Resident Evil 4 Remake Slammed On Steam For New DRM That Makes The Game Run Worse

Why It Matters

Late‑stage DRM swaps can erode player trust and hurt a title’s reputation, directly impacting sales and brand perception. The Resident Evil 4 case underscores the need for performance‑first DRM integration in PC releases.

Key Takeaways

• New Enigma DRM cuts FPS by ~30%
• CPU time loss reaches 1.9 ms per frame
• Steam rating dropped from 96% to 82%
• Players can revert to older version via mod
• Highlights need for DRM performance budgeting

Pulse Analysis

The Resident Evil 4 remake’s recent DRM overhaul illustrates a growing tension between anti‑piracy measures and real‑world performance. While Denuvo had become synonymous with heavy CPU usage, Capcom’s switch to Enigma was expected to streamline protection. Instead, independent testing revealed a 1.9 ms per‑frame CPU penalty and a 20 percent dip in framerate, pushing the game from a smooth 140 fps experience into the low‑90s range. This regression is especially stark given the title’s three‑year presence on PC, where players anticipate stable, optimized builds.

Community reaction has been swift and vocal. Steam’s user‑review system, a barometer for consumer sentiment, saw the game’s rating tumble from a near‑perfect 96 % to 82 % within days of the update. Hundreds of reviewers cited the new DRM as the primary grievance, and a popular mod now lets users roll back to the Denuvo‑protected version to regain performance. The episode mirrors earlier frustrations with Capcom’s Monster Hunter Wilds, where post‑launch patches took months to resolve frame‑rate issues, highlighting a broader pattern of publishers treating PC releases as mutable testbeds rather than finished products.

For developers and publishers, the lesson is clear: DRM cannot be an afterthought. Integrating anti‑tamper solutions early in the development pipeline allows teams to budget CPU and GPU overhead, preserving the performance targets promised to consumers. As Capcom gears up for Resident Evil Requiem, the company faces a pivotal moment to demonstrate that it can balance security with a seamless player experience. Successful navigation could restore confidence among PC gamers, while another misstep may accelerate the shift toward platforms that prioritize performance transparency and user control.

Resident Evil 4 Remake Slammed On Steam For New DRM That Makes The Game Run Worse

By Ethan Gach · Published February 12, 2026

Performance has taken a hit after switching from Denuvo

Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 remake came out three years ago, so you’d think its performance on PC would be pretty locked in at this point. Instead, Capcom recently swapped out the game’s DRM for new anti‑tamper software and the horror shooter is running noticeably worse as a result.

The impact of a recent switch from Denuvo DRM to Enigma DRM was recorded last week in a YouTube video published by user ItalicMaze. Using a mod that allows you to restore the game’s previous version, the video compares the two and shows the framerate dropping from over 140 fps in the earlier version to the low 90s fps in the updated release, with both running on similar settings. The drop‑off was even worse when Leon was in more action‑heavy moments with lots of enemies.

Digital Foundry circled back on February 11 and posted its own assessment, essentially backing up the preliminary data. Using specific settings to try to isolate the load on the CPU, the outlet found that the new DRM was likely causing increased strain. “In this scenario, an average 1.9 ms of CPU time is sucked out of the game — which is pretty shocking,” wrote Richard Leadbetter. “Immediately after the intro, we move into gameplay where the deficit shifts to a 20 percent drop in performance.”

He calls the result “not acceptable” and points to a larger issue of publishers treating PC versions of games as “mutable testbeds” they can constantly iterate on, sometimes without regard for how changes will impact the overall user experience. The group also notes that when DRM is used, its resource requirements should be budgeted into the game’s performance targets from the start, rather than being something added on top at the end that leads to a subpar experience.

Steam users have been venting that exact frustration on the game’s store page with hundreds of negative reviews published over the last week. The Resident Evil 4 remake still has a rating of “Very Positive,” but the mini‑protest has already dropped it from a previous peak of 96 % positive down to 82 %. A few points more and it’ll drop into the dreaded “yellow” territory of Steam user review ratings.

With Resident Evil Requiem right around the corner, all eyes will be on whether one of the most wish‑listed games on Steam can avoid the PC performance debacle of last year’s Capcom blockbuster Monster Hunter Wilds. That game has finally turned a corner but it took nearly a year to get decent framerates on anything but top‑tier rigs.