"Overwatch" recently introduced its High Bandwidth update for PC. The new "Overwatch" patch is expected to feature higher quality online gaming that will retain players in the game, despite having weak internet connection.
"Overwatch" lead engineer Tim Ford and senior engineer Philip Orwigexplained some of the changes that the High Bandwidth update will bring to the game. The development team reportedly introduced adjustments so that PC players can enjoy a smoother version of the game and shorter delays because of a new netcode. High Bandwidth is available for PC in most, but not all regions. The new "Overwatch" update is not available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at present, although Orwig mentioned that they are determining how the improvement may be introduced on console.
Polygon reported that the "Overwatch" update sharply lowers the interpolation delay, where the server predicts where a player is heading at a certain speed. The server then renders the information on other players' clients, to guarantee that the visuals are accurate and smooth for gaming. Players with good internet connection will find that the new netcode cuts the interpolation delay on "Overwatch" by over 50 percent. "Overwatch" players with weak connections can still play, although they may automatically be transferred into a group with lower-bandwidth.
In the video, Ford stated that "Overwatch" players will be shot around corners less. They can predict escape moves better and the server will also get the information much sooner. According to Orwig, the "Overwatch" development team emphasized on providing highly stable online support while working on the High Bandwidth support, to release at a later date. VentureBeat revealed that with the new "Overwatch" update, the tick rate has been improved to update data 60 times per second, instead of the usual 21.
However, only those with sufficient connection bandwidth can support the patch. Blizzard has created a dynamic tool that will automatically return "Overwatch" players to the old update rate if their connection is not good enough. Before the patch, the interpolation delay was about 60ms, while the new improvement upped the figure to 20ms. The development team cautioned "Overwatch" players that the High Bandwidth update will not mean that there will no longer be misplacements and delays. There should still be inaccuracies in some form or another.
