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Game patches can improve performance by changing how much work the CPU or GPU must do, when assets are loaded, how shaders are compiled, or which graphics settings players can control. They can also fix crashes and memory problems that disrupt play without raising frame rate. What a patch changes—and whether you notice an improvement—depends on the game, platform, hardware and update. Patch notes describe the developer’s intended changes; without controlled measurements, they do not guarantee a particular FPS gain.
What “performance” means in a game
Performance is more than the average number of frames per second. A game can have a high average FPS and still feel uneven if individual frames take noticeably longer than others. That uneven delivery is often experienced as stutter or hitching. A game can also take too long to load an area, pause while new assets appear, crash, or become less responsive. Those problems matter, but they are not interchangeable: fixing a crash does not necessarily raise FPS, and a higher average FPS does not prove that every stutter is gone.
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At a basic level, the CPU handles game logic and other calculations, while the GPU draws the image. If one is doing more work than the system can complete comfortably, it can limit how quickly frames are produced. Asset streaming and loading add another dimension: the game must make textures, environments and other content available when needed. Shader compilation is a separate preparation task associated with rendering. Patches may address one or several of these areas, so the word “optimization” alone does not tell you which problem should improve.
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Reducing CPU or GPU work
A developer can revise game code or content so the CPU or GPU spends less time on work that contributes to a frame. The relevant bottleneck may differ by scene and computer: a setting or code change that helps one configuration may have little visible effect on another. The patch notes may identify the component or broad workload targeted, but that description is not a measurement of the resulting gain on every player’s system.
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For example, Naughty Dog’s April 26, 2023 PC update for The Last of Us Part I, version 1.0.4.0, described CPU and GPU use optimizations throughout the game. Its June 13, 2023 version 1.1.0 notes listed further global CPU and GPU performance optimizations. These successive updates show that optimization can be iterative: a later patch can continue work from earlier releases rather than signal that all performance issues have been solved.
Changing asset streaming and loading
Games often need to fetch or prepare assets as a player moves through the world. If this work competes with gameplay for CPU time or arrives too late, the result may be a loading delay or a hitch. A patch can adjust when assets are loaded, how much is kept active, or how textures are streamed. These changes target the handling of content, not simply the visual quality of the final image.
Naughty Dog’s April 7, 2023 version 1.0.2.0 notes for The Last of Us Part I said texture streaming was updated to reduce CPU use and active loading was increased to reduce progression load times. Later notes also described improvements to texture and environment loading. Those are distinct goals: reducing CPU use during streaming may affect available processing time, while changing active loading is intended to make content available sooner as progression requires it. The notes do not establish a universal reduction in loading time or stutter.
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Improving shader compilation or loading
Shaders are programs used to render visual effects. A game or engine may need to compile shader variants for particular rendering conditions and graphics hardware. Compilation can happen during preparation or while a game is running, depending on the title and its design. If that work occurs at an inconvenient time, it can contribute to waiting or uneven frame delivery. A patch may improve compilation behavior or correct a shader-loading problem.
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However, a shader-related patch can also require fresh preparation after installation. Naughty Dog’s June 2023 notes for The Last of Us Part I listed improved shader compilation times and warned that downloading the update would trigger a full shader rebuild. A player could therefore encounter a rebuild after an update even though the patch aims to improve shader behavior. The rebuild is not by itself proof that the patch failed.
Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5.0 release notes in 2022 described an experimental editor feature called On Demand Shader Compilation. In that editor-specific context, Epic reported approximately 60% fewer shaders compiled and faster editor startup when opening maps, because the feature compiled shaders used to draw rather than compiling every shader in a material map on load. That figure applies to the described engine-editor feature; it is not a statistic for FPS gains in released games.
Adding or adjusting graphics settings
Sometimes a patch gives players more control rather than making one setting work better for every system. Lowering a demanding option can reduce CPU or GPU workload, usually in exchange for some visual detail. A new control may expose a trade-off that was previously unavailable or make it easier to tune a particular configuration. The appropriate choice depends on the player’s hardware and which workload is limiting performance.
Naughty Dog’s version 1.1.0 update added Very Low and AI Quality settings for the PC version of The Last of Us Part I. In an announcement about Monster Hunter Wilds, Capcom described adding or adjusting graphics options to help players tailor CPU and GPU load, alongside planned work on VRAM use and texture streaming. Capcom cautioned that expected improvement differed between minimum and recommended hardware. These examples illustrate why a settings change is not the same as a guaranteed improvement at a fixed image quality.
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Fixing stability problems
Patches can also address crashes, memory leaks, hangs or settings that behave incorrectly. Such a fix can make a game more reliable or prevent performance from degrading during a session, even if average FPS remains unchanged. Naughty Dog’s cited PC updates, for example, included crash fixes and a Steam Deck memory-leak fix alongside performance work. Treat stability notes as their own outcome rather than assuming they imply a frame-rate increase.
What patch notes can—and cannot—tell you
Patch notes are useful implementation evidence: they tell you what the developer says changed, and can help you decide whether an update addresses your symptom. They are not automatically benchmark reports. The official examples described above do not provide a general, controlled FPS result across a representative range of PCs. Capcom specifically cautioned that its internal test setups did not reflect the full diversity of player systems, and that expected improvement varied with hardware.
When reading an update, look for the exact game version and platform. Notes for a PC release may identify changes that do not apply to a console version, and platform-specific fixes can appear alongside broader ones. Then distinguish the stated target—such as CPU use, texture streaming or shader compilation—from the outcome you care about, such as fewer hitches in a particular scene. Unless the notes give a measured result under defined conditions, treat the target as a developer-reported change, not proof of a particular improvement on your setup.
| Patch-note target | Problem it may address | What to check after updating | General FPS result in the cited examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU or GPU optimization | Excessive processing or rendering work | Whether the same demanding scenes feel or measure better | Not stated (Naughty Dog’s official notes describe optimizations, not a general benchmark) |
| Texture or environment streaming and loading | Late asset availability, progression load delays or related hitches | Whether the affected transitions or areas load more smoothly | Not stated (Naughty Dog’s official notes describe changes, not a general benchmark) |
| Shader compilation or loading | Compilation delays or incorrect shader loading | Whether an update triggers a rebuild or cache process and whether it completes | Not stated for shipped-game FPS (Epic’s approximately 60% figure applies to an experimental Unreal Engine editor feature) |
| New or adjusted graphics controls | A workload that is too heavy for a particular hardware setup | Whether one changed setting improves consistency at acceptable visual quality | Not stated (Capcom’s announcement cautions that expected results vary by hardware) |
| Crash, leak or stability fix | Interruptions, failure or degradation during play | Whether the specific crash or instability still occurs | Not stated; a stability fix does not by itself establish an FPS change |
Why a patch may not improve your FPS—or may seem worse at first
The change does not target your bottleneck
If a patch reduces work in one part of the game, a different part may still be limiting performance on your system. A change to asset streaming, for example, is not automatically a fix for every low-FPS scene. Likewise, a crash fix may be valuable without affecting rendering speed. Match the notes to the symptom instead of judging the entire update by one number.
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The result varies with hardware and settings
Different processors, graphics hardware, memory configurations and graphics settings change where a game spends its time. A patch can help some systems more than others, and a newly added quality option may be needed to realize a trade-off. Capcom’s Monster Hunter Wilds announcement explicitly distinguished expectations for minimum and recommended hardware. That is a reminder to interpret performance claims in the context of the configurations they address.
Post-update shader work is still running
Some updates rebuild shaders or populate a cache. The first run after installation may therefore include preparation that is not representative of later play. Follow the game’s own instructions and allow any stated rebuild or caching process to finish before evaluating the result. Do not assume every game needs a manual cache clear: the documented behavior differs by title and update.
A recent example is Team17’s September 29, 2026 Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Hotfix 1.5.2. Its notice tells PC players to allow shader caching to finish after updating and warns that proceeding before completion may cause a crash. That instruction is specific to that game and hotfix; it should not be generalized into advice to interrupt, delete or force a cache process in other games.
How to check whether an update helped your system
A before-and-after comparison is most useful when the conditions are as similar as practical. This is a player evaluation method, not a benchmark result validated by the developers cited here. A changed resolution, frame cap, scene or background workload can make a comparison misleading.
- Read the notes for your exact version and platform. Identify the stated target, such as CPU/GPU use, asset loading, shader behavior or stability, and check for any platform-specific instructions.
- Complete update-related preparation. If the developer says shaders are rebuilding or caching, wait for that process to finish before judging gameplay. Use the instructions for that particular title.
- Choose a repeatable scene. Use the same area or activity before and after the patch where possible. A quiet menu and a demanding gameplay sequence are not comparable workloads.
- Hold the settings steady. Keep resolution, graphics options and frame cap the same for the initial comparison. If the patch adds a new setting you want to test, change one option at a time afterward.
- Compare the symptom you care about. For low average FPS, compare frame rate under similar conditions. For stutter, pay attention to consistency and the same moments of play. For a loading issue, compare the same transition; for a crash, note whether the same sequence still fails.
- Record the conditions and report unresolved issues. Note the game version, platform, relevant settings and what you observed. Naughty Dog has said it monitors player reports to support future fixes; use the developer’s support or feedback channel for the game you play.
How to interpret common patch outcomes
The notes say “optimized,” but you see no difference
First check whether the patch applies to your platform and whether its stated target matches the problem you are experiencing. Then make a controlled comparison rather than relying on a different scene or changed settings. The notes may establish that the developer changed CPU or GPU use, but the cited examples do not establish a universal gain or guarantee that the change will be visible on every configuration.
FPS improved, but stutter remains
Average frame rate and frame-time consistency describe different aspects of play. A change can raise the average while an asset-loading hitch or shader-related pause remains. Check whether the patch notes mention streaming, loading or shader behavior, and observe whether the hitch happens during a repeatable transition or only during the first run after updating.
The game rebuilds shaders after an update
Follow the title’s instructions and let the stated work complete. Some updates intentionally trigger a rebuild even when they also improve compilation behavior. If the developer has not instructed players to clear a cache, do not treat that as a universal troubleshooting step; the supplied examples establish that post-update handling varies between games.
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A crash or memory problem is fixed, but FPS is unchanged
That can be a successful stability fix. Reliability, memory behavior and frame rate are related parts of the experience, but one does not serve as proof of another. Verify the specific failure that the notes address rather than expecting every patch item to change FPS.
Why optimization patches often arrive in stages
Performance problems can have different causes across scenes and hardware configurations, and a patch can address a subset without resolving every issue. The update history for The Last of Us Part I illustrates this process: its April 2023 notes discussed CPU/GPU use and streaming, while its June 2023 version 1.1.0 notes listed further CPU/GPU work, loading and shader changes, plus new settings. This sequence is evidence of continued iteration in that title, not a schedule or promise that every game will receive follow-up optimization patches.
Settings changes can also complement code and content changes. A developer may reduce underlying workload in one area and give players a new quality choice in another. When tuning, preserve a baseline and change one option at a time; otherwise, it becomes difficult to tell whether an observed difference came from the patch itself or from a new configuration.
What to take away from a performance update
A game patch can make performance better by reducing CPU/GPU work, improving asset delivery, changing shader preparation, or giving players more useful graphics controls. It can also make the game more stable without increasing FPS. The practical question is not whether the notes use the word “optimization,” but whether the stated change targets your issue, applies to your platform, and produces a repeatable difference on your system after required update processing is complete.
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