Intel recently released its graphics driver version 15.46.02.64.4729 for Windows 10 64-bit. If you are a user of a recent PC system that relies upon Intel HD Graphics it's probably worth heading over to download the update. Please bear in mind that this graphics driver is for owners of Skylake or Kaby Lake systems only and the headline games optimisations are delivered even more specifically, to processors with Intel HD Graphics 620 or better.
In the release notes for the driver Intel describes it as the launch driver for Fortnite, Gigantic, and Minecraft Story Mode: Season 2. That's not all though, as it contains performance optimizations and playability improvements at release for Pyre, Master x Master, Secret World Legends, and Pit People. All these games optimisations are for processors with Intel HD Graphics 620 or better. Intel adds that there are further visual improvements and gameplay improvements delivered for "many popular games" and encourages users to visit gameplay.intel.com to check out recommended game settings.
Beyond game specific tweaks and optimisations Intel has updated graphics driver version 15.46.02.64.4729 for Windows (Windows Driver Store Version 22.20.16.4729) with the following new features, some of them pretty important:
- OpenGL v4.5 support
- Vulkan v1.0.38 support
- Enabled additional OpenCL media extensions
- Enabled Programmable Sample Positions in Direct3D12
- Added support for Computer Vision SDK and Deep Learning Deployment Toolkits
- Windows 10 Creators Update features enabled (7th Gen Intel Core Processors only)
Back to games, with the first set of key issues fixed with this latest graphics driver. Intel says that DX9 games, such as Halo 2, will be improved with texture flickering bugs quashed. Many other games have had 'graphical anomalies' fixed up and those include; Guilty Gear Xrd, Fallout 4, Euro Truck Simulator 2, Guild Wars 2, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Vikings – Wolves of Midgard, Rainbow Six Siege, For Honor, Watch Dogs 2, Lego Minifigures Online (DX12 mode), and others. Probably even more pleasing will be the fixing of intermittent crashes and hangs in Guild Wars 2, DOTA 2 and The Talos Principle (Vulkan version), and other games.
Elsewhere Intel has fixed graphics glitches when playing back full screen video on tablets when the screen is rotated, an incorrect resolution cap when auto-detecting virtual displays, implemented WebGL stability improvements, and fixed the Intel HD Graphics control panel PSR options checkbox behaviour and bezel correction issues in tri-display collage configs.
There are a raft of known issues remaining, of course, with even more game graphics anomalies and intermittent crashes still needing fixing. You can read the full release notes and grab the new drivers here. The driver files are available for Windows 10 64-bit only and weigh in at a little under 300MB.
The newest driver for Intel Haswell and Broadwell IGPs was version 15.40, released in March this year.
