Stellar Blade developer addressed concerns about the game having DRM and being region-locked. Read on to learn more about how DRM affects the game and what they plan to do with the region lock issues.
Stellar Blade PC Updates
SHIFT UP Addressed DRM Concerns
Stellar Blade is set to be released on PC, and developer SHIFT UP addressed fan concerns regarding the game’s inclusion of Denuvo (DRM). In a Twitter (X) post on May 17, they clarified that "DRM has been hard tuned to maintain the same average frame rate, with even higher minimum frames in some cases."
DRM is an anti-tamper technology that companies use to prevent unauthorized copying and distribution of games, making it difficult for people to pirate and release cracked game versions. The inclusion of Denuvo in games has been a controversial topic for a long time, with multiple sources stating that it affects game performance.
However, SHIFT UP revealed test results from their performance checks, which showed the game running with and without DRM. Based on their findings, the numbers are virtually the same with their average framerate, minimum framerate, maximum framerate, 1% low framerate, and 0.1% low framerate.
Additionally, the game fully supports mods without any restrictions, which is also an issue with games that have DRM. Fans applauded the studio’s transparency regarding this matter, but wished that they would just drop Denuvo entirely to make the game more accessible to all.
Region Lock Issues
Another concern fans have with Stellar Blade’s PC release is the region lock issues with PlayStation. Despite the game not requiring a connection to the PlayStation Network (PSN), certain regions worldwide will still be unable to access it because they do not support PSN. As of today, there are over 130+ countries that are not supported by PSN.
According to SHIFT UP, they are "closely discussing the region lock issue with the publisher and are doing our BEST to resolve most of it as soon as possible." They emphasized that both PC and PS5 versions of the game will offer the same content, making sure that "early buyers are never at a disadvantage through future updates."
Even though fans appreciate their response regarding these issues, they still would have preferred the game to be free from DRM and the restrictions PSN has. Stellar Blade’s PC version is set to be released on June 11 on Steam. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below!
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Stellar Blade Twitter (X) post on DRM Concerns