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The latest Dragon’s Dogma 2 update has arrived, and the v1.05 patch notes see the introduction of a New Game option alongside massive improvements to DLSS. That is, only if you’re on PS5 and PC. Xbox fans have to wait a little while longer to see any difference.
There has recently been chatter about whether Capcom plans to release an optimization patch that heals any graphical issues in the game. While the gameplay and storytelling have been superb, its technical performance on both PC and console has received heavy criticism. Fortunately, the next patch aims to address this. v1.05 brings some DLSS improvements and Capcom has confirmed that subsequent patches will iron out frame rate issues.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 v1.05 patch notes
3.29.2024
via Capcom
[PlayStation®5 / Steam]
Adding the option to start a new game when save data already exists.
Changing the number of “Art of Metamorphosis” items available at Pawn Guilds in the game to 99.
Making the quest that allows players to acquire their own dwelling (where they can save and rest) available earlier in the game.
Miscellaneous text display issues.
Miscellaneous bug fixes.
[PlayStation®5]
Adding the option* to switch Motion Blur on/off in Options.
Adding the option* to switch Ray Tracing on/off in Options.
Adding the option to set Frame Rate at Max 30fps in Options.
[Steam]
Improving quality when DLSS SUPER RESOLUTION is enabled.
Fixing an issue related to the display of models under some specific settings.
*These options won’t affect frame rate significantly. Improvements to frame rate are planned for future updates.
Updates to Xbox Series X|S are planned in the next few days.
The new patch is 1.6GB in size and features an overhaul to DLSS on PC, which is a welcome improvement to its earlier implementation. Anecdotally, I loaded up the game with our optimized graphics settings afterward, and in a 4K resolution with DLSS set to Quality, I was seeing a stable and consistent frame rate well above what it had been before. The texture quality hadn’t been nuked, either.
Xbox users don’t have the latest update available yet though, and will be waiting a little while longer to see the New Game option alongside motion blur and ray tracing modularity options.
Will Dragon’s Dogma 2 receive an optimization patch?
Even after optimizing the game with the best graphics settings for Dragon’s Dogma 2, it’s an extraordinarily CPU-intensive game. According to Capcom, this is thanks to the NPCs rendered in-game, and have said the following:
In Dragon’s Dogma 2, a large amount of CPU usage is allocated to each character and dynamically calculates the impact of their physical presence in various environments. In certain situations where numerous characters appear simultaneously, the CPU usage can be very high and may affect the frame rate,” a Capcom representative told IGN. “We are aware that in such situations, settings that reduce GPU load may currently have a limited effect; however, we are looking into ways to improve performance in the future.
Capcom (via IGN)
Aside from the commentary on what’s causing performance issues in Dragon’s Dogma 2, the most important snippet of information is that Capcom “are looking into ways to improve performance in the future.” There’s no mistaking this – Capcom will be releasing performance optimization patches. The first of many such patches has dropped and based on our first impressions, things are smoother already.
Just after the game launched, the developers of Dragon’s Dogma 2 have had this to say in response to its woeful performance and issues with DLSS:
We are aware of issues for some setups when DLSS Super Resolution is turned on.
Capcom (via Steam)
Fixes are currently underway for an upcoming patch.
In addition, we plan to add DLSS Frame Generation in a future title update.
Will the next Dragon’s Dogma 2 patch fix optimization issues?
The new patch for Dragon’s Dogma 2 does include an emphasis on optimization and performance. As already mentioned, reviews for the game so far have been utterly astounding, and it seems there’s little need for changes to gameplay and balancing outside the occasional bug. What is clear, though, is that performance on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X is equally subpar. We’ve had a look at what the best GPU for Dragon’s Dogma 2 is alongside the best gaming laptops. Comparing your current hardware against these might tell you how desperately you’re going to need that optimization patch in-game.
Another patch that fixes CPU usage, alongside optimizing NPC handling, is likely something that the development team will be working on. This has been alluded to by Capcom themselves, so expect a patch to come that sorts out how the game runs on PC. The v1.05 patch is a good sign of things to come.
