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A character in FFXIV Dawntrail drinking water.
Image via Square Enix
Category:
Final Fantasy

Everything new in the updated FFXIV Dawntrail Benchmark v1.1

The updated benchmark is not only important for testing your hardware but also for previewing the graphical upgrades in FFXIV Dawntrail.
Image of Bhernardo Viana
Bhernardo Viana
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Published: Jun 4, 2024 02:22 pm

FFXIV: Dawntrail is very close to launching and you can now preview more of the graphical updates coming with it in the v1.1 Benchmark. Here’s a summary of everything that changed since the first version and why you should benchmark again before Dawntrail.

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All changes in the FFXIV Dawntrail Benchmark v1.1

FFXIV character in character creation under blue lighting and under neutral lighting, compared side by side.
You can get rid of the blue filter. Image via Square Enix

Most of the FFXIV Dawntrail benchmark v1.1 changes focus on lighting, character models’ reactions to the new lighting, and optimizations of their faces and hair. All the updates made to the benchmark will be introduced in the live game when the Dawntrail expansion comes out on June 28 in early access. Here’s what’s new:

  • Character creation lighting and visual effects changes: Added options to change lighting and time of day when creating a new character, with an option to remove blue lighting. The vignette effect that caused characters to look darker than they would appear in the game was also removed.
  • Face quality adjustments: Characters’ pupils and lips now look more natural under different lighting settings. Wrinkles, smile lines, and other facial features have also been adjusted to achieve more natural shades and shadows in various environments.
  • Hair texture improvements: Low-texture sections of certain hairstyles have been fixed and replaced with high-resolution textures.
  • Visual adjustments with backlight and fog: Characters and the environment looked flat when lit by a backlight. This has been fixed to preserve three-dimensional details.

Should you perform the benchmarking again?

You should perform the FFXIV: Dawntrail benchmark again if you created a character using the old benchmarking software. The v1.1 version will give you a more accurate preview of how your character will look in the new expansion compared to the first version, so it’s a good idea to ensure everything looks the way you want it to.

If you’re only concerned about performance, you can skip the benchmarking. These changes are adjustments rather than major additions or texture overhauls, so they shouldn’t significantly impact your original score.

You can check out the full details of the new benchmarking in the game’s official blog post.

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Author
Image of Bhernardo Viana
Bhernardo Viana
Bhernardo is senior guides writer and strategist at Dot Esports. He's been working in the gaming industry for over 9 years, with works published on Destructoid, Prima Games, ESPN, and more. A fan of Pokémon since 6 years old and an avid Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch player. Now writing strategy and quests guides for several mobile and PC titles.