Phantom Blade Zero Day-One Patch Boosts Performance, Warns About Nvidia Driver

Phantom Blade Zero has arrived and is already climbing Steam's most-played charts, but before you jump in, make sure to install the day-one patch. This update not only squashes a bunch of bugs but also brings performance enhancements for both PC and console players. On PC, the patch is around 5GB, while on PS5 it's about 2GB (version 1.301.524).

The patch improves ray tracing and path tracing, making real-time lighting and shadows more striking, and includes rasterization improvements that 'ensure the scene's art style is perfectly conveyed, even with ray tracing disabled.' In other words, the game should still look great on mid-range PCs and even handheld devices like the Steam Deck. Although the game isn't Steam Deck Verified by Valve yet, developer S-Game says handheld devices have been 'extensively tested,' so verification is likely imminent.

For PC players, the developer noted some performance issues with the latest Nvidia driver, 621.01. 'We found that Nvidia's latest driver 621.01 has some unstable performance issues,' S-Game said in the patch announcement. They recommend rolling back to 617.42 for optimal performance, but Nvidia will probably release a new driver soon anyway.

Here are the details of Phantom Blade Zero's day-one patch, straight from Soulframe LIANG, creative director and CEO of S-Game:

Earlier news revealed that the original protagonist actor for Phantom Blade Zero had been replaced. Instead, Sonic the Hedgehog himself, Roger Craig Smith, takes the lead role for the full launch.

IGN's Phantom Blade Zero review gave it a 9/10, saying: 'Phantom Blade Zero is an unbelievably smooth action game filled with memorable boss fights, compelling combat, and limitless swagger.'

Before you step into the Phantom World, we've put together a helpful list of Things Phantom Blade Zero Doesn't Tell You. We've also got a step-by-step Phantom Blade Zero Walkthrough in progress, plus guides for the game's Weapons, Accessories, and Phantom Edges.