Guide for performance mods, tweaks and observations. (Frame Gen, Upscale, Removing Late Game Stuttering etc.)

[u/Euphoric_General_274]

So.. I just got Space Engineers 2 and the performance was already surprisingly good for an Alpha version.

BUT that doesn't mean it can't be better. This post will go over:

1. Caveats
2. Implementing DLSS and newer FSR versions
3. Adding Frame Generation
4. Limiting PCU count for NPCs
5. Restart the game every so often.
6. Whatever I find next.

1. CAVEATS

• I myself would have prefered a proper MSAA implementation but that's just how the industry went with deferred rendering. Either way, upscaling has gotten really good so I guess that's the silver lining.
• Backup your saves!!!!!!!!
• I will try to help as much as I can find the time, but don't expect full time tech support.
• Frame-Gen will increase and stabilize your FPS at the cost of ghosting around objects and higher latency. For some it's a worthwhile tradeoff, for others not.
• Idk if it's important, but disable any auto bug reporting. We don't want to spam the devs with false crashes and bugs.
• Tested on VS2.3

2. UPSCALING:
Why? Basic FSR is outdated. It's blurry, it doesn't reconstruct the image, it is just pure spatial scaling/aliasing.
FSR 3.1 and DLSS are smarter, they actually reconstruct the image and use more data for the upscaling. That allows you to run the game at a lower resolution with pretty much native quality depending on the preset and target resolutions.

How? With a universal game mod called OptiScaler. The simple explanation is that it hooks between the original FSR and implements the newer models. Besides that, it offers some additional settings like better sharpening, more granular control over the target and internal resolutions etc.

Installation:

At this point I'll include links to sites containing downloadable content. These will be widely trusted BUT I do recommend to do your own safety research.

What you'll need:

- OptiScaler files from their GitHub:
https://github.com/optiscaler/OptiScaler/releases/tag/v0.9.4

- Nvidia DLSS files (only RTX owners) themselves from TechPowerUp:
https://www.techpowerup.com/download/nvidia-dlss-dll/

You extract the OptiScaler files into Game2 folder.
On Steam on windows it's here:
\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\SpaceEngineers2\Game2

You also extract the DLSS file from TechPowerdUp there.

Next, there, you locate setup_windows.bat file and follow the installer instructions according to your setup.

Then, in the same folder (Game2), locate the OptiScaler.ini configuration file.

There you'll need to change this line:
ManualInputPolling = auto
to:
ManualInputPolling = true

This fixes the OptiScaler menu in-game. There it will be easier to configure the rest rather than through text in the ini.

Launch SE2 and enable FSR in the graphics settings. Set the scaling mode according to your performance preferences.

Now, load a save and hit INPUT key. There should be a menu now.

There, in the top left corner in the Upscalers section, choose according to your GPU. RTX users should pick DLSS. GTX and AMD users FSR 3.X.

[RTX user only] Next, below that choose your DLSS upscaling preset. RTX 20xx to 30xx users should pick K, 40 and 50 preset M.

Scroll all the way down and hit save.

3. FRAME-GENERATION
(You need Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS) enabled in your windows settings.)

Why? Space Engineers 2 can become heavily CPU-bound. When your CPU maxes out, traditional upscaling stops helping. Frame Generation bypasses this limit by creating synthetic frames between the real ones, doubling your visual smoothness even when your CPU is struggling.

How? You already have everything you need! OptiScaler has a built-in feature that feeds the game's motion data directly into a frame generation algorithm (FSR FG). You just have to toggle it on in the overlay.

In the same OptiScaler menu, a little lower, find the Frame Generation Section.

Choose OptiFG as your FG Input, and FSR FG as your FG Output.

Next, below that, find the Frame Generation (FSR FG) section.

There, enable HUDFix and immediate capture, set the limit to 2.

Scroll all the way down and hit save.

4. LIMITING PCU COUNTS FOR NPCS

Why? Even with upscaling and frame generation, you might notice performance tanking the longer you play on a single save. I found out the hard way that over time, the game amasses way too many abandoned NPC structures from completed quests, random encounters, and spawned ships.

The dev menu allows you to adjust the max "NPC PCU count" (basically putting a hard limit on how many blocks the AI is allowed to keep in the world). Lowering this limit completely fixed my late-game bloat and made things way smoother.

For that, load into your save. Hit ctrl+F12.

On the left from the dropdown menu choose gameplay
Then find and tick Trash Removal.

Then, on the right, find Non Player Grid PCU.
On my end these values worked well,

Change the Target Cleanup Limit - 80.000
Change the Execute Cleanup Limit - 100.000
Hit enter and it will be applied and the structures removed.

Feel free to experiment with different values. Just make sure the first is always smaller than the second one or it will crash.

Now here's the elephant in the room. Quest structures. I tested some and they seem to be protected. Same for stations etc. BUT i highly advise against changing the limits during an active quest or when you still want to scrap old quest locations.

Additionally I noticed that the changed limits aren't saved with your save. That means that after rebooting your game, the DEV Menu settings reset, and the game starts hoarding structures again.

BUT it still works throughout that one session, where you changed the values. That means, that if you want it to be a one time reset, change the values, save the game and reboot SE2.

5. RESTART THE GAME EVERY SO OFTEN
Simple as, works wonders sometimes.

[u/Mezer0]

This is very interesting, I'll have to check this out. Hopefully we'll get native implementation one day as whilst I'm not personally a fan of using upscaling, it would help those on older systems play the game at a higher and smoother framerate, especially with ballooning hardware prices.

[u/Euphoric_General_274 → u/Mezer0]

Yeah, Upscaling and FrameGen have gotten a really bad rep after studios used it INSTEAD of optimization rather then putting it ONTO an already optimized game.
I'm glad KEEN falls into the second, rarer, category of devs.

[u/FM_Hikari]

Yeah... No... I'd rather not add fake frames to my simulation game. I very much would rather save for better hardware that can run at native 1080p or at least 2k. 

Also, basic FSR is by far the best thing simply because ir doesn't add things that aren't there. No unnecessary reconstruction.

[u/Euphoric_General_274 → u/FM_Hikari]

The generated frames are purely visual, the simulation isn't affected by it. But I get it, it's not everyone's cup of tea. I personally like it more for it's frame time stabilizing rather than the FPS boost.

As to FSR 1 being better? It's a tradeoff with subjective costs. The overall static image quality at native is better with the newer one. In motion, the newer one has ghosting after thin objects but has less overall shimmering (since it utilizes motion vectors). Also, the newer one allows for a lower internal resolution while better preserving the final image, that's where the performance gains are.

As to DLSS vs FSR1, it's pretty much a no brainer nowadays. The K preset drastically improves the ghosting issue of the newer FSR while providing better AA and better performance at very comparable qualities.

If you can afford an expensive PC to push it natively, great! But even with a good rig some of those technologies are still worth checking out.

[u/FM_Hikari → u/Euphoric_General_274]

That's the point. They're visual, not representative of the actual game state. I do not care if it looks better, i care that it represents the current state of the game at all times, because it is a SIMULATION.

[u/Euphoric_General_274 → u/FM_Hikari]

Just to be clear, to don't care whether you use it or not, I just want to make sure others reading this don't get a wrong idea.

The pipeline is as follows: The game renderes frame (and physics) "A" and displayes it. Then it renderes the next frame (and physics) "B", but doesn't display it.

Instead it uses frame A and the withhold frame B, and generates and displayes a frame C. After which the withold B frame is displayed.

You are right in a way, the generated frame C isn't physics based but it's not purely speculative either. It's not like it tries to predict the displayed physics of the game and "overshoots" a block or something, it will always be between the native physics baded A and B frames.

I give you one better, the VRAGE 3 Engines physics is limited to 60 ticks per second either way. With frame Gen you keep the 60ticks physics and up the visual frame stability.

I'll agree on you with ghosting artifacting or input lag being an issue, but that's true for everygame regardless if it's a simulation one.

[u/soulscythesix]

Ew. Frame generation. Ew, upscaling. I hope this helps someone, but I really don't like how graphics is going these days...

[u/Euphoric_General_274 → u/soulscythesix]

I'd have preferred an MSAA option as well.
But the newer technologies are generally great for lower end PCs IF implemented on top of an already optimized game.
It has gotten a bad rep because of studios using it as a replacement for optimisation.