Updated Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail Benchmark software arrives June 3

If you’ve been waiting impatiently for the updated Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail Benchmark, I’ve got good news for you. The new version finally has a release date of June 3, and we’ve also got new information about what to expect when it’s here. 

While the release date for the updated Benchmark software has been up in the air for a while, we do at least have some evidence of the hard work put in to get Dawntrail looking as it should, and the June 3 release date means players still have plenty of time to make sure their setups can handle Dawntrail. 

The further delay can be at least partly attributed to the fact that routine building inspections at the development offices will result in ‘full power outages’ on June 1 and 2, meaning that any issues that arose during an earlier release would be left two days without attention. I wouldn’t want to be that building inspector.

The biggest change in the updated software is to the lighting conditions in Character Creation. Previously, the blue aetherical background threw a lot of blue light onto characters while in Character Creation, but the updated version of the Benchmark (as well as FFXIV itself when Dawntrail releases) will include an option to turn this blue light off, allowing players to better visualise skin tones when creating or modifying a character. 

The vignette effect on the Character Creation screen has also been removed, due to the fact that it altered the perception of certain features, such as hair and skintone. 

Various changes have also been made to lighting throughout the Benchmark and will be implemented once Dawntrail releases, such as the shadows from hair hanging over a character’s face, details in low-lighting conditions, and a fix for low resolution sections of hair. 

The Lodestone post goes on to repeat the updates coming to the Fantasia system, including the 60 minute window during which players can tweak their decisions, and goes on to state that Square Enix remains open to feedback regarding both the Benchmark and FFXIV itself.