2019 was a pretty interesting year as we’ve gotten some truly amazing PC games (tech-wise). However, we’ve also seen some truly awful PC ports. Therefore, and prior to our Top 10 Most Optimized PC Games of 2019, today we are presenting you our Top 10 Worst Optimized PC Games of 2019.
But what do we consider an unoptimized PC game in 2019? In our opinion, a game that is not optimized for the PC is one that cannot scale well multiple CPU cores and that is plagued by ‘console-ish’ side effects (like really low FOV, controller only on-screen indicators and mouse acceleration/smoothing issues). We also take into account various side-effects, like stuttering. A game that also requires a high-end GPU for average visuals is also a game we consider poorly optimized for the PC.
In short, we’re examining a game’s technical aspect for both our Top 10 Worst and Most Optimized lists. This means that not only must game engines scale well on modern-day hardware, but developers must also ensure that things like PC-specific graphical features, PC technologies and PC controls are properly supported.
So, without further ado, here are the Top 10 Worst Optimized PC Games of 2019.
10) Rune 2
“Rune 2 is a mixed bag. On one hand, it can run really smooth on older CPUs. On the other hand, its Cinematic settings do not justify their GPU requirements. Thankfully, PC gamers can improve performance by lowering their settings to Epic or High. Unfortunately, there are A LOT OF pop in issues on High settings, so that’s something that will disappoint a lot of PC gamers. So yeah, Rune 2 definitely needs a performance optimization patch.”
9) Devil’s Hunt
“Devil’s Hunt currently suffers from some optimization issues. Due to its single-threaded nature, the game can under perform even on high-end CPUs. Moreover, it does not take advantage of more than three/four CPU cores/threads. The game also suffers from some annoying stuttering issues, and its Epic settings do not justify its GPU requirements. And while we can all acknowledge – and understand – its smaller budget nature, we can all agree that this game should be running better.”
8) Greedfall
“Greedfall is mostly a GPU-bound title. The game does not require a high-end CPU and will run fine on older CPUs. However, PC gamers will need powerful graphics card in order to run the game even at 1080p/Ultra settings. Furthermore, the game’s visuals do not justify these huge GPU requirements. Not only that, but the game suffers from some major stuttering issues that can be really annoying, especially if you are not equipped with a G-Sync monitor.”
7) MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries
“MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is a mixed bag. While the game does not require a high-end CPU, it has some missions that do not really justify its GPU requirements. Take for example the Tutorial area. That area performs similarly to all of Anthem’s maps; a game that looks significantly better than MechWarrior 5. Piranha Games will have to further optimize it via post-launch performance patches, otherwise numerous PC gamers may encounter performance issues in specific missions.”
6) Detroit: Become Human
“Detroit: Become Human is a really demanding title. And while the game’s visuals somehow justify its GPU requirements, it certainly does not justify its CPU requirements. Seriously, we don’t really understand what is consuming all the CPU cycles of an eight-core CPU. One would expect this game to behave similarly to The Dark Pictures Anthology – Man of Medan. After all, both of these games share similar gameplay mechanics. However, that’s not the case and Detroit: Become Human requires a lot of CPU raw power. Thus, we believe that Quantic Dream should further optimize its title via post-launch updates.”
5) Blair Witch
“Blair Witch needs major optimization and performance fixes/patches. Thankfully, the game does not require a high-end CPU for gaming at 60fps, though it’s still limited by the DX11 API. As said, the game requires high-end GPUs, does not justify its high GPU requirements, and does not scale on older graphics cards. Here is hoping that Bloober Team will be able to resolve the game’s performance issues via post-launch updates.”
4) Assetto Corsa Competizione
“Assetto Corsa Competizione has some optimization issues on the PC right now. The game is being held back by its DX11 API and requires high frequency RAM modules in order to overcome its optimization issues, and requires really powerful GPUs for gaming at resolutions higher than 1440p. Moreover, and despite its higher GPU requirements, the game does not look as great as Project CARS 2 or Forza Motorsport 7; two titles that run significantly faster than this latest racing sim.”
3) Kingdom Under Fire 2
“Kingdom Under Fire 2 suffers from major optimization issues. Our guess is that these are mainly due to the DX11 API and the overwhelmed amount of game’s draw calls. This is mostly a memory frequency limitation and not a CPU bottleneck. However, it will impact all PC configurations and that’s something that Blueside needs to address. Here is hoping that the team will improve things via some post-launch patches!”
2) LEFT ALIVE
“LEFT ALIVE is a disappointment. The fact that a GTX980Ti is unable to run a game that looks like a PS3/Xbox 360 title with 60fps at 1080p speaks volumes about its current optimization. Still, LEFT ALIVE is not the worst optimized PC game of 2019. While the game requires a high-end GPU, it does not need a powerful CPU. Not only that but it displays proper K&M on-screen indicators and we did not experience any major mouse smoothing/acceleration issues.”
1) Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout
Our initial plan was to have a PC Performance Analysis article for . However, the game still suffers from major optimization issues.
“Our biggest gripe with Atelier Ryza, however, are the awful stuttering/frame pacing issues from which the game suffers. These stutters are due to the lack of a gamepad. According to reports, the game constantly “searches” for a gamepad, resulting in stutters every two seconds. The only way you can resolve this is by… connecting a gamepad. Yeap, you read that right; as soon as we connected an X360 controller, these stutters went away. Hilarious.”
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
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The hall of shame! Great article.
Good list but give Detroit a break – it released mere moments ago and already had its first patch. The devs are already working on a solution for lower end processors as said on their twitter. Red Dead Redemption 2 and NFS: Heat would be better contenders for this list.
If I suffered from severe brain injury I’d tell you to do the same. Remain calm, kiddo.
Don’t worry I appreciate what GabeN is doing with Perfect World too.
Lmaooo 😀
You are right, you can pla…i mean watch Detroit on a cellphone via Youtube. So it requires a mobile phone tier for a procesor.
stop being transphobic you fcking homeless wh*re.
No RDR2?
Besides the launch issues (I blame Rockstar for rushing their client more than anything else), the game runs even better than on consoles with a midtier setup, for the scale and visual fidelity the game has, and after a couple of patches..is fine. Still not what a port for PC should be, specially after the GTA V port.
no buy a better PC.
You fool it’s already been reported multiple times from users with high end PC’s they suffer the same problems. One YouTuber even overclocked his PC with liquid nitrogen to see what would happen
shut the fck up you low iq monkey.
I checked your other postings. I see now, you’re one of those troll accounts. Can I ask you a serious question. Why do you people waste your time and life making troll accounts, I mean do you really have absolutely nothing else to do. Ive seen some troll accounts that actually put effort and have some amazing comedy, so those ones I kinda see why they do it. But the ones I’ve seen here on dsog are just angry nonsense or stupid nonsense.
Just report him to Pakistani authorities. Problem solved..
Because not everyone has issues with the game, like mine, I’ve played for 80+ hours and never ran to any issue.
Like there’s people who have “difficulties” with their eyes, seing no difference between 30 fps and 80 fps, same for stuttering and input lag…
not a single one of these games worth pirating, i’m just waiting for red dead redemption 2 crack because i want to play that game for free.
video games should be free because they waste our time anyways. no one with a healthy brain would pay to waste their time.
This is why epic games store is the best. Maybe next year Tim Sweeny will give it away for free too. Plus the game will be more optimized.
game launchers waste my internet and electricity besides the idea of attempting to buy games for legit turns me off.
there’s something to your comment though, i’ll think about it.
There’s not a single game on Epic Store that requires the launcher, even if Epic’s API is wrapped around the exe. Everything can be bypassed with launch parameter command lines. Earlier when the store was really new, just a simple -EpicPortal line was fine to make a game not require the launcher, but now you just have to create a batch file and input a tiny bit more details. Maybe when time comes and the store gets more recognition, somebody will make a more universal approach that require less tinkering – maybe even the devs from GOG galaxy or Playnite.
i’ll be honest with you, i just like stealing, that’s the end of story.
Copying isn’t stealing. My main income is from printing money and it works you just have to modify the firmware so the printer can’t detect you printing money. Most shopkeeps are drunk and don’t notice that the money is fake.
you’re my favorite user on dsog after myself.
I could argue they should be “Free” due to:
– Insane developers pushing agendas and Socialism/Communist lovers.
Why should i pay for their “Product” when they love Socialism/Communist soo much and want to somehow impose their believes in me?
-Any game with “Mobile” kind of monetization. Those are “Free” on mobile why should i pay for them on my console or PC?
-No Demo available and i mean a DEMO not a WHOLE game download.
-No Trails a la Free Weekend from Steam.
But saying they should be free “because they waste our time anyways” is at best a disingenuous reason.
As soon as “no one with a healthy brain would pay to waste their time” is red it became a full re**rd reason.
rytard alert.
when you’re such a poosy that you get offended by a political view in video games, you should not be doing anything that involves social interaction.
also the fact that you put socialism and communism together, shows how dumb and uneducated you are. i wouldn’t expect anything else from the average brainwashed illiterate trump loving teenager though.
also if you had a single working brain cell, you’d have realized that i’m screwing with low iq rytards like you.
Uffff Insane detected!!!
Triggered soooo hard it had to respond me 2 times and throw insults you Show “The Internet” or his boss who knows, he is a big person.
Look, tell your boss you need more training. Hell you can get in touch with Fernando he may teach you one or two things.
Dude dagoat is known on this site for messing with people. You’re kind of a tardlet
also if you had a single working brain cell, you’d have realized that i’m fcking with low iq rytards like you.
I hope you also make a list of the most optimized, we had good games in this segment in 2019.
ConLOLsoles https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/60184c8579a690a8649561bf98ea0a17a438d1390d87ef9bbda4c7431646d34f.png
What a flop!
I mean, how dare a console that costs a few hundred dollars be less powerful than my multi thousand dollar PC?
I don’t know what people expect, for 500/600 usd or maybe 400 in cheaper models you get a custom ryzen 3000/4000 8/16, is not a 3700, people need to understand it, is a lower clock, lower turbo, 8/16 custom ryzen, and a custom 5700xt similar but with raytracing, again, custom, with lowers clocks, etc. same for the RAM and everything. Is going to be enough for 1080p 60fps newer titles or 4k 30 fps or maybe 60 older titles. That “new gen titles running at 120fps 4k” is pure bullshit,
No changes. We’ve re-tested them so there was no point writing anything new about them.
blair witch and greedfall working fine in 4k, johny boy has a crap proc.
Fascinating findings, John.
How about an article on “” Top 10 BEST Optimized PC Games of 2019 “””? ?
.
Number 1 and 2. Japanese PC games… No surprise in for a Japanese game in 2000s. It is just baffling how far JP programmers have come. Back in the day Japan had PC games that the west could only dream about. Hell, the first Metal Gear game was on PC well before it ever graced a console. This is just a case of Japan caring about Japan first, second, and third, with western markets a distant 4th. And in Japan people just don’t game on PC a 1/10th as much as they do in other contires, even other Asian countries. Look at Neir. Super popular. Sold a trillion copies on PC. Never patched last I heard. You need 3rd party mods to fixes all the bugs. Then again Bethesda, heres looking at you. For f*ks sake you give all video game releases a bad name.
Not putting RDR2 on here is hilarious
The first pick is a little unfair, people on PC (me included because I don’t own a console) need to understand that a gamepad is mandatory, period. You can get a gamepad without problem with FULL support on every game that needs one like you can pick a mouse and a keyboard.
Greedfall and blair witch working fine in 4k, nice try
Where’s Red Crap Depression 2?????
some people actually defend Blair Witch which is laughable. even a 1080 ti cant hold 60 in that game and its graphics are horrible.
Wheres CMS18?
no outer worlds