Denuvo gets an immediate, impassioned response from any PC gamer. Born out of the Salzburg-based software company, Denuvo is infamous for creating Anti-Tamper Digital Rights Management (DRM) software, which first launched in 2014. This unbreakable shield against piracy, created to secure the sales of newly launched games, has drawn its fair share of criticism over the years and very little praise.
But with its reputation for being ‘uncrackable’, Denuvo also started to face allegations about its alleged impact on a game’s performance. These claims sparked controversy and gave Denuvo a tarnished image within the gaming community.
So, is Denuvo the misunderstood guardian of the gaming realm or the nemesis that’s responsible for compromised game performance? If you ask the company, it’s the former.
The anti-tamper software became widely adopted by game developers and publishers in the initial years. However, reports started circulating that Denuvo’s implementation led to significant CPU usage, resulting in compromised performance. In contrast, games like Final Fantasy XV: Windows Edition were found to perform well with Denuvo integrated, suggesting that perhaps, Denuvo wasn’t the culprit after all. This dispute led to polarized opinions about Denuvo, making PC gamers happy if a game developer opts to remove Denuvo DRM from their titles, such as CAPCOM with games like Devil May Cry 5 and Resident Evil Village and CD Projekt RED with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Steeve Huin, the Chief Operating Officer of Videogames at Irdeto, the company that acquired Denuvo in 2018, defended its anti-tamper software in a public interview with Ars Technica. He asserted that gamers seldom have access to versions of a game with and without Denuvo. Therefore, comparison tests often have underlying discrepancies due to various bug fixes and updates, making the comparison unfair. He also stated that the company invests significant effort into ensuring that the game performance remains unaffected.
Realizing that their assurances may not placate the skeptical PC gaming community, Huin revealed that an initiative is in the pipeline. Irdeto plans to offer select media outlets nearly identical versions of a game – one with Denuvo and one without. This independent testing will allow the media outlets to perform their own benchmarking tests, thereby providing unbiased insights into Denuvo’s actual impact on game performance.
Interestingly, Huin admitted Denuvo might slightly affect performance, but he attributed this to the anti-cheat software, which is distinct from the anti-tamper DRM. Anti-cheat software can potentially impact performance to a tune of less than one percent. This software is far less popular among game developers, who usually lean towards BattlEye, EasyAntiCheat, or Valve Anti-Cheat.
Further, Huin also revealed that the company is shifting its focus towards anti-cheating technologies. The company had recently launched Unbotify, a bot detection technology designed to monitor and detect AI bots and specialized controllers that can potentially give unfair advantages to players.
However, not all of Denuvo’s projects have gained momentum nor infamy. A good example is the emulator protection software for the Nintendo Switch. This technology, introduced by Denuvo in August 2022 without Nintendo’s involvement, hasn’t gained traction among gamers. Nintendo Switch games continue to be readily available via PC emulators like Yuzu and Ryujinx.
Overall, Huin and Irdeto seem determined to change the narrative around Denuvo, insisting that it’s a positive force in the gaming community. The company argues that Denuvo helps protect publishers’ investments and ultimately facilitates the creation of more games, benefiting gamers in the long run.
In the end, we shouldn’t expect companies to stop using software like Denuvo. As the development of video games rises – The Last of Us Part 2 and Horizon Forbidden West reportedly cost Sony around half a billion, combined – they’ll find ways to guarantee its bottom line. Using Denuvo can help, even if it comes at the expense of game performance. Of course, if Irdeto can put to rest the debate regarding Denuvo, then that’s even better. Unfortunately, only time will tell whether they succeed or not.
