GameTechBench news & patch notes

• Added new launch arguments to disable or delay shader precompilation, and to enable detailed GPU crash reporting for improved crash diagnostics.

• Added informational “Did you know…” texts during the benchmark sequence. These are injected online and can be updated remotely without requiring a new build.

• HUD visibility toggle added during the benchmark sequence. Pressing H now cycles through different HUD visibility states, including fully hidden for a clean view.

• Fixed a minor issue where the first frame of the blue performance graph line (current FPS average) was drawn incorrectly due to missing initial data.

• Other minor quality-of-life cosmetic improvements.

We are skipping v1.19 because this is a major update. A large number of internal changes have been made:

• The leaderboard system has been fully rewritten. Previously, it relied on Steam’s built-in leaderboards, which had significant limitations, such as a restricted number of GPUs per user. This affected professional users and reviewers in particular. Leaderboard data is now stored on an external server, independent of Steam.

• Leaderboards are now lighter, load much faster, are more secure, offer much greater storage capacity, and are easier to maintain, while also being more versatile and flexible.

• The GPU naming and identification system has been improved to prevent unusual or rare models from being misidentified or left without an assigned manufacturer color. They are now easier to recognize both by color and by model name.

• A dedicated and explicit shader precompilation step has been added, although previous versions already used various techniques to reduce stuttering.

• Some internal variables have been adjusted that, in rare cases, could trigger a crash under specific conditions.

• Anti-cheat systems have been strengthened to further improve future protection, even though no cheating cases have been detected so far with the previous systems.

• Many other small tweaks, cleanups, and code optimizations have been made to improve data handling robustness and reliability, even though no issues were previously detected.

Combined with the features introduced in v1.18, this makes it the most significant update released in recent months.

• New feature: added a menu option to run all resolution tests. This will automatically queue and run the benchmark at every available resolution, excluding 8K (FUHD), in the selected rendering mode. If Ray Tracing is enabled, it will also perform the Path Tracing test as the final run. This Run All option will suggest running 2 loops and will show the total required time, so you can better organize your day.
• New feature: the menu now remembers your previous settings when turning back from a benchmark run to the main menu.
• Benchmark duration will now include the selected warm-up time too, giving you a more accurate total time.
• Auto screenshots of the scores are now saved with a more easily readable format name.
• Fixed an issue where some ultrawide users would see a recommended default resolution lower than it should.
• Slightly reduced DOF and increased sharpness in the Refuge scene.
• Cleaned up internal code.
• Other minor optimizations (not affecting performance) and quality-of-life improvements.

• Added Raster leaderboards
• New leaderboard organization: always one leaderboard on screen, with its associated "Top Players" leaderboard. Changing the resolution in the menu settings will switch between leaderboards. Additionally, changing the benchmark mode will now switch the shown leaderboard to the matching one.
• Improved how the leaderboards are managed, making it faster and more reliable.
• Scores below 160 points are now ignored, as they were indicative of not reaching the minimum measurable threshold.
• Many small changes to adapt it to the new approach, already live: free-to-play + Pro DLC.
• Free users will now contribute by uploading their scores to the leaderboards database.
• Free users will now have some free Pro usage days: the 1st and 15th of each month (subject to change).
• Updated with a new Unreal Engine hotfix version.

• The game will still have a Free version and a PRO version, just as before, and current paid owners will still own the PRO version. You won't lose it.
• The "schema" will change from "Limited Demo + PRO base game" to "Free-to-play limited game + Pro DLC", but keeping the same features and concept: Free + Paid.
• Both Free and Pro versions will be able to receive updates at the same time, more unified in general.
• Currently, Free users' scores are discarded due to a Steam limitation. With the upcoming approach, Free users' scores will enrich the leaderboards.
• It will be easier to add future scenes as additional DLCs.
• The Free version will be a little more complete, as detailed below.

• A couple of free unlocked PRO usage days each month (on the 1st and the 15th). Extra days could be added during special periods.
• A free PRO version usage the very first time you execute the leaderboard.

• Improved anonymity protection for reviewers with "secret" GPUs. If you have a secret GPU, you will still see your own results and username, but other users won't see either your username or your score, ensuring complete anonymity.
• A screenshot is now taken automatically at the end of the benchmark. It is saved in your ...\Documents\GameTechBench Results folder.
• Fixed a minor typo that displayed an incorrect benchmark mode name during Raster mode if Path Tracing mode had been previously run.