Windows updates, though necessary for device optimization, can often disrupt user activities. Recently, a Windows 11 update, identified as KB5066835, inadvertently caused performance issues in Assassin’s Creed Shadows on PC. Following the update, users experienced significant frame rate drops, particularly affecting systems with Nvidia graphics cards.
Players reported a substantial decrease in frame rates in Assassin’s Creed Shadows post-Windows 11 update installation, even on advanced hardware setups like Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPUs and Nvidia RTX 5090 GPUs. Notably, the RTX 5090’s frame rate dropped from 72 to 34 frames per second at 4K DLSS Quality settings after the update, underscoring the severity of the impact.
Nvidia shed light on the situation by acknowledging that the October patch for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2 could lead to reduced performance in certain games. The exact cause of the performance drop remains uncertain, with Nvidia hinting at a potential interaction issue between their drivers and the Windows update.
To address the issue, users were advised to install Nvidia’s emergency GPU driver hotfix, which reportedly restored performance levels. While Assassin’s Creed Shadows was the most prominently affected title, other games like Counter-Strike 2 also exhibited increased stuttering and frame rate dips before the hotfix. Nvidia, however, did not provide a comprehensive list of impacted games, focusing on the general impact on “some games.”
The resolution of the performance issue in Assassin’s Creed Shadows post-Windows 11 update underscores the importance of maintaining compatibility between drivers and system updates to ensure optimal gaming experiences.