Fixing Loading Time in Stalker 2
Stalker 2 is an epic sequel that’s already ruling the market with its creepy atmosphere and intense gameplay. At least, the Console players are, as for us guys on PC, we have run into a bit of a problem here… the insane loading time! It’s really frustrating having to wait for around 5 to 6 minutes just for the game to load up. That’s enough to make anyone lose their patience.
But the good news is, some fans have figured out a way to shrink that wait time to less than a minute. That’s like 5 times the waiting time, and it’s super easy to do. Let me tell you how exactly!
Why Is Stalker 2 Taking So Long to Load?
In order to fix the problem, we need to first understand what's actually causing it. And it’s not because of the slow internet or your PC being weak, it could be, but the problem is common to every PC player.
There are actually two reasons why this is happening. Firstly, the intro videos, which are slowing down the game for no good reason at all. Sure, they might be cool the first time, but annoying after that.
But what’s worse is the infinitely loading Shaders. Everytime you boot up, the game has to load shaders through Unreal Engine 5, which eats up a ton of time, especially on slower PCs.
How to Fix this Problem?
Now, I will tell you exactly how you can speed through the loading time by following these two simple things. We just need to get rid of both of the shaders and the intro videos. Let’s walk you through them one by one:
1. Get Rid of the Forced Shader Compilation
First up, the shader compilation. It’s a big part of why your loading time is so long, but thankfully, you can switch it off.
Go to your AppData folder on your PC. If you don’t see it, make sure you’ve enabled hidden folders (you can find this in your Windows settings). Then head to this location:
C:\Users\[YourWindowsUsername]\AppData\Local\Stalker2\Saved\Config\Windows
Open Notepad and paste the following code:
[SystemSettings]
r.PSOWarmup.WarmupMaterials=0
When saving, click Save As, change the file type to All Files, and name it Engine.ini. If you don’t do this, it’ll save as a .txt file, and it won’t work.
2. Skip Those Annoying Intro Videos
Now let’s get rid of the unskippable intro videos. This one’s even easier. You just need to download a mod tool called STALKER2Tweak.
Go to Lyle’s GitHub page and download the file for your version of Stalker:
For Steam: STALKER2Tweak_v0.0.7_Steam.zip
2. Unzip the download and move the files into your main Stalker 2 directory. Here’s where to find it:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Heart of Chornobyl
No More Waiting
Once you’ve done these quick fixes, Stalker 2’s loading time drops from nearly 5 or 6 minutes to less than a minute. That’s a huge difference, around 5 times faster. With this, you will be able to play the game much quicker, without having to stare at those boring screens for so long every single time. Try it out and let me know if it's working for you.
