The latest Monster Hunter Wilds open beta boasts impressive player counts despite performance issues

If the latest Monster Hunter Wilds open beta aims to stress Capcom's servers, gamers are putting them to the ultimate test. The beta's Steam player count peaked at over 250,000 on its first full day of availability. Despite the publisher lowering expectations beforehand, gamers still have performance concerns.

The latest Monster Hunter Wilds beta test started on Thursday, February 6, and will run until Sunday, February 9. A second round is scheduled for February 13 to 16. Precise starting times will vary according to a player's region. PS5, Xbox, and PC users are all invited to check out some of the game's revamped combat and mount mechanics. 

Monster Hunter Wilds is returning to the open-world feel of Monster Hunter: World. Regrettably, its massive environments are proving challenging for PCs and consoles.

Capcom recently released a benchmarking tool, perhaps anticipating angst over framerates. Many players happily found their systems comfortably clearing the PC requirements. Capcom lowered these thresholds following improved graphical optimization. Unfortunately, the recent Monster Hunter Wilds open beta does not reflect these changes. While the final version's code should be less taxing, the Monster Hunter Wilds release date is February 28, just weeks from now.

Players who are failing to maintain 60 fps even with pricey Nvidia GPUs are venting in the Steam forums. The servers are handling the high Steam player count, but PCs are struggling with the game's sprawling creature-filled landscapes. Even though the monsters and hunters are highly detailed, some gamers think the desert map looks too blurry or pixelated. Sharpness suffers even more when gamers must lower graphical settings.

Regardless of stutters, Monster Hunter Wilds will likely remain a popular attraction all weekend. Admittedly, its Steam player count is short of the over 460,000 experienced during the first open beta. However, that's not surprising, considering there is less of a curiosity factor now.