Stellar Blade DRM, Region Lock Addressed Before PC Launch

Stellar Blade's developer has proactively addressed concerns about the game's Digital Rights Management (DRM) and regional access restrictions ahead of its much-anticipated PC release. Dive into the details to understand how these aspects will impact your gaming experience and what measures are being taken to address them.

Stellar Blade PC Updates

SHIFT UP Addressed DRM Concerns

As Stellar Blade gears up for its PC debut, developer SHIFT UP has responded to fan worries about the implementation of Denuvo, a form of DRM. In a May 17 Twitter (X) post, they stated that "DRM has been meticulously optimized to maintain the same average frame rate, with even higher minimum frames in certain scenarios."

DRM, or Digital Rights Management, is a technology used to protect software from unauthorized duplication and distribution, which can be a double-edged sword as it's often criticized for impacting game performance. Denuvo, in particular, has sparked debate over its effects on gameplay.

SHIFT UP shared the results of their extensive performance testing, demonstrating that the game's performance metrics—such as average, minimum, and maximum frame rates, as well as the 1% and 0.1% low frame rates—are nearly identical whether DRM is active or not.

Moreover, SHIFT UP confirmed that Stellar Blade will fully support mods, a feature often limited by DRM. The community has praised the studio's openness on this topic, though many still hope for a version without Denuvo to enhance accessibility.

Region Lock Issues

Another focal point for Stellar Blade's PC launch is the region lock situation tied to PlayStation's network. Although the game does not necessitate a PlayStation Network (PSN) connection, it remains inaccessible in over 130 countries where PSN is unsupported.

SHIFT UP is actively working with the publisher to tackle these region lock issues, promising to "resolve most of it as soon as possible." They've assured that both the PC and PS5 versions will offer identical content, ensuring that early adopters won't be disadvantaged by future updates.

While the community appreciates SHIFT UP's efforts to address these concerns, many still wish for a DRM-free experience and fewer restrictions due to PSN. Stellar Blade is slated for release on PC via Steam on June 11. Keep an eye on our updates for the latest news on this exciting title!