Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown’s first update set to improve network performance and frame rates

The much-anticipated first post-release update for driving MMO Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is expected to be released tomorrow, 30th September 2024.

It has been a tumultuous launch period for the KT-Racing-created series revival. Set in Hong Kong, paid-for early access for Gold Edition owners was severely impeded by connection issues.

Since then log-in challenges continued, alongside game crashes and progress save errors. While work on the servers has been undertaken, now it is time for the game code to be updated.

The inaugural patch brings with it expectations of several important fixes.

Particularly, the changelog claims “increased global frame rate” and “significant server/network improvements”, both of which the game requires urgently.

General “stability improvements” sit alongside numerous (over 300, apparently) smaller fixes.

Among these is a purported improvement of the GPS system – something we often found to generate an illogical route, missing obviously more direct pathways.

Further steering wheel and shifter support are also listed, although specific details are sadly missing presently.

The publish changelog, for now, is below and the update will roll out across all platforms. The development team has also stated an intent to release another update ‘soon’ to specifically improve visual performance on PlayStation 5.

For now, cross-platform and cross-region play are not on the near-term development plan.

Server maintenance is expected for “a few hours” starting from 8 am UTC, Monday.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown first post-release update changelog

Servers/Networks

• Significant server/network improvements: fixed login errors, lobbies and races disconnections, save issues & other specific server-related problems.
• Fixed issue where meeting points and POI discovery were not saved

Performances/Stability

• Stability improvements (fixed various crashes and freezes)
• Performances improvements (increased global framerate while maintaining the same graphics quality)

Graphics/Interfaces(UX/UI)

• Added Master setting in graphical options
• Fixed graphical tearing issue
• Fix some cases of bad rendering in virtual garage when accessing pause menu
• PC Only: Removed displayed menus when enabling Nvidia Ansel
• Fixed various Live Events UI issues
• Fix a few “NoLoca” issues
• Fixed wrong display of turbo on the HUD

Audio

• Improved environmental sounds
• Fixed incorrect audio in some languages

Compatibility

• Improved support for peripherals (steering wheels, shifters, etc.)
• Improved support for ultra-wide monitors

Misc

• 300+ miscellaneous minor bugfixes
• Resolved cases of hardlock after the first race of the onboarding
• Fixed ELO not decreasing when abandoning ranked races
• Fixed suspension issues on various cars
• Prevented several cases where player could drive through NPCs in free roam
• Fixed cases where AI would drive in the opposite way after finishing a race.
• Improved pathfinding of GPS
• Removed incorrect indication of a race at lvl 3 that should not exist.
• Updated the price of special edition cars