Intel released an update for its "Game On" driver for Arc desktop and laptop graphics hardware to version 32.0.101.6795 over Memorial Day Weekend — available to download directly from Intel.com.
The patch notes are slim, but by no means insignificant, and come in two parts: First, launch day for Elden Ring Nightreign is fast approaching for PC players on May 29, and Intel is providing official support for FromSoftware's co-op player-versus-environment parallel universe spinoff with this update.
Alongside Elden Ring, Intel Arc users will be ready for the recently previewed multiplayer survival game Dune: Awakening, which launches on June 10, and F1 25 even earlier on May 30 for high-speed sim racing fans.
Second, there's a little treat for fans of the multiplayer open-world action RPG Monster Hunter Wilds, which has gradually received patches from its developers to address performance issues and now has the same treatment at a hardware level.
According to Intel, running Monster Hunter Wilds at 1080p on an Intel Arc B-Series "Battlemage" graphics card with this updated driver will increase your average frames-per-second (FPS) by around 9%, or by 6% if you play at 1440p. So, that's only an extra ~5 FPS if you're already hitting 60 FPS, but it's better than nothing for a demanding PC game and a good reason to upgrade.
Are you tempted to switch to Intel Arc yet?
Intel's continued (if expected) efforts to support the latest and greatest PC games are appreciated, but the performance bumps for titles that already struggle to run on modest hardware are particularly encouraging.
Sure, there's a reason that Intel Arc graphics primarily advertise to the 1080p and 1440p bracket, given their penchant for mid-range hardware like the B580 and B570 "Battlemage" cards and my last-gen favorite, the plucky A750 from its "Alchemist" range.
Nevertheless, it lends more credibility to handhelds using modern Arc mobile graphics, like the highly praised (if hard to find) MSI Claw 8+ AI, when Intel's driver team puts extra effort into improving framerates on its affordable hardware with new driver releases.
I've seen firsthand how Intel Arc graphics have improved since the launch of its first discrete A-Series graphics, and I'm eager to see the trend continue, particularly if NVIDIA and AMD are determined to release cards with only 8GB of VRAM.
All I'm really craving is for more high-profile OEMs to adopt Arc mobile graphics in new PC gaming handhelds, and for Intel to expand its B-Series cards into the high-end with some more powerful models. We'll see.
Patch notes
Gaming Highlights
Intel Game On Driver support on Intel Arc B-series, A-series Graphics GPUs and Intel Core Ultra with built-in Intel Arc GPUs for:
- Dune: Awakening
- Elden Ring Nightreign
- F1 25
Game performance improvements on Intel Arc B-series Graphics GPUs versus Intel 32.0.101.6793 software driver for:
-
Monster Hunter Wilds (DX12)
- Up to 9% average FPS uplift at 1080p
- Up to 6% average FPS uplift at 1440p
