Developers of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers express remorse for one of the most disastrous PC launches in 2025, acknowledging the trouble and disappointing user experience.
In the gaming world, anticipation for new releases often runs high, but for Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, PC users are facing significant performance issues that have led 505 Games to issue an apology on Steam.
The game, which is set to release on Xbox next month, is reportedly experiencing optimization problems, particularly due to its use of Unreal Engine 5, reliance on upscaling technologies, and hardware-specific driver support limitations. Even systems with powerful GPUs like RTX 2080 or RTX 4070 are grappling with intermittent stuttering and performance drops, despite developer patches aimed at addressing these problems.
The performance issues seem to be rooted in several factors. For instance, the game exhibits a degree of stuttering that is typical for many UE5 titles, affecting smoothness even on capable systems. The use of DLSS (NVIDIA’s AI upscaling) helps performance, but alternatives like FSR or TSR might produce worse results.
Developers have acknowledged initial poor optimization and have released patches, such as patch 1.3, targeting improvements, especially for GPUs with 8GB VRAM. These patches reportedly help but may not fully resolve all performance complaints yet.
NVIDIA has also released a dedicated driver update for Wuchang, aiming to improve performance and stability, which players need to ensure is installed for best results.
Despite these efforts, some users report smooth gameplay at medium or high settings with stable frame times and no stuttering, suggesting the game runs well on some hardware and configurations. Other players, however, are still encountering low FPS and screen tearing. The differences in experiences could be due to variations in CPU support, GPU VRAM constraints, or incorrect or suboptimal graphic settings.
Screen tearing, while less frequently discussed, may be linked to insufficient synchronization between GPU frame output and monitor refresh rates, possibly compounded by the stuttering and frame pacing issues inherent to the game’s current optimization state.
For players experiencing issues despite meeting recommended specs, best practices include ensuring the latest GPU drivers are installed (including the specific game-ready drivers), applying the latest game patches, using DLSS when available for better upscaling performance, adjusting settings to medium or a balanced mix of medium/high, especially if VRAM is limited, and enabling V-Sync or adaptive sync features to reduce screen tearing.
In summary, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers suffers from Unreal Engine 5 related stuttering and initial optimization shortcomings despite the recommended specs, with developer patches and driver updates gradually improving but not completely eliminating the issues as of mid-2025.
As the competitive Dark Souls genre presents developers with one chance to make an impression, the sub-optimal performance of Wuchang may not make a positive first impression on the community. The game received a score of 75 on Metacritic, reflecting the mixed reactions from players and reviewers.
If you've experienced Wuchang's performance on Windows PC or consoles, we invite you to share your experiences with us. Let's continue the conversation and help each other navigate through these challenges. The reviewer will revisit Wuchang towards the end of August, if time allows.
- Users with PCs are facing significant performance issues with the game Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, which is set to release on Xbox next month.
- The game's optimization problems are attributed to its use of Unreal Engine 5, reliance on upscaling technologies, and hardware-specific driver support limitations.
- despite the release of patches aimed at addressing these performance issues, some systems still encounter intermittent stuttering and performance drops.
- To improve performance, players are advised to ensure they have the latest GPU drivers, apply the latest game patches, use DLSS when available, and adjust settings accordingly.
- The game's sub-optimal performance on Windows PC may not make a positive first impression on the community, as it received a score of 75 on Metacritic.
