Summary
Priority: High
The Quality Switch node in UEFN materials is designed to output different values based on the active graphics quality setting (Low, Medium, High, Epic). However, it currently does not function as intended.
Current Behavior:
- The node only returns values input into the Epic and Low parameters. (Dx11 and Performance Mode)
- When using the DX12 renderer, the node always returns the Epic value, regardless of the actual quality setting selected.
- Results in-Engine do not reflect results in-game.
Example Use Case: When developing a stylized water shader that relies on distance fields to generate foam around edges, the effect breaks on low settings because distance fields aren’t computed at these settings. Ideally, this issue could be avoided by using the Quality Switch node to disable the foam effect at low settings. However, due to the current bug, the Quality Switch node does not correctly route alternative values for low settings, leaving no workaround available. This causes the effect to flash on the players instead.
Please select what you are reporting on:
Unreal Editor for Fortnite
What Type of Bug are you experiencing?
Assets
Steps to Reproduce
Reproduction Steps:
[In-Engine]
- Create a new material.
- Insert a Quality Switch node with distinct scalar values (or textures) that are easily identifiable for Low, Medium, High, and Epic.
- Plug values into each input of Quality Switch Node
- Apply Material
- Launch Game
[In-Game]
- Make sure Dx12 is used in-game for clearer results. (All rendering modes can be used but Dx12 is more noticeable. Engine doesn’t replicate results correctly.)
- Test the material across different graphics settings (Low, Medium, High, Epic).
- Adjust “Effects” scalability to see changes.
- Observe the output, noting incorrect behavior as described above.
Expected Result
The Quality Switch node should correctly output the values that correspond to the selected quality setting:
[Result across all rendering modes]
- Low → Low input
- Medium → Medium input
- High → High input
- Epic → Epic input
The correct behavior should apply consistently across all renderers (DX11, DX12, Performance Mode)
Impact:
Fixing this would enable precise material optimization, allowing us to fine-tune visual fidelity and performance across a range of hardware, devices, and platforms.
Observed Result
The Quality Switch node shows the observed result in game:
[Dx11 Result]
- Low → Low input
- Medium → Epic input
- High → Epic input
- Epic → Epic input
[Dx12 Result]
- Low → Epic input
- Medium → Epic input
- High → Epic input
- Epic → Epic input
This behaviour is incorrect as it’s not reflecting the correct quality.
Platform(s)
Renderer: DX12 (also occurs on DX11 and Performance Mode)
Platforms: All (PC, Console, Mobile)
