Title Update 4 (v1.040) for Monster Hunter Wilds is almost here, launching on December 16 at 4 AM UTC (this translates to 8 PM Pacific Time on December 15). Along with the new content – which includes new monsters, new support hunters, and extra missions – the game is getting a much-needed round of PC optimizations. Better yet, Capcom has committed to PC-specific optimizations for the next three months, through February 2026, in version 1.041.

Monster Hunter Wilds has struggled with PC performance issues since launch. Capcom has gradually addressed the problem, though we’ve all been looking forward to this big winter patch, initially announced back in August. The game still holds ‘Mixed’ reviews on Steam; many user reviews continue to point out performance issues such as stutters and crashes.

PC optimization for Monster Hunter Wilds this winter

Capcom has published the patch notes for ‘Ver.1.040.00.00’, which will be a 12GB update on Steam, or 21GB in total with the high resolution texture pack. There will be a new Festival of Accord event running from December 19 to January 14, but let’s put new content aside to discuss the system improvements, which largely focus on CPU and GPU optimization.

CPU/GPU optimization will be implemented across all hardware by:

• Applying frame distribution, reviewing collision detection, and reducing the number of simultaneous effects to optimize processing time.
• Reducing the overall load by eliminating unnecessary processing.
• Implementing over 100 performance improvements for players, monsters, Seikret, Palicoes, NPCs, GUI, effects, gimmicks, and more.

Source: Monster Hunter v1.040 patch notes

As seen in the graphic above, the Title Update 4 patch this December introduces a nice bulk of improvements, speeding up CPU & GPU processing times and reducing the load on your system. Then, in the new year, we’re getting a Steam version-exclusive patch to build upon v1.040. VRAM usage improvements are a notable mention, especially as we’ve seen players recommending more than 8GB of memory for this title; we tested Monster Hunter Wilds on an RTX 5080, which faced no problems in this area.

February will mark the end of these winter optimizations, ~12 months since the game originally released. Earlier this year, we saw Capcom cancel a lecture on Monster Hunter Wilds optimization following backlash online, but once this round of improvements is over, perhaps the company can revisit the lecture and give us a deeper dive into the changes.

About the Author

Charlie Noon

Charlie is the Affiliate manager for PC Guide. He has a vast understanding of most PC hardware and consumer essentials, using his knowledge to provide the best products and the biggest deals.