Downgrade | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Fri, 01 Jul 2022 06:44:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Downgrade | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Valve quietly downgraded the Steam Deck’s SSD https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/valve-quietly-downgraded-the-steam-decks-ssd/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/valve-quietly-downgraded-the-steam-decks-ssd/#respond Thu, 30 Jun 2022 07:57:44 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=566221 Valve has been ramping up production of the Steam Deck, with plans to double the amount of systems shipped in the weeks to come. As it turns out, the Deck has gone through a production revision already, swapping out the SSD for a cheaper model...

The post Valve quietly downgraded the Steam Deck’s SSD first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Valve has been ramping up production of the Steam Deck, with plans to double the amount of systems shipped in the weeks to come. As it turns out, the Deck has gone through a production revision already, swapping out the SSD for a cheaper model. 

During the initial wave, all 256GB and 512GB Steam Decks shipped with a PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD, but as reported by Hardware Luxx, as of May 2022, this SSD has been replaced by a PCIe 3.0 x2 SSD.

Valve updated the Steam Deck website to reflect this change and says that it should not impact gaming performance. However, it could potentially impact loading times, which is something that Valve does not mention. We'll have to wait for tests between pre-May models and the newest revision to know for sure, but I think it is likely that this change would have gone unnoticed for many.

Valve did not confirm why it swapped out the SSD, but it likely has everything to do with increasing production. Over a product's lifespan, manufacturers occasionally need to swap suppliers or make other tweaks to better maximise production capabilities.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Are any of you currently waiting on a Steam Deck pre-order, or have you got hold of yours already? How do you feel about the SSD change for newer models? 

The post Valve quietly downgraded the Steam Deck’s SSD first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/valve-quietly-downgraded-the-steam-decks-ssd/feed/ 0
Windows 10 Pro users are being downgraded, Microsoft promises a fix https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/matthew-wilson/windows-10-pro-users-are-being-downgraded-microsoft-promises-a-fix/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/matthew-wilson/windows-10-pro-users-are-being-downgraded-microsoft-promises-a-fix/#respond Thu, 08 Nov 2018 14:19:22 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=394254 Microsoft has encountered a few issues with Windows 10 lately, with many of them stemming from a buggy 1809 feature update. This week, a new issue cropped up for users, with some Windows 10 Pro users finding their licenses deactivated or downgraded to Windows 10 Home. These license downgrades came unexpectedly and without any warning …

The post Windows 10 Pro users are being downgraded, Microsoft promises a fix first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Microsoft has encountered a few issues with Windows 10 lately, with many of them stemming from a buggy 1809 feature update. This week, a new issue cropped up for users, with some Windows 10 Pro users finding their licenses deactivated or downgraded to Windows 10 Home.

These license downgrades came unexpectedly and without any warning from Microsoft. Users have been chiming in on the issue over on Reddit and on Microsoft's forums. Upon being downgraded to Home, some were asked to reinstall Windows 10 Home as their Windows 10 Pro key was no longer active. The issue appears to come from a bug with the Windows activation server.

As Windows Latest reports, a Microsoft support team representative has confirmed that the company is aware of the issue:

“Microsoft has just released an Emerging issue announcement about current activation issue related to Pro edition recently. This happens in Japan, Korea, America and many other countries. I am very sorry to inform you that there is a temporary issue with Microsoft’s activation server at the moment and some customers might experience this issue where Windows is displayed as not activated.”

Microsoft says it has engineers working to resolve this problem as soon as possible. Currently, the timeline is within one or two business days.

KitGuru Says: Mass Windows deactivations can cause a bit of a panic but this issue doesn't seem to be too widespread. Hopefully everything will be resolved before the end of this week. Did any of you encounter this problem with Windows 10 Pro today?

The post Windows 10 Pro users are being downgraded, Microsoft promises a fix first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/matthew-wilson/windows-10-pro-users-are-being-downgraded-microsoft-promises-a-fix/feed/ 0
Treyarch confirms upcoming Black Ops 4 server changes, plans to boost update rates https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/treyarch-confirms-upcoming-black-ops-4-server-changes-plans-to-boost-update-rates/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/treyarch-confirms-upcoming-black-ops-4-server-changes-plans-to-boost-update-rates/#respond Mon, 22 Oct 2018 08:19:06 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=392078 Over the weekend, Treyarch found itself called out by fans after it was discovered that the servers for Black Ops 4 had their server update rates downgraded at launch. During the beta, the game's servers operated at a 60Hz rate while the official release saw this chopped down to just 20Hz, resulting in a worse …

The post Treyarch confirms upcoming Black Ops 4 server changes, plans to boost update rates first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Over the weekend, Treyarch found itself called out by fans after it was discovered that the servers for Black Ops 4 had their server update rates downgraded at launch. During the beta, the game's servers operated at a 60Hz rate while the official release saw this chopped down to just 20Hz, resulting in a worse experience for some players. Since then, Treyarch has spoken out to the community to explain the situation and promise further upgrades.

The server update rate or send rate is the rate at which update packets are sent between the server and client. For an online game, the higher this is, the smoother the experience. Unfortunately, Call of Duty happens to be one of the biggest games in the world and the developers were concerned that operating at the same 60Hz rate as the beta would cause server issues on launch weekend.

“For a game launch with as massive a population as ours hitting so many global servers at once, we configure our infrastructure to ensure game stability as the highest priority over all other factors.”

Now that the initial launch window has passed, Treyarch will be going back and upgrading the networking behind Black Ops 4, which is the first multiplayer-only Call of Duty in the franchise.

“Now that we're past the initial launch of the game, we are focusing on fine-tuning network performance around the globe, using the real-world data that we have collected”.

Players can expect these network upgrades to start rolling in over the next couple of weeks as Treyarch continues to work on the game to ensure longevity.

KitGuru Says: I haven't played much Black Ops 4 yet but given how fast the game is selling, I can see why Treyarch would take precautions to ensure stability over launch weekend over pure performance. Now that we're past the initial rush, things should start to improve. Have many of you been playing Black Ops 4 since launch? How have you been finding it so far?

The post Treyarch confirms upcoming Black Ops 4 server changes, plans to boost update rates first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/treyarch-confirms-upcoming-black-ops-4-server-changes-plans-to-boost-update-rates/feed/ 0
Ubisoft denies PC version of The Division held back by consoles https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-denies-pc-version-of-the-division-held-back-by-consoles/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-denies-pc-version-of-the-division-held-back-by-consoles/#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2016 19:00:00 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=283280 Over the weekend, a video began making the rounds featuring an unnamed member of The Division development team stating that the PC version had to be “kept in check” as it would be unfair to console players if PC gamers got a far superior looking version of the game. Ubisoft has often been criticised for …

The post Ubisoft denies PC version of The Division held back by consoles first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Over the weekend, a video began making the rounds featuring an unnamed member of The Division development team stating that the PC version had to be “kept in check” as it would be unfair to console players if PC gamers got a far superior looking version of the game. Ubisoft has often been criticised for attempting to achieve graphical parity across platforms but the publisher has been quick to come out and deny that The Division on PC was held back by consoles.

In a statement sent over to PCGamesN, an Ubisoft spokesperson said: “It has come to our attention that a comment from one of our team members has been perceived by some members of the community to imply the PC version of The Division was ‘held back' and this is simply not true. From the beginning, the PC version of The Division was developed from the ground up and we're confident players will enjoy the game and the features this version has to offer. And the feedback from PC players who participated in the recent closed beta supports this.”

TheDivision-600x337

Ubisoft has had quite a bit of bad PR over the last couple of years, especially when it comes to the PC versions of their games as well as ‘graphical downgrades'. This isn't the first time we have heard talk of Ubisoft holding back the PC version either, talk of that popped up way back in 2014, when an anonymous developer supposedly came forward to admit to it. 

KitGuru Says: This isn't the first time that an Ubisoft developer has made a comment like this so it wouldn't be surprising if Ubisoft did intentionally hold back the PC version of the game to make the new generation consoles look better. That said, I did play the beta for The Division on the PC and it definitely didn't look bad but that's just my opinion. Do you guys think Ubisoft is still holding back PC versions of its games for console parity? 

 

The post Ubisoft denies PC version of The Division held back by consoles first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-denies-pc-version-of-the-division-held-back-by-consoles/feed/ 21
Apple hit with lawsuit over poor iOS 9 performance on older iPhones https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-hit-with-lawsuit-over-poor-ios-9-performance-on-older-iphones/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-hit-with-lawsuit-over-poor-ios-9-performance-on-older-iphones/#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2016 15:48:42 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=279384 Apple is facing yet another lawsuit, this time from a group of unhappy iPhone 4s owners, who aren't too pleased about the poor performance brought on by the latest iOS 9 update. The class-action suit claims that Apple plans the obsolescence of its devices and knows of potential compatibility problems before pushing out its new …

The post Apple hit with lawsuit over poor iOS 9 performance on older iPhones first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Apple is facing yet another lawsuit, this time from a group of unhappy iPhone 4s owners, who aren't too pleased about the poor performance brought on by the latest iOS 9 update. The class-action suit claims that Apple plans the obsolescence of its devices and knows of potential compatibility problems before pushing out its new updates to older devices.

iOS 9 will likely be the last update for the iPhone 4S, which came out back in 2011. According to the complaint, iOS 9 brings along a big hit to performance on the aging device and since Apple doesn't allow users to downgrade, iPhone 4s owners who updated are now stuck with the poor performance or forced to upgrade to a newer generation.

iphone-4s

The lawsuit (via: Apple Insider) has around 100 members in total and says that Apple should be well aware of these issues following internal testing or through other means. In total, the plaintiffs are seeking $5 million from Apple, though there is an option to triple that amount.

This is partially down to the fact that each new version of iOS is designed to take full advantage of the latest hardware, which means older iPhones may end up struggling over time. That said, if day to day performance takes that much of a hit on an older iPhone, then perhaps Apple should make that clear to users before offering them the update.

KitGuru Says: I had some experience with the iPhone 4 on iOS 8 and that was pretty bad. So now with iOS 9, iPhone 4s users are likely experiencing similar performance issues, which does help perpetuate talk of intentional downgrades from smartphone makers in order to push users into upgrading. It will be interesting to see how this lawsuit plays out in particular. Do you guys ever think that smartphone makers cripple the performance of older devices on purpose? Would such a tactic help push you into upgrading? 

The post Apple hit with lawsuit over poor iOS 9 performance on older iPhones first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-hit-with-lawsuit-over-poor-ios-9-performance-on-older-iphones/feed/ 10
Watch Dogs downgrade backlash sparked policy change at Ubisoft https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/watch-dogs-downgrade-backlash-sparked-policy-change-at-ubisoft/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/watch-dogs-downgrade-backlash-sparked-policy-change-at-ubisoft/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2015 17:47:41 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=257663 Apparently the backlash caused by the blatant graphical downgrade of Watch Dogs following its release compared to the initial E3 reveal ended up sparking a policy change over at Ubisoft, according to the company's CEO, Yves Guillemot. According to Guillemot, Ubisoft has now changed the way it shows off new titles to avoid misleading gamers. …

The post Watch Dogs downgrade backlash sparked policy change at Ubisoft first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Apparently the backlash caused by the blatant graphical downgrade of Watch Dogs following its release compared to the initial E3 reveal ended up sparking a policy change over at Ubisoft, according to the company's CEO, Yves Guillemot. According to Guillemot, Ubisoft has now changed the way it shows off new titles to avoid misleading gamers.

During an interview with The Guardian, Guillemot noted that this year for E3, Ubisoft developers ensured all games were actually playable on their platforms before showing them off: “With E3 2015 we said, ‘OK, let's make sure the games are playable, that they're running on the target machines”.

gaming-watch-dogs-5-600x336

“When we show something, we ask the team to make sure it's playable and make sure gamers can immediately see exactly what it is. That's what we learned from the Watch Dogs experience–if it can't be played on the target machine, it can be a risk”.

This appears to be in direct response to fan disappointment following the launch of Watch Dogs, which did not end up looking as good as it did initially back in 2012. Obviously for games that have already been shown off for years, like The Division, this policy change has come a little too late. However, new games like the new Ghost Recon, For Honour, or Assassin's Creed Syndicate, what we have seen so far should hopefully be what we get.

Unfortunately, this is also the same company that has promised to do right by PC gamers for years and consistently failed to do so, making it hard to trust what the company says at face value.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: We won't know for sure if Ubisoft is telling the truth until we see some newly announced games launch over the next year or two. That said, it would be good to see Ubisoft start to build back up and finally put its mistakes in the past. 

The post Watch Dogs downgrade backlash sparked policy change at Ubisoft first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/watch-dogs-downgrade-backlash-sparked-policy-change-at-ubisoft/feed/ 9
Ubisoft to take PC gaming more seriously https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-to-take-pc-gaming-more-seriously/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-to-take-pc-gaming-more-seriously/#comments Thu, 14 Aug 2014 19:47:44 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=207434 Apparently, Ubisoft finally wants to patch things up with PC gamers and take the platform ‘more seriously'. The change of heart comes down to the fact that PC gaming is continuing to rise, despite the release of the Playstation 4 and Xbox One. Speaking with MCV at Gamescom, European Ubisoft Executive, Alain Corre, said: “We …

The post Ubisoft to take PC gaming more seriously first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Apparently, Ubisoft finally wants to patch things up with PC gamers and take the platform ‘more seriously'. The change of heart comes down to the fact that PC gaming is continuing to rise, despite the release of the Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

Speaking with MCV at Gamescom, European Ubisoft Executive, Alain Corre, said: “We recognize the importance and needs of PC gamers, and want to continue to improve how we create and support games for PC. As a percentage of our business, PC grew last year, from 11 per cent in 2012/13 to 15 per cent in 2013/14, which is an indication of the progress we’re making.”

ubisoft-600-x-300

We listen to feedback from players and continue to adapt accordingly; for instance, we switched to a simple, one- time activation for our PC games – a standard practice in the industry. We’re also doing our best to bring our games to PC at the same time as the console versions. Assassin’s Creed Unity and Far Cry 4, for example, will be released simultaneously on console and PC, and this will continue to be the goal for all our major titles.”

Finally, we are committed to improving the optimization of our games for each platform on which they’re released – including PC.”

Ubisoft has faced a lot of controversy on the PC platform over the years. The most recent case is Watch Dogs, which received a graphical downgrade in order to achieve parity with the new generation of consoles. In addition, the publisher also claims that the PC version of Far Cry 4 won't look any different on high settings to the console version. 

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Ubisoft's reputation amongst PC gamers has been damaged this year. However, it might not be too late. Would you guys like to see Ubisoft put more effort in to its PC games? What would the publisher have to do in order to win gamers over again?

Source: MCV

The post Ubisoft to take PC gaming more seriously first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-to-take-pc-gaming-more-seriously/feed/ 14
Ubisoft: ‘DLC is pretty much accepted’ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-dlc-is-pretty-much-accepted/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-dlc-is-pretty-much-accepted/#comments Tue, 08 Jul 2014 12:53:24 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=202108 Have gamers finally accepted DLC? According to Ubisoft we have. Talking to Games Industry, Ubisoft’s Vice President of Digital Publishing, Chris Early, explained that modern gamers are apparently comfortable with amount of digital content developers provide, using Assassin Creed IV's ‘Time Saver' DLC as an example. Assassin Creed IV's time saver DLC allowed players to pay …

The post Ubisoft: ‘DLC is pretty much accepted’ first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Have gamers finally accepted DLC? According to Ubisoft we have. Talking to Games IndustryUbisoft’s Vice President of Digital Publishing, Chris Early, explained that modern gamers are apparently comfortable with amount of digital content developers provide, using Assassin Creed IV's ‘Time Saver' DLC as an example.

Assassin Creed IV's time saver DLC allowed players to pay for in-game items in order to get through the game easier: “There was no resistance,” Early said. “Maybe there were 12 guys somewhere who said something, but whatever. As a whole, there wasn't a problem.”

ss_60b905d803c94cd1a1e02bd62eeb6f9e4ca2b3ec.1920x1080

I think there are some models that are accepted now. DLC is pretty much accepted. Season pass is pretty much accepted. Now it's interesting when you start to think of Season Pass as a Service Pass. For our Season Pass holders, I know we hold events for them specifically, so it's little bit more than just DLC content. So there's an evolution going on there.”

The Ubisoft VP isn't wrong, while gamers might not always like DLC, it is generally accepted at this point, as are season passes. However he does agree that games shouldn't be designed to force you in to paying more money:

“Where it hurts is when you feel like you're forced, or you're at a disadvantage or can't do it unless you pay money. That's kind of a remorseful feeling, and nobody likes that.”

Discuss on our Facebook page,  HERE.

KitGuru Says: Ubisoft isn't the most popular company right now after all of the recent controversy surrounding graphical downgrades. However this is a good topic for discussion, how do you guys feel about DLC and season passes? DLC can be good when it's done right but sometimes it is just a waste of time. One thing the Ubisoft exec didn't comment on was the company's stance on cutting content from the main game to release as DLC later, I think we can all  agree that we shouldn't accept that. 

The post Ubisoft: ‘DLC is pretty much accepted’ first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-dlc-is-pretty-much-accepted/feed/ 5
Dark Souls 2 dev responds to graphics downgrade claims https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/dark-souls-2-dev-responds-to-graphics-downgrade-claims/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/dark-souls-2-dev-responds-to-graphics-downgrade-claims/#comments Wed, 19 Mar 2014 13:49:37 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=183069 From Software, Developer of Dark Souls 2, has responded to claims that the final retail version of the game looks worse than previous footage of the game's early builds. Graphical downgrades have been a hot topic amongst gamers recently as both developers for Watch Dogs and Dark Souls 2 have been accused of leading gamers …

The post Dark Souls 2 dev responds to graphics downgrade claims first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
From Software, Developer of Dark Souls 2, has responded to claims that the final retail version of the game looks worse than previous footage of the game's early builds. Graphical downgrades have been a hot topic amongst gamers recently as both developers for Watch Dogs and Dark Souls 2 have been accused of leading gamers on with better looking early game footage.

Speaking to MCV Magazine, From Software issued a statement explaining that things need to be constantly re-worked and balanced during the development process:

“Throughout the game development process, a game is constantly being balanced not only in game playability, but also in the realm of resource management. A developer is always challenged with creating the most rewarding gaming experience while delivering continuity in graphical quality, gameplay dynamics, and balance within the game. The final version of Dark Souls II displays the culmination of this delicate balance and we’re very proud of the positive media and fan reception for the game.”

2420857-2571372632-Dark-

Dark Souls 2 released on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 just last week and gamers instantly picked up on the difference in graphics, the PC version is coming out in April and will feature higher resolution textures compared to the console versions as well as a higher frame rate.

KitGuru Says: I'm looking forward to Dark Souls 2, From Software seem to be putting a lot more effort in to the PC port this time around. Have you guys played the game yet? Did the graphics really seem like a downgrade compared to early game footage?

The post Dark Souls 2 dev responds to graphics downgrade claims first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/dark-souls-2-dev-responds-to-graphics-downgrade-claims/feed/ 1