Following growing speculation that Resident Evil 4's latest patch has negatively affected its performance on PC, Digital Foundry has confirmed this through its own testing.
The outlet tested both the current and previous version of the game (by way of a mod), with the core difference between the two being the type of DRM implemented. Previously, Resident Evil 4 made use of Denuvo DRM, while its latest update has replaced it with Enigma Protector DRM. This new version of DRM has introduced major bottlenecks when it comes to CPU performance, with Digital Foundry measuring nearly 2ms lost to CPU processing times in some instances.
With its testing setup that prioritized CPU-limited scenarios, this manifested a massive decrease in output frame rate, down to 144fps from 217fps. It should be noted that these slowdowns won't be as noticeable, if at all, in GPU-limited scenarios, or in instances where the game's AI is providing a larger overhead than the new DRM features. Still, it's an example of an update measurably changing the performance of a product years after release without any real benefit to its players.
Digital Foundry hypothesises that Capcom uses existing products to test out new versions of different DRM systems to the detriment of its players, and looking at the entire catalogue of Resident Evil titles on PC supports that. Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil Village both had their Denuvo Anti-Tamper DRM services removed a months after their respective launches, while Resident Evil Requiem looks set to launch with Denuvo DRM intact. Resident Evil 4 is the first in the series to use Enigma Protector, which could be a way for Capcom to evaluate its performance for future products.
Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth mainline entry in the long-running survival-horror franchise, and is set to launch later this month. From its dual-protagonist approach to talking zombies, there are many ways its aiming to shake up the formula.
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The outlet tested both the current and previous version of the game (by way of a mod), with the core difference between the two being the type of DRM implemented. Previously, Resident Evil 4 made use of Denuvo DRM, while its latest update has replaced it with Enigma Protector DRM. This new version of DRM has introduced major bottlenecks when it comes to CPU performance, with Digital Foundry measuring nearly 2ms lost to CPU processing times in some instances.
With its testing setup that prioritized CPU-limited scenarios, this manifested a massive decrease in output frame rate, down to 144fps from 217fps. It should be noted that these slowdowns won't be as noticeable, if at all, in GPU-limited scenarios, or in instances where the game's AI is providing a larger overhead than the new DRM features. Still, it's an example of an update measurably changing the performance of a product years after release without any real benefit to its players.
Digital Foundry hypothesises that Capcom uses existing products to test out new versions of different DRM systems to the detriment of its players, and looking at the entire catalogue of Resident Evil titles on PC supports that. Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil Village both had their Denuvo Anti-Tamper DRM services removed a months after their respective launches, while Resident Evil Requiem looks set to launch with Denuvo DRM intact. Resident Evil 4 is the first in the series to use Enigma Protector, which could be a way for Capcom to evaluate its performance for future products.
Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth mainline entry in the long-running survival-horror franchise, and is set to launch later this month. From its dual-protagonist approach to talking zombies, there are many ways its aiming to shake up the formula.
Source