• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

The PS4 stacking patch size problem

Mindman

Member
So with the latest 15 GB patch for Elder Scrolls Online releasing today for PS4, it brings to light an issue I've noticed lately with patches on PS4: they are cumulative in size, meaning the whole update history downloads every time a patch is released IN ADDITION TO the new files, meaning patches get bigger and bigger every time even if the changes are small.

It's affected Bloodborne, Witcher 3 and now ESO that I can remember. For comparison's sake, this ESO patch on Xbox One is 500 MB with the same change list. For people with data caps, this is BS. It's also adding unneeded extra traffic to PSN which is already slow and frail as it is.

Is this a Sony issue or dev issue?
 
I thought sony had fixed this. I recall warframe having huge patches for every major update until they changed it to where only stuff that was different or new got patched and patches were around 1-2 gigs from here on out.
 
The PS4 has the ability to parse patches to only download the delta patch.

The Witcher 3 definitely has this enabled from my experience.

AFAIK its only the latest ESO patch that hasnt been setup correctly by the devs - how the OP somehow construed this is something more than that Im not sure.

ps3ud0 8)
 
It's not downloading the 15 gb, it's only downloading the 500 mb or whatever the size of the update is.
This. I remember seeing Bloodborne and Driveclub update, and i was surprised how it had downloaded that much so fast, but i found out later that it just "stacks" the old update first, so it looks like you have downloaded that too.

EDIT: Guess maybe there is a specific problem with Elder Scrolls Online if it doesnt stack. It should do that at least.
 
This. I remember seeing Bloodborne and Driveclub update, and i was surprised how it had downloaded that much so fast, but i found out later that it just "stacks" the old update first, so it looks like you have downloaded that too.

Interesting... I will test this tonight.
 
Bloodborne and Witcher don't download what you already have. It skips that data, but the PS4 still shows the cumulative size in the notifications download.

Bethesda shit the bed with the latest ESO patch and didn't enable it as a delta patch.

The bottom line however is that the way PS4 displays this is needlessly confusing for most people.
 
It's an ESO issue not a PS4 issue, other games e.g. Driveclub and GTA V will show the full patch size, but it will check what's already downloaded and only download what's changed in the latest patch.
 
Top Bottom