Monster Hunter Wilds PC Performance After Patch 1.021 — Has Capcom Fixed the Stutter?

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Monster Hunter Wilds is one of the most visually stunning entries in the series, but for many PC hunters, beauty has come at a cost: stutter, shader compilation lag, and random crashes. Capcom’s Patch 1.021 was billed as a performance fix, but the community is still divided — did it really solve the issue, or just mask it?

We dug into Capcom’s patch notes and cross-checked them with real-world player reports on Steam forums and Reddit. Here’s everything you need to know about how the game runs after 1.021 (and the emergency hotfix 1.021.01), plus troubleshooting tips if you’re still struggling with performance.

What Capcom Promised in Patch 1.021

According to the official patch notes, Capcom aimed to tackle:

  • Shader compile hitching during hunts and cutscenes

  • Memory allocation issues tied to ultra textures and high-end GPUs

  • Crash scenarios triggered by alt-tabbing or using overlays

  • CPU load balancing for better frame pacing on mid-tier rigs

On paper, these changes should smooth out gameplay. But what’s happening in the wild?

Monster Hunter Wilds PC Performance After Patch 1.021
What Players Are Actually Experiencing

Feedback on Steam and Reddit paints a mixed picture:

  • ✅ Improved frame pacing: Many users report hunts feel “less choppy” and shader stutter is reduced when entering new maps.

  • ✅ Crashes reduced: Fewer reports of the game outright crashing after hotfix 1.021.01.

  • ⚠️ Shader compilation still lingers: First-time encounters with monsters still cause frame drops for some players.

  • ⚠️ VRAM spikes: Users with 8GB cards (like RTX 3060 / RX 6600 XT) note VRAM usage maxing out at higher texture settings.

  • ❌ Cutscene lag: Pre-rendered and scripted cutscenes still stutter for a portion of the player base.

In short: Patch 1.021 helped, but it didn’t fully eliminate the stuttering beast.

Troubleshooting Steps If You’re Still Stuttering

If Wilds is still giving you frame grief after 1.021, try these community-tested fixes:

🔧 Shader Cache Reset

  • Delete DXCache and GLCache folders (found in AppData/NVIDIA or AMD cache).

  • Forces a clean rebuild to prevent corrupted shader data.

🔧 Limit Background Overlays

  • Disable Steam, Discord, or GeForce overlays — all flagged as stutter contributors.

🔧 Adjust Graphics Settings

  • Textures: Drop from High to Medium if on an 8GB card.

  • Shadows & Ambient Occlusion: Keep these on Medium for smoother hunts.

  • Framerate Cap: Setting to 60 or 120 instead of Unlimited reduces frame pacing spikes.

🔧 Driver Updates

  • NVIDIA 555.xx and AMD 24.8.1 are confirmed stable for Wilds.

🔧 Verify Game Files

  • Corrupt files after hotfix installation can cause random crashes. Run Steam file integrity check.

Should You Expect More Fixes?

Capcom acknowledged on Steam that “further optimization updates are in progress.” With Monster Hunter’s long-tail support history (see World and Rise), more patches are almost guaranteed. Community sentiment is cautiously optimistic that another hotfix will tackle the lingering shader compilation problem.

Final Verdict

Patch 1.021 + 1.021.01 has made Monster Hunter Wilds more stable, but PC stutter isn’t fully gone. High-end rigs see smoother hunts, but mid-tier GPUs are still wrestling with shader hitches and VRAM spikes. If you’re still crashing, the troubleshooting tips above should help tame the beast until Capcom rolls out another round of optimizations.

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