Digital Foundry: PS3 Skyrim Lag Fixed?

"Is my save playable again? This is the question PS3 owners will be asking themselves as they slot their Skyrim disc back in and download the latest patch.

Patch 2.03 - equivalent to 1.04 on other platforms - sets out to make amends for the severe bouts of stuttering that plague Skyrim's playability on Sony's console. Notoriously, this has had a greater impact on those with a larger time investment in the adventure, with performance deteriorating the further players progress and the more they interact with the world and its characters."

[andron]

So now is officially the time to buy a used copy of Skyrim for PS3?...

[MariaHelFutura]

Buy a new copy.

[andron]

I might have done that 3 months ago if Bethesda didn't mess up the PS3 version as they did with Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas.

Usually I don't buy used games, but I see no point in supporting companies that doesn't take me serious as a customer. Also I'm sure there are plenty of used copies available now.

Skyrim has been a huge success, despite it's technical difficulties, so I think they'll survive...

[MariaHelFutura]

New game sales help the industry, used game sales hurt the industry. Its as simple as that. Do what you will, I'm just sayin...

[andron]

I agree with you completely, and usually I buy all my games new. Just saying I'll make an exception for Skyrim, they have earned that...

[Pintheshadows]

I kind of see androns point in this case Maria. Betheseda couldn't get it right on PS3 at launch and it isn't the first time either. I see no reason to offer that support.

But yeah, in all but mitigating circumstances buy new.

[MariaHelFutura]

Fair enough.

[Jinxstar]

Wow... Something weird just happened... Maybe I just past into an alternate universe... I think people just agreed on N4G...

[andron]

I'm glad people can see my point here. Bethesda isn't some struggling developer, they should have done better...

[Blacktric]

"Buy a new copy."

LOL!

"New game sales help the industry, used game sales hurt the industry"

LOLOL! It already sold more than 10 million thanks to people who love supporting Bethesda eventhough they keep making dumbed down buggy games while other amazing RPG developers like From struggle reaching 2 million in 6 months. There's no reason to buy Skyrim new. Especially for PS3 considering besides the lag, it's graphics still look washed out on the PS3.

[gaffyh]

It wasn't even that bad in the first place. Try playing Oblivion and then you'll see what lag is, and I suffered through that, Skyrim was f***ing bug-free compared to that so I've not had any issues playing it, other than the odd freeze here and there.

[BulletToothtony]

@MariaHelFutura

"New game sales help the industry, used game sales hurt the industry"

What about hurting the consumer?

These people make so much money and they hide behind the law so much that you can't return software that they released a terrible experience to us gamers.

And yes they knew what they were doing that's why they didn't send any ps3 games to the gaming sites to be reviewed.

Do you think devs that do that should be supported?

[vickers500]

The time I've spent playing Skyrim before it started to slow down (never got to the point of being unplayable) was longer than almost every other game this gen that I've played, and was also very enjoyable. If any dev should be supported with a new purchase, Bethesda is definitely in the top 10 most worthy devs to support for the sheer amount of content and complexity their games have compared to others.

I'll take a game like Skyrim that I can play for 70 hours of enjoyability (at which point it might become unplayable, though it didn't for me) over a game like Uncharted 3 where I can get only 8 hours of enjoyability from the campaign, and maybe 3 to 4 hours from the mediocre multiplayer.

I agree their games could use a lot of work, and they should focus less on giving us a 200+ hour game with a lot of glitches, and instead try and shoot for a 100+ hour game with almost zero game-breaking glitches (can't account for EVERY glitch).

But I've thouroughly enjoyed games like Skyrim, Fallout 3, Oblivion, and Fallout New Vegas a lot more than most of these other highly rated games that have at most 10 hours of linear gameplay with only one or two gameplay mechanics (shoot/platform).

[GribbleGrunger]

at last! too bad it'll have to wait for another 300 hours because i'm playing Reckoning at the mo

[Pintheshadows]

I'm going to get destroyed for this but I much prefer KoA. It's actually fun. You hear that Skyrim. F U N!

And I realise how moronic it will seem that I played Skyrim for 347 hours despite not having fun. I just didn't realise it at the time. KoA put it into perspective.

I actually like Skyrim. It had some fantastic questlines my personal favourite being the College of Winterhold. I'd take that as a main quest in most games. And it was stories like that, that kept me playing.

KoA is kind of the opposite. The quests aren't really anything new but the gameplay is just like heroin.

[christheredhead]

KOA is really fun, but like you said its kind of opposite. I hate comparing it to Skyrim because they are only generally the same, but vastly different. KOA is more like a combat heavy Fable, mixed with a single player version of WOW or some other MMO, mixed with dungeon crawling like Diablo. It's more action based than what we've come to expect, but in a very good way.

Combat is strangely familiar to that of fable, but with more depth and complexity. Yet, at the same time, quest structure and map structure are similar to something you would see in an MMO. On top of that you'll constantly be opening chests and finding insane amounts of gear and loot. Really fun game though. I'm enjoying it a lot. Exploring and pummeling monsters is a blast.

[GribbleGrunger]

i wonder what the scores would have been if Reckoning had come out first, because quite frankly i'd give it a 9.5/10 easily. the problem is that people just can't see through graphics any more. don't get me wrong -- i like great graphics too -- but there's something mesmerising about reckoning. it draws you in and just won't let go.

i'm currently into the 20 hour mark and i've only explored the first area... which is vast and teaming with things to do. i haven't even scratched the surface of this area yet! but what sets it apart from Skyrim (and makes it better IMO) is the combat and the easy on the eye aesthetics. i just can't stop playing it, which is why i'm typing this at 4:10 in the morning. i just had to STOP...

for me, and for completely different reasons, this is my Demon's Soul.

[bahabeast]

i think i'll buy this game i got more people playing this on my list than call of duty i realy wanna try it out.

[Gamer-Z]

I'm still getting lag but only when i'm in combat.

[Sarick]

I had a weird glitch where a Kajet attacked me that was invisible. When I'd hit him he'd show up as a shadow. When he died the body had mismatched gear. THe body was still invisible.

I'm not sure if this was one of those weard patch fixes or an actual event.

The good news is no more guard in the Markuth talos temple constantly telling me "now we have to pin the murders on you, work work work"

[Euthanasia78]

Glad more people will be able to enjoy this masterpiece. People love to hate Skyrim tho. Its too popular. Once it gets popular, alot of hardcore gamers write it off instantly. I only played about 60 hours, but it was worth the money. I love the game.

[brish]

The problem ps3 users had with the game is the more they played it the worse the frame rate dropped. It would get so bad the game was unplayable. That's was a legitimate complaint that had nothing to do with Skyrim's popularity.