The skinning could be done GPU side but with caveats: the number of bones that can influence a vertex would be limited and matrix palettes might have to be spli

The skinning could be done GPU side but with caveats: the number of bones that can influence a vertex would be limited and matrix palettes might have to be split up, inducing multiple draw calls. There actually was a GPU skinner at some point iirc, and the load for common example skeletons was pretty much the same sadly.