Durante, the Chief Technology Officer at PH3 Games and a former modder, has recently shared insights into the impressive optimization journey of a scene from Ys X: Nordics. Initially running at 106 frames per second (FPS), the team managed to elevate this performance to an astonishing 314 FPS after just four rounds of optimization.
Optimization Insights
Durante’s reputation in the gaming community is largely built on his creation of “DSfix” for the original Dark Souls PC port, which unlocked vital features for PC gamers, including a 60 FPS cap that wouldn’t officially arrive until Dark Souls Remastered in 2018. Now, as part of a dedicated development team, Durante has the advantage of direct access to the game’s core mechanics, allowing for significant enhancements to the overall gaming experience.
Addressing the complexities of DirectX 11 memory management, Durante and his team were able to rectify issues before even reaching the working version 0.1. The optimization process was meticulous; they focused on a particularly CPU-intensive scene set on Balta Island, which was rendered at maximum settings, excluding resolution and anti-aliasing. This approach ensured that the game remained CPU-bound, facilitating effective optimizations.
One notable improvement involved removing a console optimization that had previously reduced the animation FPS of distant characters, resulting in a substantial boost to the fluidity of the PC port. The optimization journey from version 0.1 to 0.2 was characterized as “low-hanging fruit,” yet it still raised the FPS from 106 to 181. Subsequent refinements led to an increase to 231 FPS in version 0.8, with two additional updates pushing the performance to 293 and ultimately 314 FPS. Durante emphasized the importance of a careful optimization order, noting that as software becomes more refined, achieving further improvements becomes increasingly challenging.
The final release of Ys X: Nordics appears to deliver a highly performant and enjoyable experience, as indicated by existing game reviews. For those eager to experience the enhancements firsthand, a free demo is available across all platforms, including Steam.
As the gaming industry continues to evolve, it is hoped that larger studios, such as Square Enix with its underperforming Final Fantasy XVI, will take note of these effective practices. While a mod exists to address some of the performance issues in FFXVI, it raises a critical point: it should not fall upon unpaid modders to rectify shortcomings in commercially sold PC games.
