Software security company Irdeto has just announced that its anti-cheat technology and DRM software Denuvo joined the exclusive PlayStation 5 Tools and Middleware program, allowing developers to use their program to help combat cheaters.
From the press release:
Denuvo is at the forefront of games security with over 2 billion unique game installs protected across all platforms, and over 1,000 games secured. Joining the PlayStation®5 Tools and Middleware program therefore fosters Denuvo’s continued commitment to excellence and innovation in game security. It also supports Denuvo’s goal of protecting the developers’ investment, where approximately 70% of their revenue is earned in the first two weeks after the launch of a game.
Today, as a member of ecosystem players, Denuvo will carry on its mission of bringing fairness and fun back to gaming by providing its Anti-Cheat solution to all developers who want to protect their games and gamers, from hackers and cheaters, on PlayStation®5. According to its Global Gaming Survey, 77% of the gamers express being repelled from a game due to cheating occurring, creating a tremendous risk on monetization of games.
“Cheating ruins video games for honest players,” said Reinhard Blaukovitsch, Managing Director of Denuvo, Irdeto. “This can lead to lower engagement, game traffic and shrinking revenues for game publishers. We are really proud be able to help the world’s most talented developers to bring rich experiences for gamers on Playstation®5.”
While the PS5 currently does not have any known public form of piracy (and most likely won’t for a while,) the news of Denuvo being available for use should not doubt help slow the progress. However, as many PC gamers have learned, the anti-tamper tool isn’t exactly all it’s cracked up to be.
Some claim it has had a hit on performance in certain titles, with even Tekken 7 own Chief producer taking a stab at it and blaming the way it’s implemented as the reason to FPS drops in Tekken 7.
Problem occurred in "TEKKEN7 for PC". that the frame rate drops when hits such as Akuma's "Shakunetsu Hadouken".
Since it's not a problem of graphics & CPU processing, it will not solve even if changing PC setting (problem with encryption program).
We'll fix Soon. Sorry Plz wait.— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) April 13, 2018
Anti-tamper 3rd party middleware. It’s live updating programs and I heard “it’s fix soon” from them. We will check it and update.
Thx
RT @TiredOcean: What does the encryption program do?— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) April 13, 2018
However, one of the bigger complaints has to be the fact that the tool requires authentication during initial set up. This means that titles that have used the tool before require an online check before they can be played offline, including some single-player focused games. No details were given on whether this would be the same on PS5, though we suspect this will mostly be used in online only titles.
Nonetheless, due to how quickly it is becoming with cracking Denuvo-enabled titles on PC, many gamers have been vocal in its removal with some developers eventually doing just that.
Of course with the PS5 being such a closed system, we don’t expect this have much of an effect when it comes to piracy on the platform. Still, while in most cases (on PC) the performance effects are minimal, it does always beg to question as to what is being impacted with the tool implemented. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
In other PlayStation news, Sony’s London Studio says that its current project has “huge potential,” though we don’t know what that exactly is just yet.