When is the Graphic Enhancement and New Benchmark for Final Fantasy 14 Coming Out?

Fans of Final Fantasy XIV have something to look forward to, as a major visual upgrade is in the works with the release of the new expansion, Dawntrail. Naoki Yoshida, the game's producer and director, recently revealed exciting details about this highly anticipated update. Players can expect notable improvements, including the introduction of a new benchmark to evaluate their system’s performance with the new graphical features.

The Final Fantasy XIV benchmark, initially scheduled for late May, has been delayed to June 3, 2024. This delay is due to stability issues discovered during recent revisions, requiring additional adjustments. Additionally, building inspections have caused a power outage, preventing any intervention on potential issues post-launch.

Among the major new features of this update is a revision of the environmental settings in the character creation menu. The adjustments include:

• Revised Lighting: New blue and neutral lighting options are now available to better appreciate the appearance of characters.

• Vignette Effects: The vignette effect that altered character color perception has been removed.

In response to player feedback, several other improvements have been made:

• Pupil Reflections and Lip Gloss: Old texturized reflections have been replaced with reflections based on enhanced lighting processes.

• Facial Expressions and Skin Textures: High-resolution textures have been redesigned to match those of version 6.58.

• Hair Textures: Low-resolution hair sections have been updated with high-resolution textures.

• Self-Casting Shadows: Shadows have been optimized to improve the appearance of characters under various lighting conditions.

The update on June 3, 2024, marks a significant step toward a richer and more immersive gaming experience. The new benchmark will allow players to test their system's compatibility with the graphical enhancements.