Silksong Map

Performance & Mobile Tips for Using the Map

Author: Silksong Map Team • Updated: 2025-09-30

Summary: Smooth experience on mobile and low‑end devices: trim filters, optimize viewport, and use quick actions wisely.

On this page

Trim filters

Filter reduction is the single most effective performance optimization for map usage, especially on mobile devices and older hardware.

The Performance-Quality Trade-off

Each active filter category adds rendering overhead:

Active Filters Markers Rendered Load Time (Mobile) FPS Impact
1 category ~20-30 2-3 seconds Minimal (55-60 FPS)
2-3 categories ~50-70 4-6 seconds Moderate (40-50 FPS)
4-5 categories ~90-120 8-12 seconds Significant (25-35 FPS)
All categories 150+ 15-20+ seconds Severe (10-20 FPS)

Optimal Filter Strategies by Device

High-End Mobile (iPhone 12+, flagship Android)

Recommended Maximum: 3 active filters

Best Combinations:

  • Bosses + Checkpoints + Collectibles
  • Charms + Mask Shards + Silk Shards

Performance Impact: Negligible lag, smooth panning

Mid-Range Mobile (3-4 years old)

Recommended Maximum: 2 active filters

Best Practice: Enable filters sequentially, disable previous before adding next

Example Workflow:

  1. Enable "Charms" → collect all visible charms → disable
  2. Enable "Mask Shards" → collect all visible → disable
  3. Enable "Checkpoints" → activate benches → disable

Budget/Older Mobile (5+ years old)

Recommended Maximum: 1 active filter at a time

Alternative: Use desktop/laptop for planning, phone only for quick reference

Emergency Fallback: Use direct MapGenie link instead of embed (better optimized)

Hide Completed Items Feature

If MapGenie supports "Hide Collected" toggle:

  • Performance Benefit: 30-50% fewer markers after initial area completion
  • How to Enable: Check MapGenie filter panel for "Show only uncollected" option
  • Best Use: Late-game sweeps when most items are already found

Advanced: Filter Preloading

On slow connections, preload filters before needed:

  1. Open map on WiFi before play session
  2. Enable all needed filters to cache marker data
  3. Let page fully load (wait for all icons to appear)
  4. During gameplay, filter switches will be instant (data already cached)

Viewport & zoom

Viewport and zoom management significantly impacts both visual clarity and rendering performance.

Orientation Optimization

Landscape vs. Portrait Performance:

Aspect Portrait Landscape
Visible map area Small (40% screen) Large (70% screen)
Markers visible 15-20 30-40
Tap accuracy Lower (crowded) Higher (spaced)
Scrolling needed Frequent Minimal

Recommendation: Always use landscape orientation when actively navigating. Use portrait only for quick checks.

Zoom Level Strategy

Zoom Level Impact on Performance:

  • Max Zoom Out: Shows entire region, renders 100+ markers → laggy on mobile
  • Medium Zoom: Shows 1-2 sub-areas, renders 30-50 markers → optimal balance
  • Max Zoom In: Shows single room, renders 5-10 markers → smoothest but limited view

Optimal Zoom Workflow:

  1. Planning Phase: Zoom out to see full region, identify target clusters
  2. Navigation Phase: Zoom to medium level, showing immediate area + next 2-3 objectives
  3. Collection Phase: Zoom in for precision when near items
Comparison of portrait vs landscape map layouts
Figure: Landscape orientation provides 60% more visible map area, reducing need for panning (placeholder image).

Gesture Optimization

Pinch-Zoom vs. Button Zoom:

  • Pinch-Zoom: Smooth but CPU-intensive, can cause stuttering on older devices
  • Button Zoom (+/- buttons): Discrete steps, less rendering overhead, recommended for low-end devices
  • Double-Tap Zoom: Fastest method for quick zoom-in, minimal performance cost

Panning Performance:

  • Slow Pans: Give browser time to render markers smoothly
  • Fast Swipes: Can cause marker "pop-in" lag on mobile
  • Alternative: Use map minimap (if available) to jump between areas instead of panning

Screen Real Estate Maximization

On mobile browsers:

  • Hide address bar: Scroll down slightly to trigger full-screen mode (+10% visible area)
  • Close unnecessary UI: Minimize MapGenie's sidebar/legend when not needed
  • Use browser "Reader Mode": Some browsers offer distraction-free viewing

Quick actions

Efficient interaction patterns reduce load times and improve responsiveness.

Embed vs. Direct Link Performance

Method Pros Cons Best For
Embedded Map Integrated experience, no tab switching Iframe overhead, slower loading Desktop, high-end mobile
Direct Link Faster load, native MapGenie optimizations Separate tab, loses site context Low-end devices, slow connections

When to Use Fallback Link:

  • Embed takes >10 seconds to load
  • Stuttering/lag when panning embedded map
  • Mobile browser shows "heavy page" warning
  • Playing on tablet with limited RAM

Tab Management

The Tab Accumulation Problem:

Opening multiple map tabs consumes RAM exponentially:

  • 1 tab: ~50MB RAM (base)
  • 3 tabs: ~200MB RAM (cache duplication)
  • 5+ tabs: 400MB+ RAM (mobile browser may crash)

Best Practices:

  1. Bookmark, don't multiply: Keep single map tab, bookmark for quick return
  2. Close background tabs: Before opening map, close unused browser tabs
  3. Use "Open in App": If MapGenie has mobile app, use that instead of browser

Interaction Patterns

Touch Target Optimization (Mobile):

  • Marker size: Some maps allow increasing icon size (Accessibility settings)
  • Tap vs. Press: Quick tap opens marker; long-press may show context menu
  • Accidental touches: Zoom in if markers are too close together

Quick Action Shortcuts:

  • Search bar: Faster than panning to find specific item
  • Filter hotkeys: If desktop, learn keyboard shortcuts (check MapGenie docs)
  • Recent items: Some maps show "recently viewed" - use for quick re-reference

Offline and fallback

Connection reliability is critical for uninterrupted map access during gameplay.

Connectivity Requirements

Bandwidth Needs by Usage Pattern:

Activity Min. Speed Data Usage
Initial map load 1 Mbps 2-5 MB
Panning/zooming 0.5 Mbps 0.1-0.3 MB per action
Filter changes 0.3 Mbps 0.5-1 MB per change
Search queries 0.2 Mbps 0.05 MB per search

Offline Strategies

Method 1: Browser Caching

  1. Open map page on WiFi
  2. Enable ALL filters to load all markers
  3. Pan across entire map to cache tiles
  4. Zoom in/out at different levels to cache multiple tile sets
  5. Browser caches data for offline use (works for 1-7 days depending on settings)

Limitation: Requires browser to keep cache; clearing data removes offline access

Method 2: Screenshot Archive

  1. Take screenshots of each region with all filters enabled
  2. Save to photo gallery with descriptive names ("Moss_Grotto_All_Items.png")
  3. During gameplay with no internet, reference screenshots
  4. Mark collected items with photo editing app

Storage Cost: ~20-30 screenshots at ~2MB each = 40-60MB total

Method 3: Offline Map Apps

Check if MapGenie or community has released offline-capable apps:

  • iOS/Android native apps often support offline mode
  • Progressive Web Apps (PWA) may cache for offline
  • Community-created offline tools (search "Silksong offline map")

Fallback System Usage

Our map page includes automatic fallback detection:

Fallback Triggers:

  • Embed fails to load within 8 seconds
  • JavaScript errors in iframe
  • User manually clicks "Use Fallback" button

Fallback Benefits:

  • Opens MapGenie in new tab (native site performance)
  • Bypasses iframe restrictions
  • Direct access to MapGenie features (may have better mobile optimization)

Connection Troubleshooting

Spotty WiFi/Cellular:

  • Reduce image quality: Enable browser "Data Saver" mode
  • Disable auto-refresh: Prevents unnecessary reloads
  • Use text-based tracking: Local checklist instead of live map

Intermittent Disconnects:

  1. Load map fully before starting game session
  2. Don't change filters frequently (each change = new data request)
  3. Keep map tab in background; switching apps may drop connection

Data Usage Monitoring

For mobile data users:

  • Typical session: 10-20 MB for 1 hour of map usage
  • Heavy usage: 30-50 MB if changing filters frequently
  • Optimization: Preload on WiFi, use sparingly on cellular

iOS/Android Data Warnings:

  • If OS shows "high data usage" alert, switch to WiFi or screenshot method
  • Set browser to "block images" if desperate (markers may still load)

Emergency Solutions

When all else fails:

  1. Text-only guides: Use our Collectibles Guide (no map needed)
  2. Community wikis: Text-based walkthroughs (Fextralife, IGN, etc.)
  3. Offline game map: Use in-game map (if Silksong has one) as primary, reference our map only when stuck

Report Performance Issues: If you discover reproducible stuttering, lag, or connection problems, please report via Contact page. Include device model, browser version, and connection type for troubleshooting.