Struggling with the Stellar Blade demo? Its developer has a suggestion: try turning on your TV’s game mode

The Stellar Blade demo is here and the action RPG’s developer has one simple bit of advice for those struggling to slash through the playable teaser: turn on your TV’s game mode. 

Stellar Blade is the upcoming PS5 slash ’em up that’s sometimes just referred to as “Korean Nier,” thanks to the game’s twirling combat and provocative character designs. That seems like an easy recipe for success, but some players have reported that its recently-released demo feels slightly clunky.

“If you notice that your controls are slow to respond, we recommend turning on your TV’s Game Mode,” the developer tweeted. “The response will be more immediate.” Game mode settings usually work to reduce input lag and improve image processing, so your actions on the controller are reflected on the screen more immediately. 

Gamesradar’s Stellar Blade preview also noticed the game’s “clunky” feel, though that didn’t stop our writer from pummeling the demo’s boss 20 different times on account of how cool the combat is.

The Stellar Blade demo had a bumpy road to release, as the teaser accidently went live early earlier this month, only to be unceremoniously scrubbed from the PlayStation Store in a move Sony didn’t even make for P.T. But it’s now back on PS5 and available to download for free. The full game launches on April 26. 

Elsewhere, we recently learned that Stellar Blade has an NSFW skin suit available in the full game, but the game punishes players thirsty enough to equip it with tougher difficulty settings. There’s a price to pay for everything. It’s probably for the best that Stellar Blade doesn’t have a photo mode, then. 

Keep your eyes glued to our new games of 2024 guide to learn about the most exciting upcoming releases.