I think that has to do with consoles: when a console generation is outdated mid or low range hardware that forces more general optimization and less added bullshit, especially when that generation drags on way too long and means devs are targeting what is basically a decade old gaming computer towards the end. When they’re loss leaders and there’s a shorter window between generations or upgraded same-generation versions, it means devs are only optimizing enough to run on a modern mid range gaming rig and specifically the console configuration of that.

Although there’s some extra stuff to it too, like the NVidia 10 series was an amazing generation of GPUs that remained relevant for like a decade, and the upper end of it is still sort of relevant now. NVidia rested on their laurels after that and has been extremely stingy with VRAM because their cash cow is now high end server cards for AI bullshit and they want businesses to buy $5000+ cards instead of <$1000 ones that would work good enough if they just had a bit more VRAM. GPUs have also gotten more and more expensive because of crypto and AI grifters letting NVidia know they can just keep raising prices and delivering less and people will still buy their shit, and AMD just grinning and following after them, delivering better cards at lower prices but not that much lower since they can get away with it too.