Intel’s graphics driver update: up to 33% performance gain, WebView2 black screen fix

Devesh Beri

Intel recently launched an updated Windows graphics driver catering to Arc (Xe-HPG) discrete GPUs and integrated UHD graphics based on Xe-LP (11th gen and newer). This new driver carries the WHQL certification and includes specific optimizations for the game Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, the first title to utilize GPU decompression through Microsoft’s DirectStorage 1.2. Additionally, the driver provides optimizations for Remnant II.

Intel urged its users to consider the implications before installing the new generic graphics driver. By opting for the Intel generic driver, users should know that it will replace any customized drivers provided by their computer manufacturer (OEM). These OEM drivers are carefully selected and tailored to include specific features and solutions for platform-specific problems.

On the other hand, choosing the generic Intel driver offers the advantage of accessing the latest feature enhancements and bug fixes that may not have been incorporated into the OEM-customized versions yet. However, users are advised to exercise caution and understand that the generic driver may not fully address some platform-specific needs.

To ensure compatibility and find matching OEM versions, users can visit the OEM websites for further information and appropriate drivers tailored to their specific computer systems.

The most significant improvement is observed in F1 23, boasting an impressive up to 33% performance gain.

Apart from gaming enhancements, the latest driver addresses a black screen problem related to embedded WebView2 content. For a comprehensive overview of all the changes, please find the full changelog listed below:

GAMING HIGHLIGHTS:

Intel® Game On Driver support on Intel® Arc™ A-series Graphics for:

  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart*
  • Remnant II*

FIXED ISSUES:

Intel® Arc™ Graphics Products:

  • Halo Infinite* (DX12) may experience application freeze or crash after loading to game menu.
  • Streaming Dota 2* (DX11) using XSplit Broadcaster* may exhibit corruption in Game Capture mode.

KNOWN ISSUES:

Intel® Arc™ Graphics Products:

  • Shadow of The Tomb Raider* (DX11) may experience an application crash after loading to game menu.
  • System may hang while waking up from sleep. May need to power cycle the system for recovery.
  • GPU hardware acceleration may not be available for media playback and encode with some versions of Adobe Premiere Pro*.
  • Topaz Video AI* may experience errors when using some models for video enhancement.
  • Blender* 3.6 may experience an application crash during render operations when Hardware Ray Tracing is enabled.
  • Adobe After Effects* may experience an application crash during render operations.

Intel® Iris™ X e MAX Graphics Products:

  • Driver installation may not complete successfully on certain notebook systems with both Intel® Iris™ Xe + Iris™ Xe MAX devices. A system reboot and re-installation of the graphics driver may be required for successful installation.

Intel® Core™ Processor Products:

  • Call of Duty Warzone 2.0* (DX12) may exhibit corruption on certain light sources such as fire.

INTEL® ARC™ CONTROL FIXED ISSUES:

  • Arc Control may become unresponsive after a driver upgrade. A workaround is to perform a clean driver installation using Display Driver Uninstaller.

INTEL® ARC™ CONTROL KNOWN ISSUES:

  • Using Arc Control Studio capture with certain games may incorrectly generate multiple video files.
  • With Intel® Arc Control installed, systems may experience slightly higher than expected power consumption during system sleep or hibernate.
  • The Camera on-screen preview may incorrectly persist when switching between Desktop and Overlay modes.
  • The “Connector” type in the Display page may incorrectly show DP* when using an HDMI* display connection.
  • May observe “stream has already ended” pop-up after the power events with Capture/Highlights/Broadcast toggle on.

via Neowin