Does Diablo III Patch 2.4.0 Impact Console Performance?
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The editors over at Eurogamer have posed this very question after reports on Blizzard's forums appeared to indicate that at least some players - particularly those with the PlayStation 4 version of the action RPG - are experiencing framerate issues after the update was released. As it turns out, they seem to be on to something:
With thanks to Eurogamer's Oli Welsh and his up-to-speed PS4 save, we've managed to isolate some of the challenges players are experiencing in the video below. In particular, the issue manifests as a stutter when travelling the game world, even while uncontested by enemies. And surprisingly, these frustrating hitches remain even when the game is installed to a nippy SSD, strongly suggesting it has little to do with data streaming from a PS4's stock HDD.
Though most interior areas run at a clean 60fps as expected, larger outdoor spots like Southern Highlands, or Dreadjudge Approach show frames dropping in clusters without any real provocation. Simply moving quickly - whether that's via a Barbarian's leap move, or being knocked back by an enemy - is one of the easier ways to see the stutter in action. Even simply walking across a bridge, without an enemy in sight, produces the issue, as demonstrated in our video below.
These one-off hitches are a distraction, but pale in comparison to some of the choppier playback we see in actual combat. Even playing entirely solo (in this case as a level 70 Barbarian in Dreadjudge), Diablo 3's current patch shows drastic frame-time spikes when engaging with a screen filled with enemies. The target for a 60fps title is a consistent 16.7ms render time per frame. But out of the blue this can chop down to around 200ms - a fifth of a second - as our lowest recorded figure. This means drops down to 40fps - and an immediate return back - are something to watch out for.
