Marvel Rivals - High-Resolution Pack Review Summary

Fun for Marvel and PvP fans with online hero shooter action, but poor optimization, low FPS, and a huge optional 4K pack that only saves storage if skipped hurt it.

Optional 4K texture pack saves storage: The high-resolution texture pack is now a separate, optional DLC that can be disabled or not downloaded, freeing up roughly 30-40 GB of disk space. This change is widely praised for making the game more accessible on limited storage devices.

Separating textures as DLC appreciated: Making the high-resolution textures a separate DLC rather than bundling them into the base game is seen as an improvement. This gives players more control over their installation size.

Storage optimization improves performance: Disabling the high-resolution texture pack not only saves space but also improves overall performance, especially on lower-end hardware. Players report smoother gameplay and better optimization after the update.

Fun for Marvel and PvP fans: Players enjoy the game for its fun gameplay and appeal to Marvel fans and competitive shooter enthusiasts. It is particularly enjoyable when played with friends.

Developers continue improving the game: The developers are actively making incremental improvements to gameplay, characters, and performance. Players see these updates as positive steps forward.

Texture pack consumes excessive storage: The high-resolution texture pack and DLC take up tens of gigabytes of extra disk space. This is especially problematic for users with limited storage.

Game lacks optimization: Multiple players report the game is unoptimized and should be better optimized. Performance issues are common across various hardware configurations.

High-res texture pack forced: The high-resolution texture pack is automatically downloaded and installed without user consent. Players want the option to opt out.

Poor performance on high-end systems: Even on high-end hardware with lowest settings, the game runs poorly. Frame rate drops and freezing are frequent.

DLC adds no noticeable content: The DLC does nothing noticeable and is often bundled with the game. It is considered unnecessary bloat.

Online hero shooter gameplay: The game is an online PvP hero shooter with team-based healing roles, matchmaking, and both PvP and PvE modes. It is identified as Marvel Rivals.

Characters remain true to lore: Characters are designed to be canon to their character lore. This includes playable characters like Moon Knight.

Large maps with limited playable area: Maps are massive, but the playable area takes up only about 20% of the map. This suggests that much of the map is inaccessible or decorative.

Content pack adds significant data: A content pack adds a large amount of data to the game. This likely refers to the high-resolution texture pack.

High-Resolution Texture Pack Performance Issues: The high-resolution texture pack, often installed by default, significantly degrades performance, causing FPS drops, stutters, and memory bloat. Disabling it generally improves performance except on very high-end PCs.

Poor Optimization and Low FPS: Many players report that the game is poorly optimized, running at low FPS even on high-end hardware. Frequent stutters and drops from over 150 FPS to single digits make it nearly unplayable.

High VRAM Requirements: The game demands at least 12GB of VRAM for the base game plus high-resolution DLC, leading to performance issues if VRAM is insufficient. System requirements exceed those of typical AAA titles.

Low Settings Still Stutter: Even at low texture quality and settings, occasional hitching and stutters occur, though better performance is possible at 1080p.

Menu and Auto-Settings Issues: Performance suffers in the menu screen, and automatic settings changes can cause FPS drops from around 200 to 40.

Disable 4K pack without 4K: Many reviewers recommend disabling or uninstalling the high-resolution texture pack if you do not use a 4K monitor, as it provides no visual benefit. This is one of the most common suggestions across the clusters.

Requires high-end PC: The texture pack is only recommended for players with high-end graphics cards and sufficient disk space. Those with mid-range or lower systems should avoid it.

Saves significant disk space: Turning off the 4K texture pack frees up around 30–40 GB of storage, which is valuable for users with limited SSD space. This practical benefit is repeatedly highlighted.

Not worth for 1080p/1440p: Players at 1080p or 1440p resolutions find the pack unnecessary and often disable it. It is only beneficial for 4K gaming.

Turn off DLC in Steam: Multiple reviewers suggest unchecking the DLC in the Steam library's properties menu to prevent downloading the large pack. This avoids long update times and saves space.

Resolution-Settings Analyst: Tweaks resolution, texture quality, and performance settings; researches technical guidance before enabling content. Motivation: Getting the best visual quality and performance for their specific resolution and hardware without wasting storage. Stance: buy.

Marvel PvP Enthusiast: Plays PvP shooters, especially Marvel-themed ones, and engages with free updates. Motivation: Playing a fun Marvel-themed PvP shooter and enjoying free content. Stance: buy.

Optimization-Sensitive Competitor: Plays both PvP and PvE modes, adjusts settings to improve performance, and watches optimization changes. Motivation: Smooth, responsive gameplay and reduced loading in both PvP and PvE. Stance: buy.

Across the VRAM cohorts, low-VRAM systems show mixed results with some gains from removing high-resolution textures but also reports of FPS drops and crashes. The 12–15GB VRAM cohort is mostly negative, the 8–11GB VRAM cohort is mostly positive, and the 16GB+ VRAM cohort is mostly positive with an isolated crash complaint.

Windows <8GB VRAM: mixed. Some users report performance gains from disabling or uninstalling high-resolution textures, while others report severe FPS drops, inability to hit 60 FPS, and crashes.

Windows 12-15GB VRAM: negative. Problems dominate: users report FPS drops, stutters, and poor optimization, though one RTX 4080 user cites 200+ FPS.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: positive. Most users report better performance at 1080p/1440p or low texture quality, with some 4K or high-setting users still seeing FPS drops.

High-Resolution Pack Consumes Significant Storage: The high-resolution texture pack requires about 35–40 GB of additional disk space and can increase the game's overall storage footprint. Disabling or uninstalling it frees up that space, making it a key consideration for storage-limited players.

High-Resolution Pack is Optional DLC: The high-resolution texture pack is delivered as a separate optional DLC that players can enable or disable as they wish. It can be toggled in the game's properties DLC menu, and it may be installed by default but is not required.

Disabling DLC is Straightforward: Players can disable the high-resolution DLC by right-clicking the game, going to Properties, then DLC, and unchecking it. The option may only appear after installation, but once available it provides a simple way to manage the content.

Base Game Storage Already Large: The base game installation is already substantial, reportedly around 90 GB and at one point exceeding 300 GB. This large baseline makes the additional storage from the high-resolution pack a significant concern.

DLC Enabled by Default on Install: On a fresh install, the high-resolution DLC is checked by default and typically installed alongside the base game when all DLC is selected. Players must manually disable it if they do not want it.