TESTED: Vulkan, DLSS, Clouds, Render Thread, Water Simulation

The latest PTU patch 3.23 for Star Citizen introduces new features such as Vulkan as a graphics renderer, DLSS upscaling, cloud updates, render thread enhancements, and water simulation improvements. While these additions show promising performance improvements and advancements in technology, the patch is currently experiencing significant performance issues that may impact testing and evaluation until further optimization is done.

In the latest PTU patch 3.23 for Star Citizen, several new features and improvements are available for testing. These include clouds, upscaling options like DLSS and FSR, changes in entity counts, render thread performance enhancements, and water simulation updates. One of the major additions is the inclusion of Vulkan as a graphics renderer option in the game. However, it is noted that this patch is currently one of the worst performing ones, with significant issues that may impact performance.

Clouds have been updated with a new reference option, though the differences in visual quality between very high and reference settings are minimal. However, the performance impact of clouds remains significant, especially at higher resolutions. Upscaling options like DLSS show promising performance improvements in certain scenarios, but issues with UI blurriness have been observed. Entity counts have increased in locations like Levski and Orison, potentially affecting client performance.

The render thread performance seems to have improved in this patch, with lower thread usage observed in comparison to the previous version. Water simulation has been updated with different settings for water effects, with varying levels of visual fidelity and persistence. The introduction of Vulkan as a graphics renderer option shows promising performance improvements in initial testing, especially on systems with specific configurations.

Overall, while the patch introduces exciting new features and improvements, the current performance issues in the PTU build may impact testing and evaluation. Further testing and optimization are needed before these features are ready for the live release. Despite the challenges, the patch brings significant advancements in technology and performance enhancements, setting the stage for a potentially impactful update once the issues are addressed.