Intel will soon release its next-gen CPUs for desktop PCs, the Alder Lake series. The Alder Lake CPUs use a hybrid architecture with big and smaller CPUs. And this hybrid architecture may introduce compatibility issues in some games that use third-party DRMs.
As Intel itself claimed, DRM manufacturers should release newer versions of their DRMs that can support the hybrid architecture of its new CPUs. This basically means that all existing games using, let’s say Denuvo, will have to patch it so that it can be compatible with Alder Lake. Otherwise, their older versions MAY introduce various issues.
Now we want to be crystal clear here. These DRMs MAY have compatibility issues. Nothing is set in stone yet, so we don’t really know. These DRMs (like for instance VMProtect) may work just fine with Intel’s new CPUs. Still, this is something you should keep in mind before purchasing a CPU that uses a hybrid architecture.
As Intel stated:
“If your existing or upcoming game uses a DRM middleware, you might want to contact the middleware provider and confirm that it supports hybrid architectures in general, and the upcoming Intel ADL platform in particular. Due to the nature of modern DRM algorithms, it might use CPU detection, and should be aware of the upcoming hybrid platforms. Intel is working with leading DRM providers such as Denuvo* to make sure their solutions support new platforms.”
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
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