The Callisto Protocol has received its first patch to address the stuttering issues plaguing the new space-horror game following its many release day complaints. Shader compiling has been confirmed to be the primary root of the stuttering that led to at least one person renaming the game to “The Stuttering Protocol“. Striking Distance Studios quickly got a same-day patch to address the issue.
“Thanks for your patience. A PC patch is now available to improve gameplay stuttering issues due to shader compilation. After updating, you may see temporary stuttering in the game menu the first time you launch the app. We are working on further optimizations in the days ahead.”
Shader compilation issues are quite common and one news outlet, Digital Trends, notes how common it is with games at release using Unreal Engine. While Unreal Engine may not be the only engine to exhibit such technical challenges it has become one of the most widely used thus bringing more attention to the issue with so many games launching in similar states. Games such as Gotham Knights, Elden Ring, Stray, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves, and Battlefield 2042, all launched with stuttering issues. DSOG notes that the first patch does fix a lot of the stuttering but it falls short of fixing all of them and that there are also a host of other optimization issues still needing to be made. It even recommends turning off ray tracing effects, for now.
“In short, this first PC patch only addresses the game’s shader compilation stutters. However, there are way more optimization issues with it than that. So no, this first patch will not magically transform the game. Still, it’s a first step in the right direction. For now, we also suggest disabling its Ray Tracing effects. So, let’s hope that Striking Distance Studios will at least resolve some of them via future post-launch updates.“
PC issues aside, The Callisto Protocol has received some praise for its visuals and soundscape. Striking Distance Studios just needs to put in the extra effort in fixing the game for PC players and it may want to reconsider its content release strategy as well. For its own sake, SDS, may want to get this done asap as there are already stories saying Krafton, the game’s publisher, has seen its stock prices slide since news broke about the many complaints following the game’s release relating to both its current state and lack of content.