Battlefield 4 has long been the problem child of publisher EA, but a new update for the game hopes to quell the screaming infant. The patch is currently up for grabs for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 players to download, and is set to roll out on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One later this week.
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The next-gen console and PC platforms are getting something a bit different, what developer DICE has called the "High Frequency Bubble," described as allowing the server to "update the client on what is happening more often than before," resulting in a "smoother, more 'correct' player experience."
Also noteworthy is that this patch is the first to have been deployed using gameplay feedback from players. The update itself effects each platform a little bit differently. If you'd like to know how, then can check out the patch notes below courtesy of Battlelog.
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Update Details
PC
- Improved/reduced explosion induced camera shake
- Character collision improvements
- Fix to reduce object damage mismatch between client/server.
- Fix explosion packs not being able to be shot sometimes
- Improvements for client side packet loss
- Client crash fixes
- AMD Mantle multi-GPU improvements
- Carrier Assault game mode reports bug fix
- High Frequency Network update
- Added High frequency "bubble" updating player movement, stance, rotation, damage and projectiles at a separate rate on foot and in vehicles
- Added option to control client side update rate setting
PlayStation 3
- Improved/reduced explosion induced camera shake
- Rental server bug fixes
- Character collision improvements
- Reduced object damage mismatch between client/server.
- Fix for explosion pack not being able to be shot sometimes
- Improvements for client side packet loss
- Added controller option to swap functionality of the bumper and trigger buttons
- Carrier - Invisible walls stopping bullets fix
Xbox 360
- Improved/reduced explosion induced camera shake
- Rent A Server bug fixes
- Character collision improvements
- Reduced object damage mismatch between client/server.
- Fix for explosion pack not being able to be shot sometimes
- Improvements for client side packet loss
- Added controller option to swap functionality of the bumper and trigger buttons
- Physics optimization for Naval Strike Wave Breaker rocks
- Carrier - Invisible walls stopping bullets fix
- Fix for issue where clients with low bandwidth would not be able to enter squad menu.
PlayStation 4
- Improved/reduced explosion induced camera shake
- Rental server bug fixes
- Character collision improvements
- Fix to reduce object damage mismatch between client/server.
- Fix explosion packs not being able to be shot sometimes
- Improvements for client side packet loss
- Added controller option to swap functionality of the bumper and trigger buttons
- Physics optimization for Naval Strike Wave Breaker rocks
- Carrier - Invisible walls stopping bullets fix
- High Frequency Network update
- Added High frequency "bubble" updating player movement, stance, rotation, damage and projectiles at a separate rate on foot and in vehicles
- Added option to control client side update rate setting
Xbox One
- Improved/reduced explosion induced camera shake
- Rental server bug fixes
- Character collision improvements
- Fix to reduce object damage mismatch between client/server.
- Fix explosion packs not being able to be shot sometimes
- Improvements for client side packet loss
- Added controller option to swap functionality of the bumper and trigger buttons
- Physics optimization for Naval Strike Wave Breaker rocks
- Carrier - Invisible walls stopping bullets fix
- Fixed issue when using standby in Campaign
- Fixed issue when using standby and reconnecting to game servers
- Fixed issue with snapped application and matchmaking
- Playgroup Matchmaking fix for Xbox One
- Fixed incorrect error message for lost Xbox Live connection
- Fixed issue for user name mismatch in rental server, ingame scoreboard and Squad Join menus
- High Frequency Network update
- Added High frequency "bubble" updating player movement, stance, rotation, damage and projectiles at a separate rate on foot and in vehicles
- Added option to control client side update rate setting
NOTE - The High Frequency Update is by default turned OFF in this release. You will have to enable this setting to take advantage of the improved networking. To support players with a limited bandwidth connection, we support three different levels: LOW, MEDIUM and HIGH. Most players with a connection faster than 1Mbit upload and 1Mbit download should be fine using the HIGH setting. If you experience any issues, lower or turn off the setting completely.
Video Comparison
When testing our "High Frequency Bubble" changes to the network layer in Battlefield 4, we made sure to employ a measurable end-user experience metric. To do this, we have been using a 60fps video camera to capture two clients connected over the internet, and counting frames to get before and after results: