# UE-5: Dithering everywhere ?

**URL:** <https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/ue-5-dithering-everywhere/1292381>\
**Category:** Rendering\
**Tags:** UE-5, translucent, unreal-engine, Rendering, question\
**Created:** [September 12, 2023, 2:46pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/ue-5-dithering-everywhere/1292381 "2023-09-12T14:46:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Detelgex](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Detelgex](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Detelgex)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2023, 2:46pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/ue-5-dithering-everywhere/1292381/1 "2023-09-12T14:46:03Z")

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Hello, In Unreal Engine 5, there’s dithering in everything translucent: Volumetric Cloud, Sky Atmosphere, Niagara particles, Water, Hair and, of course, all transparent or non-opaque materials.  
Why? Is it for performance?  
Because visually, it created a lot of ugly visual artefacts. With the massive use of Screen Percentage/Dynamic Resolution localized with Temporal Upscale combined with temporal anti-aliasing like TSR, ugly visual artefacts are even more numerous and coarse, not to mention the lack of fluidity felt with permanent ghosting despite an artificially high fps rate.

_Poll ([view on site](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/ue-5-dithering-everywhere/1292381/1))_

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**Author:** ![PotionShop](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@PotionShop](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/PotionShop)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 12:38am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/ue-5-dithering-everywhere/1292381/2 "2025-11-19T00:38:25Z")

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Dithering is used to simulate transparency.

Why? Lumen and most modern lighting is differed. Differed lighting has some benefits but the major con is transparencies cost a huge amount of performance.

Dithering combined with TAA and TSR can create realist transparencies.  
Note: I’m pretty sure DLSS and FSR use TAA

So back to your question.  
Why it on Volumetric Clouds = because they can be partially transparent  
Why it on Sky Atmosphere = because they can be partially transparent  
Why it on Water = because they can be partially transparent

Hair, Foliage and Trees = dither on these is honestly stupid in my opinion.

Old School Forward rendering opinion:

- Forward rendering & MSAA looks way better
- requires much much more work
- main easy lighting solution is baked lighting
- doesn’t require dithering, TAA or TSR}
- transparency is cheap

I realize this is an older post but since lumen has not been fixed as of this moment still feel like a good topic for discussion.

PS: found this trying to find solutions to Lumen in expedition 33 without using TAA/TSR