Batman: Arkham Asylum

This page may require cleanup to meet basic quality standards. You can help by modifying the article. The discussion page may contain useful suggestions.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Developers
	Rocksteady Studios
macOS (OS X)	Feral Interactive
Publishers
	Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
OS X	Feral Interactive
Engines
	Unreal Engine 3
Release dates
Windows	September 15, 2009
macOS (OS X)	November 19, 2011

Batman: Arkham

Batman: Arkham Asylum	2009
Batman: Arkham City	2011
Batman: Arkham Origins	2013
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate	2014
Batman: Arkham Knight	2015
Batman: Arkham VR	2017

Key points

Play as the Joker and Prey in the Darkness DLCs have been ported to the OS X GOTY version. The Windows version still requires manually downloading the files and patching the game's executable.

Steam version DRM switched from Games for Windows - LIVE and SecuROM to Steam.

General information

Developer minisite

Arkham Wiki

Batman Wiki

Steam Community Discussions

Square Enix Batman: Arkham Asylum Forums

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail		Other DRM: SecuROM DRM
Developer website		Game of the Year Edition.
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
GamersGate
Green Man Gaming
Green Man Gaming
Humble Store
Mac App Store
Origin
Origin
Steam		Game of the Year Edition.

A demo is available here

All non-Steam Windows versions require Games for Windows - LIVE DRM.

The non-Steam OS X version uses Feral Interactive's DRM which requires online activation on their website.

The non-GOTY version upgrades to GOTY when activated on Steam.

Essential improvements

Patches

The normal version of Arkham Asylum is currently at version 1.1. It is highly recommended to update to the latest version.

The GOTY edition of the game does not need any patches, version 1.0 (as shown in the title screen) already has all the fixes.

Batman Arkham Asylum - Rigid Bodies Patch[citation needed] Download Rigid Bodies patch Drop cudart32_60.dll and RRB.dll in <path-to-game>\Binaries\ (overwrite when asked)

Skip intro videos

Skip intro movies[citation needed] Go to <path-to-game>\BmGame\Movies\ Delete or rename baa_logo_run_v5_h264.bik Notes Deleting or renaming of the file in step 2 should be enough. If not, then proceed to delete or rename: Legal.bik, Legalus.bik, nvidia.bik and utlogo.bik in the same folder.

HD Texture Pack

Updates many low resolution textures

Texture pack can take a while to load

Anisotropic filtering (AF)

The game defaults to 4x Anisotropic Filtering. Use the graphics driver control panel or the game's ini file to force 16x Anisotropic Filtering.

Anisotropic filtering (AF)[citation needed] Go to the configuration files location. Open BmEngine.ini. Under the [SystemSettings] section, add line MaxAnisotropy=16

Game data

In-game general settings.

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Square Enix\Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY\BmGame\Config\
macOS (OS X)
Linux (Proton)	<Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/35140/pfx/

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Square Enix\Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY\SaveData\
macOS (OS X)	~/Library/Application Support/Feral Interactive/Batman Arkham City GOTY/Save Data/
Steam	<Steam-folder>/userdata/<user-id>/35140/remote/
Linux (Proton)	<Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/35140/pfx/

The save subfolder is named with a long string of letters and numbers.

For non-goty version, path for both configuration files and save data start with %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Eidos\Batman Arkham Asylum\ instead.

GFWL save files compatible with Steamworks version

Save before editing

Modified save

Prepare to replace saves[citation needed] Start the game Accordingly to the name of your GFWL saves, make sure the corresponding slot is also occupied in-game Close game and Steam Delete <Steam-folder>\userdata\<user-id>\35140\remotecache.vdf

Use GFWL-stripper[citation needed]

Remove old GFWL file header Go to GFWL save game data location. Open your desired save#.sgd with a hex editor such as HxD. Search for the first hex 00 00 01 instance not located in the initial part of the file where all values start with 0 Delete everything before this. Save files over the corresponding ones in <Steam-folder>\userdata\<user-id>\35140\remote\

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
Origin
Steam Cloud		Approx. 954 MB available.

Video settings

External video settings.

Video settings can only be changed in the launcher

Graphics option	Option	WSGF	Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor			Check here if you have broken cutscene
Ultra-widescreen
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)		See Field of view (FOV).
Windowed		In launcher, click settings. Doesn't properly capture mouse, may click background windows by accident.
Borderless fullscreen windowed		Use Borderless Gaming 9.3 or higher.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)		See Anisotropic filtering (AF).
Anti-aliasing (AA)		Up to 16xQ MSAA.
Vertical sync (Vsync)		Set via launcher.
60 FPS
120+ FPS		See High frame rate.

Field of view (FOV)

Default field of view is somewhere between 86 and 86.5.

Edit BMInput.ini Go to the configuration files location. Open BmInput.ini Add the line Bindings=(Name="xx",Command="fov yy") in the [Engine.PlayerInput] section. Save the file Notes xx is the button/key you want to assign to switch to the new FOV, while yy is the FOV value

Anisotropic filtering (AF)

Anisotropic filtering (AF)[citation needed] Go to the configuration files location. Open BmEngine.ini. Under the [SystemSettings] section, add line MaxAnisotropy=16

High frame rate

Raise frame rate smoothing[citation needed] Go to the configuration file(s) location. Open BMEngine.ini. Search MaxSmoothedFrameRate. Best value should be your monitor refresh rate +2 so e.g. with 144hz monitor value should be 146. Change configs value to this. There may be multiple instances so change them all. Save file and make it "read only". For more information, see the Unreal Engine 3 page. In addition to the above if that does not work: Open BMEngine.ini (make sure the file is not read-only again so that it can be re-saved) Search for MinAllowableRefreshRate and MaxAllowableRefreshRate and change both values to your monitor's refresh rate, for example 144 Save file and make it "read only". For more information, see the Unreal Engine 3 page.

Input settings

External movement commands key map settings.

External action commands key map settings.

The gamepad layout for Batman: Arkham Asylum

Keyboard and mouse	Native	Notes
Remapping		Remappable in the launcher
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity		See Mouse sensitivity.
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support		XInput supported, DirectInput has some mapping issues.
Full controller support
Controller remapping		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion

Controller types

XInput-compatible controllers
Xbox button prompts
Impulse Trigger vibration

DualShock 4 controllers

Tracked motion controllers		Supports the Razer Hydra.[citation needed]
Button/gesture prompts

Generic/other controllers		DirectInput has some mapping issues.

Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Simultaneous controller+KB/M

Mouse sensitivity

Change Mouse sensitivity[citation needed] Go to the configuration files location. Open BmInput.ini. Change the value of MouseSensitivity to your desired value and save it (overwrite). Right click BmInput.ini go to Properties and set the file to Read-only. Notes The game will overwrite your sensitivity values when launched, unless the file is set to read-only.

Disable Mouse Smoothing

Disable Mouse Smoothing[citation needed] Go to the configuration files location. Open BmInput.ini. Change the value of bEnableMouseSmoothing to false

Audio settings

In-game audio settings.

Audio options	Native	Notes
Separate volume controls
Surround sound		Dolby Digital 5.1[citation needed]; Analog 7.1
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
French
German
Italian
Brazilian Portuguese				Fan translation, download.
Russian				Retail version, download.
Spanish
Turkish				Fan translation.

VR support

3D modes	Native	GG3D	Notes
Native 3D
Nvidia 3D Vision			Issues with glass effects; to fix use Helix Mod: Batman Arkham Asylum.
TriDef 3D
iZ3D

Issues unresolved

Saved game selection screen in Steam GOTY version always queries and prioritizes Cloud synchronized files regardless of Steam settings. If it is indeed disabled or savegames have been externally altered (e.g. GFWL saves conversion), this may create conflicts that lead to general protection faults

Deleting savegames in Steam GOTY version will still refer to the old GFWL saves path. Together with the previous bug this imply you can only delete them manually while the game is running and Steam Cloud is enabled

Issues fixed

QA_APPROVED_BUILD_OCTOBER_2008 whatever error just after title screen

Trigger Steam Cloud sync conflict[citation needed] Make sure Steam Cloud sync is enabled Start the game Before doing anything, Alt+Tab ↹ and disable Steam Cloud sync. Close the launcher/game Quit Steam Go to the save game data location. Edit every file with a hex editor such as HxD. Delete <Steam-folder>\userdata\<user-id>\35140\remotecache.vdf Start Steam and re-enable Steam Cloud sync. Launch the game. Delete <Steam-folder>\userdata\<user-id>\35140\remote\ folder. In the Steam Cloud sync conflict dialog select Download to this machine button.

Microsoft.NET Framework error

Uninstall and re-install .NET Framework 4[citation needed]

Instructions Install the latest NVIDIA PhysX System Software. Copy all of the files from C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\PhysX\Common\ to <path-to-game>\Binaries\

Keyboard not working

Sometimes the only thing you can do in-game is pan the camera; the keyboard will not work at all.

Delete your config files[citation needed] Go to the configuration files location. Delete the whole config folder. Navigate <path-to-game>\Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY\BmGame\Config\ and delete the whole config folder. When launching the game, the config files should be re-created with their defaults, if not, verify the game cache. Notes If you have edited your configuration files, you will need to set them back to how you want them.

Game crashes when leaving the Morgue

Disable PhysX[citation needed] Save and exit the game. Turn off PhysX in the launcher. Start the game. After the next checkpoint you can restore your previous settings.

Set lowest resolution[citation needed] Set resolution to 640x480 in the launcher. Start the game. After the next checkpoint you can restore your previous settings.

Second cutscene before Joker boss battle (Jack Ryder Show clip) is skipped

Right before the Joker boss battle at the end of the game, there are 2 cutscenes. The first one (Joker talking to Batman) will play, but the second one (a clip of the Jack Ryder Show) may be skipped.

Restart from Checkpoint[citation needed] If the second cutscene does not appear normally, pause the game as soon as the game loads again. From the pause menu, select "Restart from Checkpoint" and confirm. The second cutscene should then play.

Failed to initialise NVIDIA PhysX error

When trying to start the game from the launcher you get an error message that reads: "Failed to initialise NVIDIA PhysX. Please install the latest NVIDIA PhysX system software."

Install the version of PhysX that is included within the game's redist folder[citation needed] If you already have a version of PhysX installed on your computer, uninstall it or the installation of the older version of PhysX that this game needs will fail. Go to <path-to-game>\Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY\redist\ Inside this folder you will find a file called PhysX_9.08.14_9.09.0814_SystemSoftware.exe. Double click on it to start the installation of the PhysX version that this game uses. If the installation finished successfully, you should now be able to launch the game without getting this error message.

Game doesn't launch after clicking "Play", no error

After clicking "Play" in the launch menu, the launcher closes and Steam says you are in-game, and the process "ShippingPC-BmGame.exe" is running, but the game doesn't actually launch.

Delete your config files[citation needed] Go to the configuration files location. Delete the whole config folder. Navigate <path-to-game>\Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY\BmGame\Config\ and delete the whole config folder. When launching the game, the config files should be re-created with their defaults, if not, verify the game cache. Notes If you have edited your configuration files, you will need to set them back to how you want them.

PhysX effects are not present in game despite setting being on "normal" or "high"

Effects such as cloth physics (other than Batman's cape), smoke, and small objects such as papers and leaves are not active despite PhysX being enabled.

Install latest PhysX System Software[citation needed]

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	9
OpenGL	2.0	OS X only.
Shader Model support	3
64-bit executable		OS X only.[citation needed]

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Physics	PhysX	2.8.1
Audio	FMOD
Interface	Scaleform
Cutscenes	Bink Video	1.9i

Ex-exclusive PS3 DLCs

This only works with Steam GOTY version of the game.

You need to acquire the DLC files from the OS X version of the game. The files are also available for download directly from PCGamingWiki.

Use xdelta patch[citation needed] Extract the DLC files into <path-to-game>. Extract these patch files into new folder. Copy <path-to-game>\Binaries\ShippingPC-BmGame.exe into patch folder. Start patch.bat for automatic patcher. Alternatively simply use batmanps3dlc.xdelta with Xdelta. Copy ShippingPC-BmGame.exe and ShippingPC-BmGame.exe.bak into <path-to-game>\Binaries\. Notes For more information, see Xdelta.

Manually hex edit executable Extract the DLC files into <path-to-game>. Open <path-to-game>\Binaries\ShippingPC-BmGame.exe with a hex editor such as HxD Search for 25 00 00 08 00 31 86 80 (offset 12153C6) Replace it with 0D 00 00 08 00 89 86 80

Font Mod

Replaces game fonts with more orthodox Franklin Gothic Demi Cond

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	XP, Vista, 7
Processor (CPU)	AMD Athlon 64 3500+ 2.2 GHz Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz	AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4 GHz
System memory (RAM)	1 GB (XP) 2 GB (Vista/7)	2 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	8 GB
Video card (GPU)	ATI Radeon X1300 Nvidia GeForce 6600 256 MB of VRAM DirectX 9 compatible	ATI Radeon HD 3870 Nvidia GeForce 9800 GTX 512 MB of VRAM

macOS (OS X)
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	10.9.5	10.10.3
Processor (CPU)	2.0 GHz	2.4 GHz
System memory (RAM)	4 GB	8 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	10 GB	10 GB
Video card (GPU)	256 MB of VRAM	1 GB of VRAM