Aspyr Media has announced the release of Quake 4 v1.2, an update to their recently released Macintosh conversion of the popular futuristic first person shooter. The free update is available for download from Macgamefiles.com.
This version of Quake 4 adds performance improvements for users of Intel-based Macs — the update adds support for symmetrical multiprocessing, or SMP. Aspyr said that Intel Core Duo-based Macs can see a performance jump of 15 to 30 percent by applying this patch.
Also new in this update is a fixed “pure” server system, fixes for widescreen and aspect ratio support, and a fix for server IP information within a non-dedicated server.
Quake 4 is the continuation of the story first told in Quake 2 — you are a human space marine assaulting the homeworld of the vile Strogg. The game features incredibly realistic graphics, physics and lighting effects, and cross-platform multiplayer gaming support. Quake 4 is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.
The Quake 4 patch will also improve performance on Macs that utilize multiple PowerPC processors or dual core PowerPC processors, such as late-model Power Mac G5s.
“We have seen great performance boosts on all machines that fit within these specifications,” an Aspyr spokesman told Macworld . “The main thing to remember is that SMP for the Mac relies on the entire system to be upgraded to truly benefit from this feature.”
Aspyr suggests that SMP-equipped Macs equipped with at least 1GB of RAM and a “higher end video card” will benefit the most from the Quake 4 patch.