AMD fixes four year old bugs
17 Apr 2008 | 10:54 BST
Catalyst 8.4: nothing much new to see, but falls over a bit less
ANYBODY wondering why PC gaming is being slapped around by the console market need only look to the release notes for the latest AMD Catalyst drivers, version 8.4, released merely moments ago.
The driver adds very little in terms of features: hardcore gamers will surely be disappointed to see that the headline revision is better support for Folding@Home.
Meanwhile, AMD is still cranking out fixes for driver bugs for games that are almost four years old.
In Doom 3, "Setting the in game options to Ultra Quality" (de rigeur in these days of 512MB cards) "and the screen size to 1600x1200 no longer results in the image next to the text failing to be rendered".
Not exactly a serious bug, for sure, but how many console gamers have to worry that they won't get bug-free gaming for four years?
Meanwhile, Company of Heroes, another game that is 18 months old, now no longer crashes to desktop when you turn the graphics options right up. Is it really the case that one of the most popular PC games of the past two years crashed to desktop after setting the graphics to top whack - something DAAMIT repeatedly suggests its customers should do to make use of the obscene amounts of graphics power they pay for?
Of course, AMD is far from alone in this, with Nvidia also continuing to to churn out minor fixes for things that really should have been fixed a long time ago (or even, dare we say it, at the time).
It's little surprise that the most anticipated game of the year - Grand Theft Auto 4 - despite having its heritage in PC gaming, is a PS3 and Xbox 360 exclusive. At least gamers on those platforms know that they won't have to wait upwards of 12 months for a bug free gaming experience.
Those eager to get their mitts on Catalyst 8.4 can find it at the AMD GAME website, here. µ
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