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- The team behind Stellar Blade states that Denuvo has been tuned to maintain the same average frame rate in the game.
- Shift Up also shows that the 1% lows and minimum FPS improve when the game is run with the DRM.
- This is one of the few instances where Denuvo appears to be improving in-game performance.
Stellar Blade’s PC port has already become the subject of intense discussion due to controversial choices. Not only is the PC version region-locked, but it also incorporates Denuvo DRM, something not typically seen in PlayStation PC ports.
Amid the disappointment, developer Shift Up has offered a clarification. The team has defended its use of the DRM, stating that it ultimately benefits the game in more ways than one.
Why it matters: Denuvo has a controversial reputation since many believe it harms PC performance.
As per the game’s official X account, Stellar Blade runs better when Denuvo is enabled.
The DRM has been tuned to maintain the same average frame rate, with even higher minimum frames in some cases.
-Shift Up
To support this statement, the team has shared an official benchmark image, highlighting that the average frame rate of 59.9 remains the exact same with and without the DRM.
However, the minimum frame rate improves by 10 (58.2FPS vs. 48.6FPS) when Denuvo is enabled, marking the most significant difference in the benchmark chart shown above.
Similarly, the DRM-based version offers better 1% lows. According to the team, the DRM has been tuned extensively to ensure to achieve these results. As such, the performance improvements is a secondary benefit to the protection this technology brings to the game.
Interestingly, Irdeto, the company behind Denuvo, itself has also argued that the DRM does not impact performance.
Although future tests of Stellar Blade running on PC next month will reveal a clearer picture, developer Shift Up’s defense of the DRM is certainly quite interesting. The team already received praise for its optimization work on PS5, so it is entirely possible that similar efforts have negated any potential downsides that come with Denuvo.
What are your thoughts on the developer’s comment? Do you plan on buying Stellar Blade on PC? Let us know in the comments, or head over to the Tech4Gamers Forums for more great news and discussions.
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[Senior News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than 5 years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
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