Nier: Automata Steam Patch Finally Fixes Its Biggest Issues This Week

More than four years after it was originally released on PC, Nier: Automata's Steam version is finally getting a new update this week that aims to fix its core problems. These issues have previously required a user-made mod to bring the game up to par with the console versions, but that will, hopefully, no longer be the case. An update will address most of these on July 15.

In a post on the game's official Steam page on July 13, the development team listed the changes coming in the update, which you can read in full at the end of this article. They include new anti-aliasing, borderless video settings, HDR support, 4K textures for the UI, 60fps cutscenes, global illumination, ambient occlusion, and a stabilized frame rate.

The PC version wasn't completely broken before, but frame rate and video issues made it a much less enjoyable game compared to the one on PS4 and Xbox One. And given the focus on story in the Nier games, unstable frame rate or other visual problems during cutscenes or other key moments could lessen their impact.

Nier: Automata was a surprise hit for Square Enix, far outselling the original Nier, which was later upgraded and remastered as Nier: Replicant ver.1.22474487139... earlier this year. That game implemented combat like that of Automata in place of the original game's stiff, unrefined system, and also added a fifth ending that had to be cut from the game the first time around. It's available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

Additionally, the mobile game Nier: Reincarnation is also on the way. It's set to release in English for iOS and Android on July 28.

Nier: Automata July 15 PC Update Patch Notes

Changes made

• Borderless Video Settings

Borderless video settings have been implemented.

• Fidelity FX

A Fidelity FX CAS feature has been added.

• HDR

The system will now detect whether HDR has been activated in the Windows display settings, and automatically boot the game in HDR mode if it has.

• Anti-aliasing

Adjustments to the anti-aliasing functionality

• UI textures (4K)

Approximately 270 UI textures for icons, backdrops and UI elements etc. now support 4K resolutions.

• Cut scenes

The bit rate has been improved and all pre-rendered cut scenes adjusted, so they will now play in 60FPS and display in the correct aspect ratio without stretching the picture.

• Global illumination

A new “Global illumination” feature has been implemented. This can be set to three different levels; High, Medium or Low.

• Ambient occlusion/ bloom

The rendering targets for ambient occlusion and bloom effects have been changed to dynamic resolution based on the game’s resolution.

Bug fixes

• It is now possible to switch between recently selected display modes for screenshots, such as between full screen and windowed mode or between borderless and windowed mode, by pushing the Alt + Enter keys together.

• The mouse cursor is no longer displayed when using a game pad controller.

• The frame rate has been stabilized at 60FPS under default settings.

Other stability related fixes have also been implemented.