Wuchang's recent patch for Fallen Feathers under scrutiny for misrepresenting internal render resolution to enhance FPS, with the game still running at 'Quality' upscaling even when native render scale is set at 100%
In a move that has sparked controversy, the action-adventure game Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has been found to clamp its internal rendering resolution below native, even when the resolution scaling slider is set to 100%.
Publisher 505 Games has rolled out a series of patches aimed at improving performance for the game. However, a closer look reveals that the developers have taken a strange shortcut and shot themselves in the foot by not laser-focusing on actual performance optimization.
Misleading Resolution Scaling Slider
The internal resolution scaling slider in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is misleading. Setting it to 100% does not produce true native resolution rendering but rather selects a fixed resolution target below native, such as around 67% of native resolution, which is then upscaled.
This approach was taken primarily to improve performance because the game is highly pixel-bound, meaning performance drops sharply with higher resolutions. Patches have effectively removed the option for true native rendering to simplify performance optimization by always applying upscaling even when it is supposed to be disabled.
Upscaling Techniques Used
The game now runs at a fixed lower internal resolution that uses quality upscaling methods such as DLSS, FSR, or TSR. Popular hardware analyst Daniel Owen tested the game’s performance, comparing the launch build with the latest 1.4 patch. At 100% resolution scaling, the game’s performance suddenly jumped from 29 FPS to 37 FPS in the 1.4 patch, a 28% increase that far exceeds typical optimization gains from a minor patch.
Community and Technical Analysis
Community and technical analysis (including YouTube investigations) have confirmed that the game effectively "fakes" running at native resolution by forcing upscaling behind the scenes, which is not transparent to the player. Mods exist to address this issue by restoring clearer control over resolution scaling, but official patches have maintained this practice for performance reasons.
Potential Backlash
This discovery is likely to cause further backlash unless 505 Games issues a statement or reverts these changes. Developer misleading players about the game's graphics settings has been reported, and players with sharp eyes (and sharp GPUs) may find Wuchang: Fallen Feathers looking worse than ever, despite what the settings menu claims.
For players, this means the game looks softer or more pixelated even when maxed out. It’s a frustrating development for those who were hoping for a smoother, more visually pleasing experience.
[1] Daniel Owen, “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Performance Analysis,” YouTube, link
[2] Digital Foundry, “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers – Performance Analysis,” YouTube, link
[3] Digital Foundry, “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers – PC Performance Analysis,” YouTube, link
[4] Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Patch Notes 1.3 and 1.4, link
Despite the controversy surrounding Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, the developers have implemented technology like DLSS, FSR, or TSR to enhance performance by running the game at a fixed lower internal resolution and using upscaling methods.
However, this approach of misleading the resolution scaling slider to apply upscaling even when it is supposed to be disabled has frustrated many players, causing the game to appear softer or more pixelated, even when maxed out.
