PC Gamers Reporting Issues With Batman: Arkham Knight - Update

[Lizzy Finnegan]

PC Gamers Reporting Issues With Batman: Arkham Knight - Update


Players of the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight are reporting many issues with the title.

Update: Game director and co-founder of Rocksteady Games Sefton Hill has released a tweets [https://twitter.com/Seftonhill/status/613432448920199168] addressing the issues. "I'm aware that some users are reporting performance issues with the PC version. This is something that Rocksteady takes very seriously. WBGames is working with the PC developer IronGalaxy to address the issues ASAP. Rocksteady will provide any support to get this resolved."

Original Story: Release day is a big day for any video game developer or publisher, and Batman: Arkham Knight is no different. This highly anticipated title unfortunately ran into quite a few issues following its midnight release, most notably with PC users. Gamers have taken to NeoGAF [http://store.steampowered.com/app/208650/], and a variety of other comment sections and forums to discuss the issues they have run into, which include frequent stuttering, sporadic freezing, memory leaks, and audio glitches while moving around.

Many gamers also reported a 30fps cap. Although a poster in NeoGAF shared a way to work around that (Go to the Arkham Knight installation folder and navigate to "BmGameConfigBmSystemSettings.ini". In the config file, change "Max_FPS=30" to "Max_FPS=9999") Reddit users have reported instability issues when doing so.

The issues appear most apparent for those using AMD graphics cards, with multiple users reporting a drop to as low as 5fps during certain points of gameplay. Warner Bros Interactive VP of game technology Gary Lake-Schall addressed the issue on Steam [http://steamcommunity.com/games/208650/announcements/detail/207511695916345923], saying "there are some known issues with the performance of Batman: Arkham Knight for PC owners using AMD graphics cards. We are working closely with AMD to rectify these issues as quickly as possible and will provide updates here as they become available. We thank you for your patience in this matter."

Rocksteady acknowledged the issue in a brief statement [http://community.wbgames.com/t5/Support-for-PC/PC-Performance-issues-we-hear-you/m-p/571341#M7537], saying "We're aware that some users are reporting performance issues with the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight. This is something that Rocksteady takes very seriously. We are working closely with our external PC development partner to make sure these issues get resolved as quickly as possible. We'll update this thread when we've got more info to share."

Currently, only 30% of the 2,591 reviews for Arkham Knight on Steam are positive [http://store.steampowered.com/app/208650/].

Batman: Arkham Knight released at midnight on June 23 for Xbox, PS4, and PC.

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[StorkV]

I am so happy I didn't pre-order! Didn't get burn this time like it happend with Arkham Origins.
I was tempted to pre-order... though.

I will probably get it in a few months when they fix all the problems at a lower price... they don't deserve full price.

 

[Makabriel]

I am so happy I didn't pre-order! Didn't get burn this time like it happend with Arkham Origin.
I was tempted to pre-order... though.

I will probably get it in a few months when they fix all the problems at a lower price... they don't deserve full price.

Why, pray tell, do they not deserve a full price? There hasn't been an Arkham game made by them that wasn't superb, and this one is no exception. Glitches are fixable. A bad game can't be fixed. This isn't a bad game.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

I wonder If this is going to be related to the graphics card conflict that's been going on for a while. The witcher 3 pc version had such issues.

 

[StorkV]

I am so happy I didn't pre-order! Didn't get burn this time like it happend with Arkham Origin.
I was tempted to pre-order... though.

I will probably get it in a few months when they fix all the problems at a lower price... they don't deserve full price.

Why, pray tell, do they not deserve a full price? There hasn't been an Arkham game made by them that wasn't superb, and this one is no exception. Glitches are fixable. A bad game can't be fixed. This isn't a bad game.

This is a broken game! As much I enjoy the Arkham series, releasing broken products is a bit disrespectful towards your costumers... but that's my opinion...

 

[MercurySteam]

They have confirmed both AMD [http://www.overclock.net/t/1561540/pixeldynamo-batman-arkham-knight-pc-suffers-amd-card-issues-system-requirements-updated#post_24073505] and Nvidia [http://www.overclock.net/t/1561663/wccf-batman-arkham-knight-is-capped-at-30-fps-on-pc-nvidia-users-report-stuttering-flickering-and-crashes] users are suffering issues. AMD is of course having performance issues up the jacksie while Nvidia is suffering from SLI related issues, stuttering, flickering, freezing, etc (especially in Win 8.1) and that's with the new drivers. Add to that a 30FPS cap to that and you've got a colossal cockup of a release.

 

[Shinkicker444]

Soo... business as usual than. Guess I shall wait a couple months like I did with Asylum and City.

 

[gigastar]

Well, didnt need my crystal ball to see that coming. Just more salt in the wound for people burned by preorders.

I am so happy I didn't pre-order! Didn't get burn this time like it happend with Arkham Origin.
I was tempted to pre-order... though.

I will probably get it in a few months when they fix all the problems at a lower price... they don't deserve full price.

Why, pray tell, do they not deserve a full price? There hasn't been an Arkham game made by them that wasn't superb, and this one is no exception. Glitches are fixable. A bad game can't be fixed. This isn't a bad game.

That is all true, but im not going to rush to empty my wallet for something that will barely run on my PC for all the wrong reasons.

Whether a price reduction or a performance patch comes first is entirely up to them.

I wonder If this is going to be related to the graphics card conflict that's been going on for a while. The witcher 3 pc version had such issues.

Check back in a few days for AMD execs openly accusing Nvidia of foul play then.

 

[Andy Shandy]

More like Arkham Shite, amirite?

[sub]Not a statement on the quality of the game itself, just how it's currently running. By most reviews, it sounds pretty great.[/sub]

 

[Vrach]

*sigh* yeah, saw this earlier today. At this point, it'd make more sense to just report on the few (if any?) triple A PC games that didn't have major issues on release day that made the game near unplayable.

I'm hoping the new Steam refund policy bites Rocksteady in the arse now, I really do. Would be a nice trend to see people start voting with their refunds, if not with their wallets.

 

[Elfgore]

Pity to, since all the reviews for consoles are giving it near perfect 10s. Honestly, if this was just an issue with FPS being capped, I'd just call it PC whining. But I've seen gameplay, the FPS is total shite and unplayable. Great timing for Steam refund and I hope they get it playable ASAP.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

But they're the golden race! How can anything ever, possibly go wrong with ALL PCs?! They spent thousands of dollars on those rigs! Are you telling me what setting a PC can run is ultimately meaningless if the game isn't optimized well?!

 

[harrisongrimms]

Seems like every game nowadays is screwing up its pc release
.

But they're the golden race! How can anything ever, possibly go wrong with ALL PCs?! They spent thousands of dollars on those rigs! Are you telling me what setting a PC can run is ultimately meaningless if the game isn't optimized well?!

Yup.
The wit her 3 on release ran at 24 fps on my system.
Now its at 40

 

[Coreless]

I can verify the reports with my own experience, the game has significant stuttering and texture streaming issues in the open world. Its not quite unplayable for me but its frustrating enough to bring down the overall enjoyment I should be getting from the game itself. Strangely enough the Harley Quinn DLC runs just fine even with max settings but the main game is a completely different story I can only imagine how bad it must be for people with older graphics cards.

 

[Plinglebob]

On my PC its unplayable. Personally I blame the rain as weather effects (and added reflections) always tax a system. Oh well, back to Heavensward.

 

[leahy5]

Apparently the port was outsourced and only 12 people were responsible for making it.
Surely I'm not the only one who is hearing this for the first time?

Link to source
http://www.kitguru.net/gaming/development/matthew-wilson/arkham-knight-pc-port-was-outsourced-to-a-console-studio/

Earlier today we discussed the poor state of Batman: Arkham Knight on the PC. Now we are starting to get a clearer picture of where things went wrong on the development side as Rocksteady has revealed that it used an ?external PC development partner? to make the PC version of the game. Not only did Rocksteady not have a hand in the PC version but development was outsourced to a small studio made up of just twelve people.

The twelve people credited for working on the PC version of Arkham Knight work for Iron Galaxy Studios, a lesser known developer that has primarily developed for the last generation consoles and iOS. This is the team that worked on Destiny for the PS3, the PS Vita version of Borderlands 2 and helped out in the development of Batman: Arkham Origins, which also suffered heavily on the PC at launch.

 

[Godzillarich(aka tf2godz)]

OK everyone refunds Time, With steam refund policy now it's time to make them pay for releasing A Game with "Known Shippables"

 

[CrimsonBlack]

OK everyone refunds Time, With steam refund policy now it's time to make them pay for releasing A Game with "Known Shippables"

I've gotten my refund, and ordered the game for my Xbone instead. I'd like to support Rocksteady, and play Batman, but my goodness what a mess they made with the framerate in the batmobile.