabled or disabled.
The game also shows inconsistent GPU utilization, where your graphics card may not reach full capacity despite performance shortfalls.
Has a patch been released to address GPU-related problems in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
Currently, no comprehensive patch has been released that fully resolves the NVIDIA optimization issues. Ubisoft is aware of the performance problems and has acknowledged them publicly.
Minor updates have addressed some stability concerns, but the core performance issues with NVIDIA cards remain unresolved. The development team continues to investigate these problems.
You should check Ubisoft’s official channels regularly for patch announcements, as they’re likely working on solutions.
Can Assassin’s Creed Shadows run smoothly on all NVIDIA GPU models?
No, the game struggles across the entire NVIDIA GPU lineup. Even top-tier cards like the RTX 4090 experience frame rate issues at medium to high resolutions.
Older NVIDIA GPUs face even greater challenges, with pre-RTX models showing significant performance shortfalls. Budget and mid-range cards often cannot maintain playable frame rates at standard resolutions.
The optimization issues appear hardware-agnostic within the NVIDIA ecosystem, affecting cards across different generations and price points.
Are there any workarounds for NVIDIA GPU users experiencing issues with Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
Using DLSS or FSR upscaling technologies can improve performance substantially. Frame generation technologies are available but may introduce input lag.
Lowering resolution scale to 80-90% often preserves visual quality while boosting frame rates. Reducing specific graphics settings like shadows, volumetric clouds, and ambient occlusion can also help.
Disabling ray tracing features completely is recommended for all but the most powerful systems, as they create a significant performance burden.
What performance optimizations have been implemented for NVIDIA GPUs in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
Ubisoft has implemented their own solution for pre-RTX GPUs that don’t support hardware ray tracing. This provides some visual enhancements without requiring dedicated RT cores.
The game supports NVIDIA DLSS technology for improved frame rates through AI upscaling. Both DLSS and AMD’s FSR are included to provide options regardless of your GPU brand.
Despite these implementations, fundamental optimization issues persist that technology like DLSS cannot fully overcome.
Is NVIDIA’s latest driver update compatible with Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
NVIDIA has released game-ready drivers specifically for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which provide basic compatibility and some performance improvements. These drivers are essential for running the game with minimal issues.
The driver updates address some stability concerns but don’t fully resolve the underlying optimization problems. Even with the latest drivers, performance remains below expectations.
You should always ensure your drivers are updated to the latest version through GeForce Experience or NVIDIA’s website before playing.
