Intel has released its latest set of WHQL drivers for both Intel Core Ultra CPUs with Arc Graphics and Desktop Intel Arc Graphics in a single package. The driver version is officially "31.0.101.5186 WHQL and 31.0.101.5234 WHQL", since two separate GPU drivers are now being bundled into one. The release notes [PDF] refer to this as "temporarily increased", though, so it may not stay this way.
While many titles are receiving updates with this patch, Enshrouded, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Tekken 8, and Palworld are the ones highlighted the most by Intel. All five of these titles are highlighted for improved Intel Arc A-Series (desktop) support, while Intel only highlights the latter three for improved Core Ultra iGPU support.
For a full list of Known Issues, Fixes, and Notes, we recommend checking the rest of Intel's official release notes [PDF].
Only three DX12 games received updates for Intel Core Ultra with Intel Arc Graphics. Those three games were Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Returnal, and The Last of Us Part 1. Like a Dragon receives a 25% FPS boost at 1080p High settings, Returnal receives a 6% boost at 1080p Low settings, and Last of Us receives a 6% boost at Very Low settings.
Intel Arc A-Series Graphics received performance updates for many more games, and some fairly significant performance improvements for a few titles.
- Albion Online (DX11) — 1080p results at Ultra Settings improved by 11% average FPS
- Anno 1800 (DX (DX11) — 1080p results at Ultra High Settings improved by 33% average FPS
- Apex Legends (DX11) — 1080p results at Ultra Settings improved by 26% average FPS
- Assassin's Creed Syndicate (DX11) — 1080p results at Ultra High Settings improved by 13% average FPS
- Black Desert Online (DX11) — 1080p results at Ultra Settings improved by 18% average FPS
- Elex II (DX11) — 1080p results at Ultra Settings improved by 101% average FPS
- Humankind (DX11) — 1080p results at Fantastic Settings improved by 27% average FPS
- Hunt: Showdown (DX11) — 1080p results at High Settings improved by 27% average FPS
- Just Cause 3 (DX11) — 1080p results at Very High Settings improved by 160% average FPS
- Just Cause 4 (DX11) — 1080p results at Very High Settings improved by 268% average FPS
- New World (DX11) — 1080p results at Very High Settings improved by 13% average FPS
- Returnal (DX11) — 1080p results at Epic Settings improved by 8% average FPS
- Sons of the Forest (DX11) — 1080p results at Ultra Settings improved by 15% average FPS
- Space Engineers (DX11) — 1080p results at Extreme Settings improved by 69% average FPS
- Star Citizen (DX11) — 1080p results at Very High Settings improved by 9% average FPS
- Star Wars Squadrons (DX11) — 1080p results at Ultra Settings improved by 6% average FPS
- Stellaris (DX11) — 1080p results at High Settings improved by 5% average FPS
- The Last of Us Part 1 (DX12) — 1080p results at Ultra Settings improved by 8% average FPS
- Warframe (DX11) — 1080p results at High Settings improved by 20% average FPS
- Watch Dogs: Legion (DX11) — 1080p results at Ultra Settings improved by 16% average FPS
- XCOM 2 (DX11) — 1080p results at Maximum Settings improved by 4% average FPS
- Elder Scrolls Online (DX11) — 4K results at Ultra Settings improved by 10% average FPS
- Tekken 8 (DX12) — 4K results at Ultra Settings improved by 15% average FPS
As it's somewhat easy to tell, the overwhelming majority of games that received graphics performance updates were DirectX 11 titles. This bodes well for PC gamers, though, as many of these titles are still being actively played— and there was clearly plenty of room for performance improvements on Intel's graphics architectures.
Overall, this seems like a decent Quality of Life update for Intel graphics users. It even includes pre-release graphics drivers for Tekken 8, which doesn't get a full release until this Friday, January 26th.
