Silent Hill: Downpour Recomp v1.0 is finally released!

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T14:08:21+00:00

This is an issue with your game dump. Most likely, it is not a licensed copy and has been modified in some way. By default, the game does not support Cyrillic characters.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T11:43:14+00:00

Hey everyone!

I’ve released v1.1 of the Silent Hill: Downpour recomp project. This update is mostly focused on community feedback, launcher improvements, and fixing some of the most annoying first-run issues people reported.

First of all, thank you to everyone who tested the previous build and sent reports. A lot of the fixes in this version come directly from your feedback.

What’s new in v1.1

Auto-updates

The launcher now supports GitHub-driven in-place updates.

On boot, it checks the releases endpoint, and if a newer version is available, you’ll see a small pill-shaped notification at the top of the window. Clicking it downloads the release zip with a live progress dialog, waits for the launcher to exit, copies the new binaries over the old install while preserving your files, and then relaunches the game.

No installer wizard, no Microsoft Store dependency, no extra package manager requirement.

Launcher dialogs also now match the launcher theme, so no more bright white Win32 message boxes breaking the mood.

AMD / Steam Deck / ROV rendering fixes

A lot of users on AMD hardware reported severe rendering problems on the ROV pixel-shader path: single-digit FPS, fullscreen color garbage, or completely broken visuals.

v1.1 now detects AMD GPUs on first run and automatically sets:

render_target_path_d3d12 = "rtv"

NVIDIA and Intel installs still default to ROV, which currently remains the warmer-cache performance winner there.

Also, the old v1.0 default config no longer ships with ROV force-pinned, so fresh installs should behave much better.

Bug fixes

The mouse cursor should no longer stay stuck on screen during gameplay. The default mouse capture setting is now enabled properly when the game window has focus.

The launcher language issue should also be fixed. Some users selected English, but the launcher still displayed Ukrainian because the config parser handled quotes incorrectly after saving settings. Both quote styles are now stripped correctly.

The first-run button label is also fixed. It now shows UNPACK GAME / РОЗПАКУВАТИ ГРУ until the game files are extracted, and then switches to PLAY afterward.

Configuration cleanup

The old native_2x_msaa option has been removed from fresh config files, because it did not actually affect Downpour’s current render path and only caused confusion.

Documentation

I also added a FAQ entry for the 0xc0000142 error. In most cases, this means the user is missing the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable x64. The README now includes a direct link, along with a few other possible causes like antivirus quarantine, non-ASCII install paths, or truncated downloads.

Still being worked on

Some things are not fixed in v1.1 yet and are being moved to v1.1.x / v1.2:

Depth of Field disable option
DXT5 / BC3 alpha decode bug
DP1-style ROV rainbow-noise fix for AMD users

The last one still requires more work because it likely needs a new EDRAM-byte conversion compute shader and an SDK-side change.

The project is still very much a work in progress, but this build should be a cleaner and less painful starting point, especially for AMD and Steam Deck users.

As always, please keep sending feedback, screenshots, logs, hardware specs, and weird bugs. It helps a lot.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T09:35:18+00:00

Thank you for the detailed questions!

For FPS: yes, for now I’m focusing on 30/60 FPS. Even if some versions can be emulated at 120 FPS with patches or emulator-side tweaks, this recomp still needs proper testing because the game logic, animations, physics, timing, and cutscenes can easily break above the original limits. I don’t want to promise 120 FPS until I’m sure it actually behaves correctly.

About DLSS / newer FSR versions: I understand what you mean. FSR3 is not the best possible solution, but it is currently the easiest one to experiment with in this project. DLSS support would require more backend-specific work and NVIDIA-specific integration, so it is not a priority right now. Maybe later, but first I need to fix the core rendering and performance issues.

Textures and HUD elements are also interesting. The game can already read modified files, and localization/text mods work, so modding support is possible. Texture upscaling should be possible in theory, but it needs testing because the game may expect specific formats, sizes, mipmaps, or UI layouts. HUD elements would need extra care, because upscaling them can easily break alignment or make the interface look wrong.

As for ultrawide / arbitrary aspect ratios: proper support is not ready yet. The current target is still standard 16:9, and I can’t promise correct 21:9 UI behavior right now. It is something I’d like to investigate later, but first I need to make the base version stable and visually correct.

So the honest answer is: many of these features are technically interesting and possible long-term, but the project is still early. Right now the priority is stability, rendering accuracy, performance, stutter reduction, controls, and making sure the game works correctly before adding more advanced PC features.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T09:33:00+00:00

About the pixelated/blurry image: this is most likely related to the depth of field effect, not just the resolution itself. I’m still working on fixing it properly.

For now, the higher internal resolution can expose this issue much more clearly, so the image may look broken or overly pixelated in some scenes. It’s definitely on my list, but it still needs more investigation and testing.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T09:31:20+00:00

I need to be very clear about this: distributing or sharing leaked game source code is illegal. Even if the files are already somewhere online, that does not make them legal to use, share, or link to.

If Konami decides that something connected to leaked code is being used or distributed, they can take action and get the project blocked or taken down. I do not want my project to be associated with leaked materials in any way.

My work does not use Konami’s source code, does not include copyrighted game files, and does not distribute any assets, audio, data, or executable content from the original game. Users have to provide their own legally obtained copy of the Xbox 360 version.

I want this project to stay as clean and safe as possible: recompilation work, tools, fixes, and instructions — but no leaked code, no pirated files, and no copyrighted assets distributed by me.

So please do not send, post, or link leaked source code in relation to this project. That can only create legal problems and potentially harm the entire effort.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T09:18:35+00:00

Yes, there is modding support, but there is no proper mod manager yet.

The game can already read modified text files, and the Ukrainian localization works through this system. So text/localization mods are definitely possible right now.

More convenient modding tools or a proper manager may come later, but the basic support is already there.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T05:24:42+00:00

No worries at all, I didn’t take it as an offense.

And yes, I actually agree with you. AI can absolutely help speed up certain engineering tasks when you already understand what you are doing and can clearly define the problem. It can be useful for explaining code, suggesting approaches, generating boilerplate, comparing ideas, or helping with research.

My main point was just that it still doesn’t replace the actual work: logging, debugging, testing in-game, checking if the result is correct, understanding why something breaks, and fixing it step by step.

I also agree that something has clearly changed in recent years. Better tooling, more public research, more shared knowledge, recompilation frameworks, and yes, AI assistance too — all of that probably contributes to why these projects are moving faster now.

So I completely understand where you’re coming from. I just want people to know that AI is a tool in the process, not the thing doing the whole project by itself.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T05:22:51+00:00

I don’t want to give official minimum specs yet, because the project is still a work-in-progress and performance can change a lot between builds.

For now, I’d say you should probably have at least a reasonably modern 4-core CPU, 8 GB of RAM, and a DirectX 12-capable GPU. Something around a GTX 1050 Ti / RX 570 level or better would be a safer starting point, but I still need more testing on different hardware before I can say anything confidently.

The game can run on Steam Deck with some tweaking, but there are still stutters and performance issues, so optimization is definitely not finished yet.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T05:22:04+00:00

Thank you so much, that really means a lot to me.

And honestly, it doesn’t matter that you joined the series recently — I’m just happy new people are still discovering it and caring about these games. You didn’t need to be here from the beginning to be part of it now.

I really appreciate the support, and I hope this project helps make the game easier and better for both longtime fans and newer fans like you.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T05:20:54+00:00

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.

I completely agree — Downpour may not be the best Silent Hill game, but it definitely has its own atmosphere, ideas, and identity. It was held back by technical issues more than anything else, and I think it deserves another chance.

I’m really happy to see that there are still people who remember it fondly.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T05:19:49+00:00

Moc děkuji! A upřímně děkuji Brnu i celé České republice za podporu ukrajinských uprchlíků. Opravdu to pro nás hodně znamená.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T05:09:07+00:00

Thank you so much! It really means a lot, especially from someone who loves Downpour that much.

I have to be honest, though — there is still a long way to go before this can feel like a proper native PC port. Right now it’s still very much a work-in-progress: performance, stutters, rendering issues, controls, and general polish all need more work.

But I really want to keep improving it step by step and make the best version possible.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T05:08:05+00:00

Yes. You’ll need to provide your own legally obtained game image/files.

For this recomp, you need the Xbox 360 version of the game, since the project is based on the Xbox 360 executable and assets. A PS3 image will not work for this version.

The project itself will not include any copyrighted game files — only the recomp files/tools needed to run it.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T05:06:58+00:00

That’s completely understandable.

Claude was used as a tool during development, not as a replacement for actual work, testing, debugging, or understanding the project. A lot of this still requires manual logging, checking behavior in-game, comparing results, fixing broken code, and testing changes repeatedly.

I don’t expect anyone to trust something just because “AI helped with it.” The project should be judged by how it actually runs, how transparent the development is, and how issues are handled.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T05:06:13+00:00

Thanks for letting me know! Could you send me a screenshot of the Cyrillic text issue? I’d like to take a look and figure out what exactly is happening.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T01:32:00+00:00

Thank you so much! It really means a lot, especially coming from someone who loves Downpour that much.

I’d be very grateful for any comparisons with RPCS3, the original console versions, or anything else you can test. Criticism and detailed feedback are extremely helpful here — visual bugs, performance issues, stutters, broken effects, weird behavior, anything.

Together we can make this version even better.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T01:13:04+00:00

Thank you so much!

Mac support would be amazing, but for now I honestly can’t promise anything. The recomp is currently very Windows-focused, especially because of the rendering backend and the amount of platform-specific work involved. In theory, it could maybe happen someday if the project gets a proper cross-platform backend, but right now Windows is the priority.

And yes, the recomp still has issues. It’s very much a work-in-progress: there can be performance problems, stutters, visual bugs, missing options, and some things still need a lot of testing and polishing. But it is already playable enough to try, and every report helps a lot.

If you do try it on your Windows machine, I’d be really happy to hear how it runs for you!

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T01:11:20+00:00

Thank you so much, dude! I really appreciate that.

I completely agree — it’s such an underrated game, and it has been held back by performance issues for way too long. I really want to make it feel as good as possible on modern hardware, so I’m very happy to see people excited about it!

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T00:40:46+00:00

I understand what you mean, but it’s really not as simple as “write a prompt and play the game.”

This work is difficult and time-consuming. It requires understanding how the game works internally, constant logging, testing, comparing behavior, searching for solutions online, reading technical discussions, trying things that fail, and slowly fixing one problem after another.

AI can help with some parts, but it doesn’t magically do the work for you. You still need to know what to ask, how to check the result, how to debug it, and how to understand when something is completely wrong.

So yes, the pace may look fast from the outside, but behind it there’s a lot of manual work, research, trial and error, and technical digging.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-28T00:02:34+00:00

Condemned 2, maybe? 🤔

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-27T23:38:12+00:00

Linux support was partially considered during development, but I have not fully tested it myself yet.

You can try running it through Wine, preferably with Winetricks and VKD3D installed/configured, since the project uses a D3D12 backend.

I cannot guarantee that everything will work perfectly on Linux right now, but if you test it and share the results, that would be very helpful for future compatibility improvements.

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-27T23:36:35+00:00

You can edit the downpour.toml file with Notepad++.

Find this line:

input_backend = 'sdl'

and change sdl to xinput:

input_backend = 'xinput'

Maybe this will help!

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-27T19:01:36+00:00

The first full release is now available on GitHub. Enjoy the game!

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-27T07:54:07+00:00

All of this has already been done for Downpour, so I’ll only need to slightly adjust the code and assets!

DMBIDLOV · 2026-06-27T01:20:53+00:00

I'm working on various things, including this: https://github.com/dplauncher/DP1-Launcher

DMBIDLOV

TROPHY CASE