Elder Scrolls Online Update 31 Provides Even More Graphical Improvements
By Jack O'Dwyer
A new blog post from the Elder Scrolls Online team has laid out exactly what kinds of graphical improvements players can expect in Update 31.
This is just the latest in a series of patches meant to make Tamriel even more stunning. The team has steadily been releasing graphics upgrades for the past few months to help bring consoles more in line with PCs and PCs more up to date with the much-improved hardware. Starting with the launch of Update 31, players will be able to take advantage of Dynamic Resolution Scaling, a brand new HDR mode, and
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Elder Scrolls Online Update 31 Graphical Improvements Explained
Originally, the development team wanted to stick with a console resolution they were confident Xbox and PlayStation machines could handle at 60fps. It wasn't until players pointed out the true capabilities of next-generation consoles that devs took another look--and agreed.
With Update 31, console players will be able to experience the Elder Scrolls Online in 4K resolution without fear of running their machine ragged. Dynamic Resolution Scaling will take care of that--shifting the maximum resolution between 1080p and 2160p according to the current circumstances in-game.
"The headroom for dropping to as low as 1080p should further prevent dropped frames in high-intensity situations, such as large Cyrodiil battles and certain trial and dungeon boss fights." Zenimax Online Studios' Lead Graphics Engineer, Alex Tardif, wrote.
HDR is getting an extra option to preserve the vibrancy of Tamriel. Players will be able to toggle the mode between Default and Vibrant in order to keep the game from muting certain color values.
Finally, PC players will be able to opt-in to a previously console exclusive-feature: Multithreaded Rendering. According to Tardif, ticking this program on will supposedly help improve the frame rate for "CPU-limited" users.
As always, Tardif encourages players to try things out and give whatever feedback they deem necessary—both with and without add-ons, of course.
Update 31 launches on Aug. 23 for PC, Mac, and Stadia devices. PlayStation and Xbox users will receive the update on Aug. 31.