[Solved] Cities Skylines 2 An error has occurred – Hardware not supported for Volumetric Materials

“Cities: Skylines 2” is a highly anticipated sequel to the immensely popular city-building simulation game. However, some players have been encountering a frustrating error message that reads, “Hardware Not Supported for Volumetric Materials.” This error often appears when trying to enable ray tracing in the game. In this article, we’ll explore potential solutions to this issue.

Read: How to Boost Performance in Cities Skylines 2 (Increase FPS)

How to Fix Cities: Skylines 2″ Error – Hardware Not Supported for Volumetric Materials

Hardware engine errors are faced by a lot of users. There are a few methods suggested by players to fix this error.

To fix the “Hardware Not Supported for Volumetric Materials” error. Apply this settings configuration:

• Locate the Settings.coc File: The Settings.coc file should be in the following directory: %appdata%\..\LocalLow\Colossal Order\Cities Skylines II\.
• Open Settings.coc File: You can use a text editor like Notepad to open and edit this file.
• Copy Paste configuration: Paste the below settings in the file.

Graphics Settings
{
    "qualitySettings": [
        {
            "enabled": true,
            "upscaleFilter": "EdgeAdaptiveScaling",
            "minScale": 0.5,
            "@type": "Game.Settings.DynamicResolutionScaleSettings"
        },
        {
            "antiAliasingMethod": "None",
            "smaaQuality": "Low",
            "outlinesMSAA": "None",
            "@type": "Game.Settings.AntiAliasingQualitySettings"
        },
        {
            "volumetricCloudsEnabled": false,
            "distanceCloudsEnabled": false,
            "volumetricCloudsShadows": false,
            "distanceCloudsShadows": false,
            "@type": "Game.Settings.CloudsQualitySettings"
        },
        {
            "enabled": false,
            "@type": "Game.Settings.FogQualitySettings"
        },
        {
            "enabled": false,
            "budget": 0.166,
            "resolutionDepthRatio": 0.666,
            "@type": "Game.Settings.VolumetricsQualitySettings"
        },
        {
            "enabled": false,
            "@type": "Game.Settings.SSAOQualitySettings"
        },
        {
            "enabled": false,
            "raySteps": 16,
            "denoiserRadius": 0.75,
            "halfResolutionPass": true,
            "@type": "Game.Settings.SSGIQualitySettings"
        },
        {
            "enabled": false,
            "maxRaySteps": 32,
            "@type": "Game.Settings.SSRQualitySettings"
        },
        {
            "enabled": false,
            "nearSampleCount": 3,
            "nearMaxRadius": 2,
            "farSampleCount": 4,
            "farMaxRadius": 5,
            "highQualityFiltering": false,
            "@type": "Game.Settings.DepthOfFieldQualitySettings"
        },
        {
            "enabled": false,
            "@type": "Game.Settings.MotionBlurQualitySettings"
        },
        {
            "enabled": false,
            "@type": "Game.Settings.ShadowsQualitySettings"
        },
        {
            "finalTessellation": 3,
            "targetPatchSize": 24,
            "@type": "Game.Settings.TerrainQualitySettings"
        },
        {
            "waterflow": false,
            "maxTessellationFactor": 2,
            "@type": "Game.Settings.WaterQualitySettings"
        },
        {
            "levelOfDetail": 0.25,
            "lodCrossFade": false,
            "maxLightCount": 1024,
            "meshMemoryBudget": 256,
            "strictMeshMemory": true,
            "@type": "Game.Settings.LevelOfDetailQualitySettings"
        },
        {
            "maxBoneInfuence": "TwoBones",
            "@type": "Game.Settings.AnimationQualitySettings"
        },
        {
            "mipbias": 3,
            "filterMode": "Bilinear",
            "@type": "Game.Settings.TextureQualitySettings"
        }
    ],
    "resolution": {
        "width": 1440,
        "height": 900
    },
    "cursorMode": "Free",
    "depthOfFieldMode": "Disabled"
}  

• Save the File: After pasting the configuration, save the Settings. coc file.
• Launch the Game: Now, try launching Cities: Skylines 2. With the modified settings, the game should run with volumetric rendering disabled and other graphics settings set to low/off, which may help you bypass the hardware not supported error.

Update Your Graphics Drivers

One of the most common reasons for encountering the “Hardware Not Supported for Volumetric Materials” error is outdated graphics drivers. Ensure that your graphics drivers are up-to-date, as this can significantly impact your system’s ability to handle advanced graphical features such as ray tracing.

Disable Ray Tracing(Recommended)

As the error message suggests, deactivating ray tracing is one way to resolve the issue. While this might mean sacrificing some graphical fidelity, it can make the game playable on hardware that doesn’t fully support ray tracing. To disable ray tracing, follow these steps:

1. Launch the game.
2. Access the in-game settings menu.
3. Look for the “Graphics” or “Advanced Graphics” section.
4. Find the option to disable ray tracing and apply the changes.

Lower Graphics Settings

If you’d like to maintain some graphical enhancements without resorting to a hardware upgrade, consider lowering other graphics settings such as texture quality, shadow quality, or resolution. Reducing the graphical load on your system can help mitigate the “Hardware Not Supported for Volumetric Materials” error.

Update DirectX and OpenGL

“Cities: Skylines 2” relies on DirectX and OpenGL to render graphics. Make sure you have the latest versions of these libraries installed on your system. You can download and install them from official sources to ensure compatibility with the game.

Enable Overclocking

Overclocking your GPU and CPU can provide a performance boost, but it comes with risks and should only be done if you are experienced. Overclocking may help you squeeze more performance out of your existing hardware, but it can also lead to instability or damage if not done correctly.

Upgrade Your Hardware

Suppose all else fails and you are still unable to play “Cities: Skylines 2” without encountering the “Hardware Not Supported for Volumetric Materials” error. In that case, it may be time to consider a hardware upgrade. 

If none of the above solutions work, consider reaching out to the game’s official support channels. 

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