A three-line code fix dramatically improves Elden Ring, Bloodborne and more - so what’s the catch?
I’ve tested these patches - and they work, producing a far smoother, stutter-free effect.
Are there any catches to these patches?
This allows users to install unsigned code in a way similar to Sony development consoles.
According to Illusion, the problem is fairly straightforward.
What it does not do is considerwheneach new frame should be delivered.
This is the classic Digital Foundry nemesis - inconsistent or ‘bad’ frame-pacing.
I’ve omitted the frame-rate graph because it’s irrelevant - both renditions run at 30fps.
It’s frame-time that is most important.
On the right, with Illusion’s patch, the line is dead straight.
Each and every frame arrives every 33.3ms.
This is 30fps as it should be.
That’s the technical explanation - but how does this impact the quality of the experience?
I played patched versions of each and every From Software game and the difference is often night and day.
Even so, the patched version is still an improvement over the shipping game.
Is the patch really that simple then - literally changing one instruction for another?
“It’s a two-line fix there,” Illusion told me over Discord.
Of course, From Software itself has moved on from 30fps caps.
The former doesn’t look great as it presents like a 30fps game with extra hitching.
The latter isn’t ideal as there are far too many drops from the ideal 60fps.
It’s the way these games should present for optimal effect.
The patches add significant input lag.
Input lag testing threw up some remarkable results.
Did Bluepoint solve the problem with its Demon’s Souls Remake?
by switching to the performance mode - the way the game should be played.
So, what have we learned from this experience?
It looks poor and marred an entire generation of games.
On the off-chance that the studio is working on a Bloodborne Remake, addressing that would be welcome!
Just how much overhead doesGTA5have above its 30fps cap?Patched codereveals all.
