Save big now! Microsoft has Surface Laptop 3 discounted by $400

  • Forums
  • Shop
  • Best Laptops
  • Best Graphics Cards
  • Best Motherboards
  • Best Antivirus
  • Best VPN
  • Dell XPS 13 Deals
  • PC Parts Deals

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

Seems faster

Gears Tactics and Gears 5 now have full VRS Tier 2 support, big performance gains on PC and Xbox Series X|S

Gears is continuously at the forefront of new gaming technologies.
Zachary Boddy
13 Jan 2021

Gears 5 HivebustersSource: Windows Central

What you need to know

  • Gears 5 and Gears Tactics now support Variable Rate Shading (VRS) Tier 2 on all DirectX 12 Ultimate supported devices.
  • VRS is a development technique that can have significant performance gains with GPU-intensive titles like the Gears games.
  • With Tier 2 support, Gears 5 and Gears Tactics are on the cutting edge and can gain bigger performance boosts with fewer visual anomalies.
  • The Coalition has also released a blog post detailing how they implemented VRS Tier 2 and how it helps their games.

The Coalition, the studio behind the storied Gears franchise, is well-known for constantly pushing the boundaries for what can be accomplished on Microsoft's hardware. Still, they're far from stopping after the release of next-gen consoles like the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Today, the DirectX 12 Ultimate team has announced that Gears 5 and Gears Tactics now support VRS Tier 2 on all supported devices, including Xbox Series X|S and certain PCs running modern GPUs from AMD and NVIDIA.

We’ve got an exciting update: Gears Tactics and Gears 5 now have VRS Tier 2 support, leading to large perf wins across the full gamut of DX12U HW: Xbox Series X|S, and supported PC HW! Check out this blog post by The Coalition’s own Chris Wallis https://t.co/8dPLP0ANJm

— DirectX 12 (@DirectX12) January 12, 2021

Variable Rate Shading (VRS) is a rendering technique that can improve performance in GPU-intensive games by analyzing a scene and applying more GPU power to more essential parts of the screen. VRS Tier 1 already provided pretty sizeable gains for games like Gears Tactics, but VRS Tier 2 increases the performance gains while reducing any visual tears or anomalies that occasionally occurred before. The Coalition have officially implemented VRS Tier 2 in Gears 5 and Gears Tactics, with up to 14% gains in performance with no visual impacts!

VPN Deals: Lifetime license for $16, monthly plans at $1 & more

If you want the full run-down, Microsoft has a new blog post up detailing everything you need to know about VRS Tier 2 in Gears 5 and Gears Tactics. Either way, this is impressive tech and hints at the future of the Xbox Series X|S and the kinds of things DirectX 12 Ultimate will be capable of as we move forward with brand-new gaming hardware.

Gears 5 and Gears Tactics are already lookers, but the games and VRS both shine, especially when playing at higher resolutions like 4K. To get the most out of both, consider one of the Best 4K TVs for Xbox Series X|S to upgrade your visuals. Both games are also available through Xbox Game Pass, so you can play them without needing to commit to a full purchase.

Related: Read our Gears Tactics full review!

A catalog of games

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

All your gaming needs, in one subscription.

Is the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate the best value in all of gaming? It's possible. Ultimate bundles your Xbox Live Gold subscription, an Xbox Game Pass subscription for both Xbox consoles and Windows PCs, and Xbox Cloud Gaming for on-the-go. That means access to hundreds of games, with more added all the time, for a single monthly subscription cost.

  • From $1/month at Microsoft
  • $45 at Amazon (3-month subscription)
  • $15 at Amazon (1-month subscription)

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

GroupMe may finally get video and voice calls to compete with WhatsApp
Move over Skype

GroupMe may finally get video and voice calls to compete with WhatsApp

Microsoft may finally realize GroupMe has a lot of potential. The group messaging app is popular on US college campuses and smaller organizations, but it may pick up voice and video calls, at least according to a recent user survey.

Hey Sony, it's time for Bloodborne to come to PC
To Yharnam!

Hey Sony, it's time for Bloodborne to come to PC

PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan recently announced that more PlayStation exclusives are coming to PC in the near future. Here's why Bloodborne should be on the list.

Job listings suggest the Surface Duo 2 could feature 5G and a better camera
Duo take two

Job listings suggest the Surface Duo 2 could feature 5G and a better camera

Multiple job listings from Microsoft discuss a Surface Duo with 5G support and an improved camera. Many of the listings have since been taken down, but a few remain up that hint at what a Surface Duo 2 could look like.

These are the best keyboards to use with Xbox Series X and S
Next-gen boards

These are the best keyboards to use with Xbox Series X and S

Xbox Series X and S continue Xbox's support of mouse and keyboard control, so we rounded up the best keyboards to use with your next-gen console.

Keep in Touch

Sign up now to get the latest news, deals & more from Windows Central!

I would like to receive news and offers from other Future brands.

I would like to receive mail from Future partners.

No spam, we promise. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details without your permission.

  • Games
  • Gears 5
  • Windows 10
  • Laptops
  • Surface
  • Reviews
  • Gaming & Xbox
  • How To
  • Forums
  • Deals
  • PC Components

Other Categories

  • About Us
  • Licensing and Reprints
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter
  • Windows Central Merch
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Android Central
  • iMore
  • CrackBerry
  • Thrifter
  • TechnoBuffalo
  • MrMobile
Log in or Sign up
  • t
  • f
  • p
  • i
  • r

Brightness

  • © Future US, Inc.
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Careers
  • Licensing
  • External Links Disclosure
  • Accessibility Statement
  • © Future US, Inc.
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Careers
  • Licensing
  • External Links Disclosure
  • Accessibility Statement