It looks like Square Enix’s Forspoken update 1.002 has done more harm than good for those playing on PC, as Steam users claim that there’s been an increase in stuttering and performance issues following the RPG game‘s latest patch.
The first Forspoken update is a relatively small one, focused largely on localization and spelling issues, implementing some fixes, and enhancing HDR mode.
Unfortunately, it appears that the update has been more of a curse than a blessing, as following its release players have complained of decreased performance and serious issues with stuttering.
“Patch fix? More like patch break” writes one fan, who claims they “can’t play [for] one minute since last patch.” Another echoes this, stating, “played 40 hours without a single problem, and now patch causes the game to completely crash my PC (forced PC restart) every time I enter or try to enter a cinematic.” A third commenter notes that they’ve experienced “major stuttering” since the update. “I’m having a lot of stuttering now and performance drops after today’s update.”
Some believe this is because the game is using a lot more of the CPU, with one claiming that their CPU utilisation has spiked at 100%. Given the Forspoken system requirements were already pretty astronomical, it looks as though the update has inadvertently pushed a lot of PCs to their limits.
A couple of solutions have emerged as potential fixes, with players urging others to verify the game’s Steam files and ensure that their drivers are up to date. While these quick fixes may solve the issue for now, the fact that the patch has managed to break some players’ games is far from ideal.
This is precisely why I bought Forspoken on PlayStation 5. I knew that my PC wasn’t up to scratch, and had a feeling that the requirements would continue to shift exponentially. Given that I value both my PC and my flat, I wasn’t really up for it spontaneously combusting – looks like I made the right choice.
If you’ve noticed some graphics issues post-patch, be sure to check out our rundown of the best Forspoken settings to see if there’s anything you can adjust. If you’re planning to battle through the bugs, though, we’ve got the answer to the age-old question ‘how long is Forspoken‘ – after all, torturing yourself with stutters is not a great idea.