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Game patches can improve performance by reducing CPU or GPU work, changing how assets load, fixing shader compilation, adding graphics controls, or resolving stability problems. The effect depends on the game, patch, platform, and hardware: a developer’s patch notes show what the studio says it changed, but they do not guarantee a particular FPS gain on your system.
What a performance patch can—and cannot—fix
“Performance” covers more than the number of frames rendered each second. A game can have a low average frame rate, uneven frame delivery that feels like stutter, long waits while a level loads, or crashes that interrupt play. These symptoms can have different causes, so a patch that improves one does not necessarily fix the others.
For example, lowering the work the CPU or GPU performs may improve frame rate on a system limited by that component. Changing asset streaming may reduce hitches when the game brings textures or environments into memory. A crash fix can make a session more reliable without changing average FPS at all. Read a patch’s stated target before deciding whether it addresses the problem you are seeing.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Patch notes are evidence of a developer-reported change, not a universal benchmark. The cited official notes for The Last of Us Part I and Monster Hunter Wilds describe optimization work, but do not establish a general, controlled FPS increase across a representative range of computers. Capcom specifically cautioned that results vary by hardware and that its internal test setups did not reflect the full diversity of player systems.
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It helps to separate five questions when evaluating a fix: is the workload primarily CPU- or GPU-related; did average frame rate change or did frame delivery become more consistent; is the symptom tied to asset loading or shader compilation; does a new setting trade visual quality for lower hardware load; and does the note apply to your game version, platform, and hardware? Those are different diagnostic axes, not a ranking of which fixes are most effective.
How patches target different bottlenecks
Reducing CPU and GPU workload
A game spends processing time on tasks such as running game logic and preparing a scene for rendering. A patch can optimize code or content that contributes to the CPU or GPU workload. If the affected work is the main limit on a particular system, reducing it may improve frame rate or consistency. If another component or task is the limit, the same change may have little visible effect.
Naughty Dog’s April 26, 2023, PC update for The Last of Us Part I said it optimized CPU and GPU use throughout the game. Its June 13, 2023, v1.1.0 notes also listed global CPU and GPU performance optimizations. Those descriptions identify the intended area of work; they do not quantify the gain or promise the same result on every PC.
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CPU and GPU are useful distinctions because a change to one does not necessarily reduce pressure on the other. A note saying “CPU optimization” tells you what the developer says it targeted, but not whether that was the limiting workload on your machine or in the section you play. Similarly, a GPU-related change can be valuable on one setup and nearly invisible on another. The patch notes cited here do not include controlled measurements that would let readers calculate a typical gain for either category.
Changing asset streaming and loading
Games retrieve and prepare textures and other environment assets as a player moves through a world. A hitch can occur when needed assets are not ready in time, while slow progression can reflect loading delays. Developers can change when assets are loaded or how streaming is managed, rather than simply lowering the detail shown on screen.
In its April 7, 2023, v1.0.2.0 notes for The Last of Us Part I, Naughty Dog described changes to texture streaming intended to reduce CPU use and increased active loading intended to reduce progression load times. Later notes also described improvements to texture and environment loading. These are separate targets: a loading-time change need not raise average FPS, and a streaming change may help some scenes more than others.
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That distinction matters when the symptom is an intermittent hitch rather than a consistently low frame rate. If a patch changes loading behavior, the relevant question is whether the delay or hitch associated with bringing in assets improves in the affected situation. A faster load into a section and a higher frame rate while playing are not interchangeable outcomes. The notes can point you toward the kind of experience a change might affect, but they do not guarantee that every pause or hitch has the same source.
Improving shader compilation and cache behavior
Shaders are small programs used to render parts of a scene. A game or engine may need to compile shader variants for its rendering conditions and graphics hardware. Depending on the title and its implementation, compilation or cache behavior can contribute to waiting, stutter, or loading issues.
A patch may make compilation more efficient or fix a case where shaders are not loaded correctly. Naughty Dog’s June 2023 PC notes for The Last of Us Part I list improved shader compilation times, but also warn that downloading that update triggers a full shader rebuild. In other words, a patch can improve shader handling while requiring extra shader work after installation.
That first-run behavior is game-specific. A September 29, 2026, Hell Let Loose: Vietnam hotfix instructs PC players to allow shader caching to finish after an update and warns that continuing before it completes may cause a crash. Follow the instructions for your game: do not assume every title needs a rebuild, clear a cache without a specific reason, or interrupt a process the developer says to let finish.
Epic’s Unreal Engine 5.0 release notes offer a separate, engine-editor example. An experimental On Demand Shader Compilation feature compiled shaders used to draw rather than compiling every shader in a material map on load. Epic reported approximately 60% fewer shaders compiled and faster editor startup when opening maps. That figure applies to the described editor feature; it is not a measured FPS increase for a released game.
So, why does a game update rebuild shaders? A particular game may trigger a rebuild as part of its update or cache process, as the The Last of Us Part I notes explicitly warned. It is not a universal requirement of every patch. If you see a shader process, use the title’s own instructions and let it complete when told to do so before comparing the first post-update run with earlier play. A rebuild may mean that the update is doing extra work up front; it is not, by itself, proof that performance has improved or worsened.
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Adding graphics settings for hardware-specific tuning
Sometimes the useful fix is to give players more control. A setting that trades visual detail for lower CPU or GPU load can help people tune for their own hardware, although it does not mean the game’s underlying code has become faster in every situation.
Naughty Dog’s v1.1.0 update added Very Low and AI Quality graphics settings to The Last of Us Part I. Capcom’s Monster Hunter Wilds performance announcement described plans for new and adjustable graphics options to help players tailor CPU and GPU load, alongside planned work on VRAM use and texture streaming. Capcom also said expected improvements differ between minimum and recommended hardware. Treat a new setting as a choice to test, not a guaranteed improvement for every system.
When a patch adds controls, make one change at a time and compare the same scene. That makes it easier to see whether the option affects the symptom you care about, and what visual trade-off comes with it. A control can let players tailor load to their own system; it does not establish a single best setting for everyone. Capcom’s distinction between minimum and recommended hardware is a reminder that even the expected effect of a planned improvement may differ across system classes.
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Performance updates may also address memory leaks, crashes, hangs, or settings that do not behave correctly. Those fixes matter because they can make play more dependable, but reliability and frame rate are different outcomes. The cited The Last of Us Part I updates include crash-related work and a Steam Deck memory leak alongside performance changes; neither fact alone establishes an FPS increase.
Keep these outcomes distinct when reading a list of fixes. If a patch prevents a crash, the benefit may be a longer uninterrupted session. If it fixes a memory leak, it addresses a stability issue, but the notes alone do not quantify a change in average frame rate. One update can contain several kinds of work, and success in one category does not show that the others were fixed too.
How to tell whether a patch applies to your problem
- Check the exact game version and platform. Read the notes for the update installed on your system. A patch can contain platform-specific changes, and a fix listed for PC does not automatically apply to a console version or vice versa.
- Match the stated target to your symptom. CPU or GPU optimization is relevant to workload; texture streaming and loading changes are relevant to asset-related hitches or waits; shader notes are relevant to compilation and caching behavior; crash fixes address reliability. A patch can address several areas, but the notes may not cover yours.
- Follow any post-update shader instructions. If the developer says a rebuild or cache process is underway, allow it to complete before judging the first run. The steps and risks differ by game, so use that title’s instructions rather than a universal cache-clearing rule.
- Look for newly added or adjusted settings. If the update adds graphics controls, change one at a time. This makes it easier to tell which trade-off affects performance on your system.
- Compare like with like. To evaluate a change, use the same scene, resolution, graphics settings, frame cap, and similar system conditions before and after the update. This is a practical way to reduce confounding differences, not a benchmark result supplied by the developers.
- Report an unresolved issue through the developer’s support or feedback channel. Include the game version, platform, hardware details, where the problem occurs, and whether it began after the update. Naughty Dog says it monitors player reports to support future fixes.
For the comparison to be useful, do not change several things at once. If the patch adds a graphics option and you change it while also changing resolution or frame cap, it becomes harder to tell which change relates to the result. Use a repeatable scene and settings where possible, and note whether you are assessing average FPS, smoothness, load time, or stability. This is practical evaluation guidance, not a claim that every player needs specialized benchmarking software.
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Compare the patch target with the experience you want to improve
| Patch area | What the notes may describe | What it may help | What it does not prove by itself |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU or GPU use | Optimization of CPU or GPU performance, such as the work listed in The Last of Us Part I v1.0.4.0 and v1.1.0 notes. | Frame rate or consistency when the changed workload is a relevant limit on the player’s system. | A specific FPS increase, or a benefit on every hardware configuration. |
| Texture or environment streaming | Changes to streaming rates, active loading, or texture and environment loading, as described in The Last of Us Part I patch notes. | Asset-related hitches, CPU use associated with streaming, or progression load times, depending on the change. | That average FPS must rise, or that all stutter has the same cause. |
| Shader compilation or caching | Faster compilation, shader-loading fixes, or a post-update rebuild or cache instruction. | Shader-related waiting or issues once the game’s required processing is complete. | That the first run after a patch will be smoother, or that every game should have its cache cleared. |
| Graphics options | New or adjustable quality controls, such as the settings in the cited The Last of Us Part I and Monster Hunter Wilds examples. | A way to trade visual quality for lower hardware load on a particular setup. | That one setting is best for all players or that the game itself has received a universal optimization. |
| Stability fixes | Changes addressing crashes, memory leaks, hangs, or incorrect behavior. | Fewer interruptions or more reliable play. | A higher average frame rate. |
Use the table as a reading guide, not as a ranking: the examples are from particular games and updates, not a survey or measured comparison of all patches. When notes name a target but provide no measured result, the size of any improvement remains unknown from those notes alone.
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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →When comparing two updates or explanations for a problem, look at four details in the notes: the stated target, the affected platform, whether the game requires processing such as a shader rebuild after installation, and whether the developer reports measured results. The first three help determine whether the change is relevant and what to expect immediately after updating. The fourth matters because a description of work is not the same as a benchmark with defined hardware and conditions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why an optimization patch may not remove stutter
“Stutter” describes an uneven experience, not a single cause. An update may improve CPU use but leave an asset-loading issue untouched; a shader cache may still be rebuilding; or the patch may target a different scene, platform, or hardware configuration. Likewise, an increase in average frame rate would not by itself show that frame delivery is smooth in every moment.
Separate the observations when you assess the result: whether the average frame rate changed, whether frames feel more consistent, whether loading waits changed, and whether crashes stopped. Compare the same scene and settings, and give any developer-directed shader process time to finish. If notes do not state which symptom a fix targets or provide a measured outcome, do not infer a guaranteed result from the word “optimization.”
This is also why an optimization patch can be real yet hard to notice. The change may target a different kind of workload than the one limiting your system, or a symptom that appears in a particular area rather than everywhere. The named examples span CPU and GPU use, texture streaming, loading, shader handling, settings, and stability; they are illustrative rather than a comprehensive survey of games. A patch can improve one category while leaving another unresolved, so identify the symptom first and judge the relevant outcome rather than expecting every performance measure to move together.
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What patch notes can tell you about results
Patch notes can identify the developer’s intended changes, affected platforms, added controls, and any required post-update processing. They can also show that optimization is iterative: Naughty Dog’s v1.0.4.0 notes announced further CPU, frame-rate, and texture-fidelity work, while its later v1.1.0 notes recorded additional changes.
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They generally cannot tell you how large an improvement will be on an individual machine unless they include relevant measured results and conditions. The official materials cited here provide no named, general FPS-improvement statistic for post-launch patches. Capcom’s warning about hardware variation is a useful reminder that results can differ even when the patch is unchanged.
For a useful before-and-after comparison, hold the scene, resolution, quality settings, frame cap, and system conditions constant. Record separate observations for average frame rate, moment-to-moment smoothness, loading, and stability rather than treating them as one score. Such a comparison describes your setup; it is not proof that other players will see the same change.
That is the practical answer to “Can a patch increase FPS?” Yes, it can, when the changed work is relevant to the system and situation being tested. But the official examples here do not provide a broadly applicable FPS figure, so patch notes alone cannot tell you how large a gain to expect. An improvement to loading, shader behavior, or stability may still be useful even if average FPS does not change.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do game patches improve performance?
They can reduce CPU or GPU workload, change asset streaming or loading, improve shader compilation or loading behavior, add graphics controls, or fix stability problems. Which effect is visible depends on the game, patch, platform, hardware, and the problem being addressed.
Can a patch increase FPS?
It can if the change reduces a workload that limits your system, but patch notes do not guarantee a particular gain. The official examples here provide no general FPS-improvement figure across PCs, and results can vary by hardware.
Why does a game update rebuild shaders?
Some updates trigger a shader rebuild or cache process; Naughty Dog’s June 2023 notes for The Last of Us Part I explicitly warned of a full rebuild. This behavior is game-specific, so follow that game’s post-update instructions rather than assuming every title requires a rebuild or clearing its cache.
Why does a game still stutter after an optimization patch?
The patch may target a different workload or symptom, the stutter may relate to asset streaming or shader processing, or the change may apply differently to your platform or hardware. Compare the same scene and settings, distinguish smoothness from average FPS, and let any developer-directed shader process finish before judging the result.
The Bottom Line
A patch can improve FPS, loading, shader behavior, graphics tuning, or stability, but these are distinct outcomes. Read notes for your exact version and platform, follow any shader instructions, and compare the same scene and settings before and after. Treat developer descriptions as the stated target—not a promise of a universal performance gain.
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