Hollow Knight Gets a Patch Adding 21:9 & 16:10 Resolution Support and More

Why It Matters

The patch modernises a beloved indie classic, making it more accessible on contemporary displays and controllers, which can extend its player base and revenue longevity. It also signals how developers can sustain older titles while preparing new releases.

Key Takeaways

• 21:9 and 16:10 resolution support added
• Inventory now pauses gameplay
• Unity Input System enables broader controller compatibility
• Dithering reduces colour banding
• Performance and stability fixes implemented

Pulse Analysis

*Hollow Knight* has become a benchmark for indie metroidvanias, and its recent patch underscores how legacy titles can stay relevant amid evolving hardware standards. By introducing native 21:9 and 16:10 resolution modes, Team Cherry removes a long‑standing visual limitation for ultrawide monitor owners, delivering a more immersive experience without stretching or black bars. The shift to the Unity Input System further future‑proofs the game, allowing seamless integration with modern controllers while preserving the original input scheme for purists. These technical upgrades, combined with a new dithering option to mitigate colour banding, directly address visual fidelity concerns that have lingered since the game’s 2017 launch.

Beyond aesthetics, the patch tackles core gameplay friction points. Pausing the game during inventory navigation eliminates accidental damage, a quality‑of‑life improvement that aligns the title with contemporary design expectations. Fixes such as the City of Tears soft‑lock resolution and refined collider geometry for Sly’s Great Slash enhance reliability, reducing player frustration in critical moments. Performance tweaks and smoother map panning also lower CPU/GPU strain, ensuring the game runs efficiently on both older consoles and the latest hardware. Collectively, these refinements elevate the overall user experience, encouraging both new entrants and veteran fans to revisit the world of Hallownest.

The broader industry takeaway is clear: sustained support for evergreen indie games can generate renewed interest and incremental revenue without the cost of a full remake. As platforms like Steam, GOG, and the Humble Store continue to promote classic titles, developers who invest in compatibility updates reap goodwill and extend the commercial lifespan of their IPs. Team Cherry’s approach—balancing modest, high‑impact patches with the development of *Silksong*—offers a template for studios seeking to keep legacy games fresh while allocating resources to next‑generation projects.

Hollow Knight gets a patch adding 21:9 & 16:10 resolution support and more

By Liam Dawe · 6 Feb 2026 at 10:51 am UTC

Team Cherry have given the original Hollow Knight a fresh coat of paint with a new patch out now to improve various parts of the classic metroidvania. While most of their focus is on Silksong, they have just made various improvements for modern consoles which no doubt is where most of this work came from.

Here's what's changed:

• Added support for 21:9 & 16:10 resolutions.

• Game now pauses while in inventory menus.

• Upgraded to Unity Input System for broader controller support (original input system is still available, if preferred, via Options > Controller > Advanced Settings).

• Added dithering effect, and dithering options, to reduce colour banding.

• Fixed a softlock in City of Tears Grub room.

• Reduced Grey Prince Zote's stagger bounce height.

• Updated Sly's Great Slash collider to closer match visual.

• Salubra's Blessing now deactivates after reaching max Soul.

• Map panning is now smoother.

• Various performance improvements.

• Various smaller fixes and tweaks.

Love seeing older games continue to see improvements like this, especially great for people still discovering it and yet to play through for the first time.

Game information

• Release Date: 24 February 2017

• Platform: 🐧 Native Linux

• Official links: GOG | Humble Store | Steam