VRS - The Must-Know Material Optimization Trick in UE5🤖

[Dimi]

UE5 lets you optimize materials using Variable Rate Shading (VRS). It runs your pixel shader once for a block (like 2x2 or 4x4), then spreads that result — reducing pixel shader cost with minimal visual loss.

This feature is not related to LOD, Nanite or Virtual Shadow Maps - it’s a separate material level optimization.

• In practice, you might see 10–50% improvement on fill-rate-bound scenes, sometimes more (often less).
• Works per-material, no global setup needed.
• Available since UE5.0 (DX12/Vulkan required)

Open your material — Details — Advanced — Shading Rate (1x1) — Change

The larger the block, the less GPU load, but also more visible blur

Great to be used on background VFX, or anything that doesn’t need crisp pixel detail.

Limitations

• Doesn’t work with DLSS or on all platforms.
• Not supported for masked materials in UE5.6. May be broken with masked materials in earlier versions.
  
  

I learned about this feature thanks to a super-duper-senior-boss-chief-king tech art wizard — Dmytro Baidachnyi. All hype to him.

Cheers

[InsaneHURRICANE]

Doesnt blur help vfx usually? Like when making textures, or is this something that acts different? And should i be using this as a beginber vfx artist? Thanks

[Luos_83]

You do not need to think about this when you are a beginner.
If you are an intern, your lead VFX or Tech artist should point it out or set it up for you if necessary.
Knowing it exists is nice.

Having said that, even on very tiny distant background vfx, even the lowest setting can look horrendous, so it’s definitely on a per-effect basis, and—at least from personal experience—it’s better to rely on other optimizations first.