Patch after 12 years: Fans fix Final Fantasy XIII for PC on their own
Since their release, the PC versions of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy have been regarded as technically flawed. Twelve years after the debut of the first game, a new fan patch, FF13NovaFix, aims to resolve numerous bugs, expand graphical and input options, and prepare all three titles for high refresh rates and modern resolutions.
A single DLL for all three games
Developed by KartinX, FF13NovaFix acts as a Direct3D-9 proxy for Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. The same file can be used for all three games by simply copying it into the respective executable directory. A new settings menu can be accessed in-game via the F10 key or a controller shortcut.
Cross-game improvements include automatic switching between keyboard and controller icons, faster recognition of disconnected gamepads, XInput vibration support, and correct facial animations at high frame rates.
Enhanced options and bug fixes
For Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2, the patch introduces borderless windowed mode, proper screen selection, and additional settings for VSync, refresh rates, triple buffering, and frame rate limiting. It also addresses UI rendering issues at resolutions above 720p and enables anisotropic filtering without distorting pixelated UI elements.
The patch addresses several engine-specific issues:
- In Final Fantasy XIII, it fixes movement in the game world and the Titan's route at high frame rates.
- In Final Fantasy XIII-2, it resolves frame-rate-linked bugs, camera stuttering during Chocobo races, and a bug that can cause the prologue battle to fail at high FPS, as well as Steam Cloud crashes.
- In Lightning Returns, the patch removes the forced VSync limit and restores several features cut from the PC version, such as offline photo mode and the ability to rename equipment schemes, map markers, and the white Chocobo.
The latest 1.0.1 update for Final Fantasy XIII-2 adds experimental support for arbitrary aspect ratios, including Ultrawide monitors (21:9 and 32:9).
Compatibility and installation
Currently, FF13NovaFix is only compatible with the Steam versions of the games; it does not work with versions from the Microsoft Store. Users of the older FF13Fix mod should replace its d3d9.dll with the new file. Additionally, the developer recommends using the Nova Chrysalia mod-loader to apply a 4GB patch to the 32-bit applications to prevent crashes on startup. The patch is compatible with Windows and Linux (including SteamOS).
Гика
