The recent revelations surrounding the performance of the PC version of Monster Hunter Wilds have stirred quite a conversation among gamers and industry observers alike. A Reddit post by user de_Tylmarande sparked intrigue when it suggested that purchasing downloadable content (DLC) could significantly enhance frame rates. This claim was met with skepticism, yet it was soon validated through testing, albeit with some important nuances.
Understanding the Performance Issue
Upon investigation, it became clear that the performance discrepancies were not as drastic as initially portrayed. The root of the problem lies in a peculiar bug rather than a catastrophic flaw in the game. Specifically, the issue is confined to certain areas of the game, and while Capcom has yet to address it officially, a mod has emerged that effectively mitigates the problem.
To explore this further, I employed a Ryzen 5 3600 system paired with an Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti. After installing the “Less DLC Checks” mod, which integrates with the RE Framework modding tool, I was able to observe the frequency of DLC checks conducted by the game. Surprisingly, the absence of DLC was not the culprit behind the performance issues; rather, it was the game’s incessant checking for DLC presence that was taxing the CPU.
In specific hub areas, particularly when interacting with characters linked to DLC menus, the game inundates the CPU with numerous checks. This surge in requests can lead to noticeable performance degradation for players without DLC installed. For instance, while exploring the base camp, I found that the mod’s counter registered thousands of checks in a matter of minutes, exacerbating the already high CPU load.
Performance Metrics
To quantify the impact of these DLC checks, I conducted a series of tests within the base camp environment. At maximum settings of 1440p with ray tracing and DLSS balanced mode, the system remained CPU-limited. However, utilizing the mod to block DLC requests resulted in an impressive 11.4% performance improvement over one minute of gameplay. When I adjusted the settings to high with ray tracing enabled, the performance boost increased to 20%. Finally, at the lowest settings with ray tracing disabled, the mod yielded a remarkable 25.6% enhancement by eliminating the DLC checks.
The mod’s description clarifies that the performance hit occurs primarily when players are near a Support Desk felyne, which indicates the availability of DLC. Thus, the issue is localized and primarily affects gameplay in specific scenarios, rather than being a pervasive problem throughout the game.
Broader Implications
While the narrative suggesting that purchasing DLC could enhance frame rates has been debunked, the underlying issue raises questions about Capcom’s quality assurance processes. This bug, rather than being a feature, highlights a need for attention from the developers. Although the immediate impact on gameplay may be limited, the performance challenges faced by lower-end processors in hub areas remain a concern.
In summary, while the situation may not be as dire as initially thought, it underscores the necessity for ongoing improvements to the PC version of Monster Hunter Wilds. The availability of the Less DLC Checks mod provides a temporary solution, but players and industry analysts alike recognize that more comprehensive fixes are essential for the long-term health of the game.
