New Watch Dogs patch addresses stuttering problems and other issues

Ubisoft has released another update for the PC version of Watch Dogs that should "reduce" stuttering during gameplay, particularly at higher texture settings, and promised that more such fixes are still in the works.

Watch Dogs has suffered from visual stutters of varying intensity since the day it launched, even on high-end video cards. Today's update should address the problem, at least in part, although Ubisoft warned that "some players might still experience some stuttering while playing with 'Ultra Textures' settings on."

"We optimized some of the performance issues that were causing some users to experience high amounts of stuttering while playing Watch_Dogs. Instances of stuttering during gameplay should now be reduced, especially when using 'High Textures'," Ubisoft Community Manager Nik_CtOS wrote . "We'll keep updating you as more fixes for stuttering are currently being worked on."

The update also improves NAT-type error messages, improves support for PCs with multiple network interfaces and fixes a few specific gameplay bugs and crashes.

Based on the response to the post, not everyone is having success with the patch, but some users are reporting significant improvements. The one consistency seems to be, as Ubisoft indicated, that the improvement is most pronounced when using "high" texture settings, while "Ultra" textures seem to be only marginally influenced. Disappointing for gamers with bleeding-edge video cards, perhaps, but it's a start.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.