Deathloop has received its first patch on PC since release but which unfortunately does not address ongoing frame-rate stuttering issues on the platform.
The debut PC patch instead “resolves an issue where certain achievements were not unlocking for players,” said developer Arkane Studios. The patch also enables Deathloop to provide “more descriptive error messaging” for players experience crash issues. The game will now inform players if their rigs fail to meet minimum system requirements or if certain extensions have been disabled.
Furthermore, Arkane Studios will continue investigating reported stuttering issues on PC. “We are exploring causes and potential fixes and will update you with more information when it becomes available. We appreciate your patience.”
Deathloop has been facing performance issues on PC since release. Even powerful rigs with the latest graphics cards and processors are finding it hard to achieve stable, high frame rates. Based on impacted players, the stuttering issues are pretty random but can become immense during gunfights or enemy encounters.
Deathloop incorporates the highly controversial Denuvo anti-tampering technology on Steam to keep pirates at bay. It was hence natural for players to blame Denuvo for causing the stuttering issues since the anti-piracy digital rights scheme has been alleged to hoard resources at the cost of performance.
Arkane Studios has not acknowledged that Denuvo is to blame, but players should probably not stick their hopes on the developer removing Denuvo from Deathloop, at least not this early in release.
Deathloop is now available on PlayStation 5 and PC. The game will remain a timed console-exclusive to PlayStation for an undisclosed period. That being said, players can probably expect a release to happen on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S either in the first or second half of 2022.
