The Stellar Blade demo earned praise for its graphics, combat and character designs, but reports of substantial input lag have raised concerns. Its mix of Souls-like and action gameplay makes responsive controls particularly important: delayed inputs can undermine timing and reactions.
Players report delayed controls
Reports on Twitter described Eve's movement as sluggish, and the developers acknowledged input lag. A YouTuber who tested the delay reported a result of 230ms, a considerable amount for 60 FPS gaming.
Not everyone has encountered the problem. Some players report that the demo works well even with HDR and visual mode enabled, while others continue to experience delayed responses.
Developers recommend TV Game Mode
With the full release less than a month away, the studio has some time to respond to demo feedback. For now, its advice is to enable the television's dedicated Game Mode:
StellarBlade recommends turning on the TV's "Game Mode" if controls feel slow, saying it should make responses more immediate. #StellarBlade #PS5
— StellarBlade (@StellarBlade), March 29, 2024
TVs can introduce input lag because they are not specifically designed for gaming. However, not every television offers a dedicated game mode, and the noticeable delay suggests there is still room for improvement.
SHIFT UP should address these concerns before launch. A short postponement to resolve the issue would likely be acceptable to many players, but with release scheduled for this month, a delay appears unlikely. A day-one patch may therefore be players' best hope for a fix.
Stellar Blade's rise in Sony's pre-order charts suggests strong interest. Resolving the reported responsiveness problems would help it meet the expectations that come with a full-priced release.
