Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction

Splinter Cell
Subseries of Tom Clancy
Splinter Cell	2003
Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow	2004
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory	2005
Splinter Cell: Double Agent	2006
Splinter Cell: Conviction	2010
Splinter Cell: Blacklist	2013

Key points

Heavily unoptimized, very poor performance and frequent crashes/freezing even with modern PC configurations.^[1]

Frame rate is capped at 30 FPS in co-op mode. See High frame rate for a workaround.

General information

Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail
Amazon.com
Green Man Gaming		Deluxe Edition.
Steam		Deluxe Edition.
Ubisoft Store (unavailable)		Deluxe Edition. Included with Ubisoft+.
Games for Windows Marketplace (unavailable)		^[2]

All versions require Ubisoft Connect DRM.

Windows version requires an internet connection to launch (no longer requires a constant connection).^[3]

Ubisoft Connect version contains the Third Echelon Map for the Deniable Ops game mode & the SPAS-12 Shotgun, both of which are not included in the Steam version.

DLC and expansion packs

Name	Notes
Insurgency Pack	Still for sale on Steam and Ubisoft Connect despite it being impossible to redeem the content in-game due to server closure.

See Issues fixed for a workaround on inaccessible additional content and DLC.

Essential improvements

Patches

All versions of the game update automatically to the latest patch. Previous patches can be found here.

Splinter Cell Conviction Fusion Mod

Skips intro.

Skips system detection errors on startup which cause problems on modern systems.

Enables enhanced sonar vision.

Provides windowed and borderless windowed support through .ini file.

Disables depth of field effect and the black and white filter.

Skip intro videos

Use Splinter Cell Conviction Fusion Mod

Delete or rename video files^[4]
Go to `<path-to-game>\data\Videos\`. Delete or rename `Logo_ESRB_01.bik`, `Logo_ESRB_02.bik`, `Logo_MiddleWare_01.bik`, `Logo_Ubisoft.bik` and `Logo_Clancy_01.bik`.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	%PROGRAMDATA%\Ubisoft\Conviction\ConvictionUserPC.ini^{[Note 1]}
macOS (OS X)
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/33229/pfx/^{[Note 2]}

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	<Ubisoft-Connect-folder>/savegames/<user-id>/2/
macOS (OS X)
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/33229/pfx/^{[Note 2]}

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
Steam Cloud		NA
Ubisoft Connect

Video

Video settings.

Graphics feature	WSGF	Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen		See the WSGF entry.
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)	Open `<path-to-game>\src\system\Conviction.ini` with a text editor and set `FovAngleDegrees` to the desired FOV value.^{[citation needed]}
Windowed	Use Splinter Cell Conviction Fusion Mod.
Borderless fullscreen windowed	Use Splinter Cell Conviction Fusion Mod.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)	Up to 16x. May not work on modern graphics cards.^{[citation needed]}
Anti-aliasing (AA)	Up to 8x MSAA and up to 16x QCSAA.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS and 120+ FPS	Capped at 30 FPS in co-op mode (see High frame rate for a workaround). Capped at 120 FPS in single-player mode (some environmental objects such as flags stop moving at 120 FPS).
High dynamic range display (HDR)	See the glossary page for potential alternatives.

High frame rate

The frame rate is capped at 30 FPS in co-op mode.

Use ConvictionCoopFpsUnlocker

Depth of field

Use Splinter Cell Conviction Fusion Mod

Turn depth of field off

Disables the DOF effect during gameplay and in-game cutscenes.

Download this file.
Extract the files to <path-to-game>\src\system.

Input

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration		Frame rate dependent negative mouse acceleration always present.^{[citation needed]}
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Full controller support
Controller remapping		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion		Shares the same option with mouse.

Controller types

XInput-compatible controllers
Xbox button prompts
Impulse Trigger vibration

PlayStation controllers

Generic/other controllers

Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M		Only keyboard input is recognized; no mouse input is detected.

Change aim down sights behaviour from toggle to hold

AutoHotkey script for hold to aim^{[citation needed]}

Download and install AutoHotkey.
Create a new text file with any text editor and save it with the AHK extension.

Copy the following code to it:

#NoEnv  ; Recommended for performance and compatibility with future AutoHotkey releases.
; #Warn  ; Enable warnings to assist with detecting common errors.
SendMode Input  ; Recommended for new scripts due to its superior speed and reliability.
SetWorkingDir %A_ScriptDir%  ; Ensures a consistent starting directory.
 
; SPLINTER CELL CONVICTION HOLD ADS SCRIPT
; Changes aim down sights behaviour from toggle to hold

#IfWinActive Conviction

; RIGHT CLICK MOUSE BUTTON (AIM/ZOOM)
; *Bind 'Zoom' to Right Mouse Button in-game
 
*$RButton::
    Click Down R
    Sleep, 50
    Click Up R
 
    While GetKeyState("RButton","P")
    {
        Sleep, 10
    }
 
    Click Down R
    Sleep, 50
    Click Up R
Return
 
#IfWinActive
 
F12::ExitApp

Save the file and close it.
Run the file as administrator upon running the game.

Audio

Audio settings.

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls
Surround sound		Options only for 5.1 sound.
Subtitles		Under Gameplay Options.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
Traditional Chinese
French
German
Hungarian				Fan translation.
Italian
Polish				Local retail only, download
Brazilian Portuguese				Translation.
Russian				1) Official localization by «Руссобит-М/GFI». Retail only. Patch for digital release here. 2) Unofficial dub by presumably «7Wolf» here.
Spanish

Network

Multiplayer types

Type	Players	Notes
Local play	2	Use Nucleus Co-op
LAN play
Online play	The official multiplayer service was shut down on June 1, 2021 for Windows and September 24, 2016 for OS X.^[5]

Ports

Protocol	Port(s) and/or port range(s)
TCP	80,3081,3105,22350-22380
UDP	9100,9103,10196

Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.

VR support

3D modes	State	GG3D	Notes
Nvidia 3D Vision			Use Splinter Cell Conviction - 3D Vision Fix.
TriDef 3D
iZ3D

Issues fixed

Additional content is inaccessible

As of Summer 2021, content from the Limited Collector's Edition, Gamestop pre-orders, Deluxe Edition, and the Uplay Rewards is no longer accessible due to server closure and will not show up in-game even if the code for it has been redeemed previously.

Install this mod^{[citation needed]}

Insurgency Pack DLC is inaccessible

As of Summer 2021, the Insurgency Pack DLC is no longer accessible due to server closure and the added maps will not show up in-game even if the code for it has been redeemed previously.

Install this mod^{[citation needed]}

Notes

This mod adds a toggle to disable the black and white filter, among other things. It restores access to the DLC maps due to the hex-edited exe. Using the mod features is not required, merely installing it fixes the DLC.

Using a save game that had the Insurgency Pack DLC activated on may be required to make this fix work.

Causes the singleplayer campaign to crash during the intro cutscenes.

Loads indefinitely when installed on a drive other than the main C: drive

The game will be stuck on the trifocal loading screen indefinitely after the intro videos when installed on a non-C: drive.

Move the game install to the C: drive^{[citation needed]}

Crash when installed in a Storage Space

The game will refuse to run when installed on a drive which is managed by a Storage Space on Windows 8 and later.

Install the game on a standard drive^{[citation needed]}

Game locks up

The game will hang on some computers and although audio will still play, the frame will occasionally be frozen for a very long time.

Disable hyperthreading from your computer's BIOS setup^{[citation needed]}

Flags don't move

When running at 120 FPS some environmental objects such as flags stop moving, this can be seen on the Iraq level.

Enable V-Sync with the refresh rate set to anything lower than 120 Hz or use an external tool to limit the frame rate to any amount below 120 FPS^{[citation needed]}

Black borders with certain aspect ratios

Edit config^[6]

Can be used in non-16:9 widescreen monitors. Will cause a full-height picture with no distortion, a Vert+ FOV and massively squeezed HUD/crosshair/mouse cursor/FMVs. Might not be a better solution compared to the default anamorphism for some people.

Open file C:\ProgramData\Ubisoft\Conviction\ConvictionUserPC.ini
Edit the value so that it is not higher than your aspect ratio:

[Engine.Display]
MinTripleDispRatio=3.9

Unable to connect with a friend in Coop

Follow this guide^{[citation needed]}

Wireless controller not working

Use RealRufoo fix^{[citation needed]}

This does not use X360CE, XInput Plus or anything like that as those methods aren't elegant and are bloated.

These approaches are wrong, fiddly and cumbersome. Conviction doesn't actually use XInput properly and only uses it to enumerate X360 controllers.

Download this fix
Extract to: <path-to-game>\src\system
Overwrite the ProfileDefaultsPC.ini with the one in the package.

This has been tested on Xbox One Wireless Controller, DualShock 4, and 8BitDo SF30 Pro.

Q: Why do I need to overwrite the ProfileDefaultsPC.ini?

A: Because there are entries for LOGITECH and SAITEK controllers which have been removed. When Conviction doesn't detect an X360 controller it falls back to the LOGITECH type. Hence the removal of those entries.

Stuttering and low FPS

Use dxvk-async

Install dxvk-async.
Furthermore, create and save dxvk.conf file in <path-to-game>\src with following content:

dxvk.enableAsync = true
d3d9.maxFrameLatency = 1
dxvk.numAsyncThreads = 6

Notes

The fix can be the most beneficial for old CPUs and/or possibly AMD cards.^[7]

Maximising the game after task switching may not function^[8]

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	9.0c

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows
macOS (OS X)

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Physics	Havok
Audio	XAudio2	^[9]
Cutscenes	Bink Video

Modifications

Disable Black and White Filter in shadows

Instructions

Download this mod.
Extract the files to <path-to-game>\src\system\.
While in-game, press F1 to disable the black and white filter in shadowed areas.

Notes

Disabling the Black and White Filter also disables all other post-processing effects like HDR, bloom, distortions on optical cable screen, etc.

Causes the singleplayer campaign to crash during the intro cutscenes.

The mod can also be done manually by following the steps presented in the following page: A Guide to Removing the Black & White Filter in Conviction (+ some more neat stuff)

Toggle HUD and Last Known Position silhouette

Instructions

Download this mod.
Extract the files to <path-to-game>\src\system\.
While in-game, press TAB to toggle the HUD and last known position silhouette.

Notes

Also hides menus, so it might be necessary to toggle the HUD on to use them. The TAB key is also set to "show objective" by default, so it might be desirable to rebind it.

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	XP, Vista, 7
Processor (CPU)	Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4 GHz
System memory (RAM)	1.5 GB (XP) 2 GB (Vista, 7)
Hard disk drive (HDD)	10 GB
Video card (GPU)	Nvidia GeForce 7800 ATI Radeon X1800 256 MB of VRAM	Nvidia GeForce GTX series ATI Radeon HD 5000 series 512 MB of VRAM

macOS (OS X)
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	10.5, 10.6
Processor (CPU)	Intel Core 2 Duo	Intel Core i7
System memory (RAM)	2 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	10 GB
Video card (GPU)	Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT ATI Radeon HD 2600

Notebook graphics cards may work but are not officially supported.

Notes

↑ When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1
Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:
- File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data.
- Use Wine's registry editor to access any Windows registry paths.
- The app ID (33229) may differ in some cases.
- Treat backslashes as forward slashes.
- See the glossary page for details on Windows data paths.

References

↑ Steam Community - last accessed on 2020-11-03
↑ Splinter Cell Conviction - Games for Windows - last accessed on 20 August 2022
↑ You no longer need an active connection to play Ubisoft PC titles. : gaming
↑ Skip all the intro videos. - last accessed on 2020-11-05
↑ Multiplayer and Online Services availability in Ubisoft games - Ubisoft Help - last accessed on 2022-11-12
↑ WSGF
↑ https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/w/index.php?title=Topic:Vx7589f4103ozxnt&topic_showPostId=wo6z1y142e6v4f5l#flow-post-wo6z1y142e6v4f5l
↑ https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/issues/1998#issuecomment-1013813199
↑ https://imgur.com/a/0WXJYNW

[gamedir-5] When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).

[Proton_path_note-6] 2.0 ^2.1 Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:
File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data.
Use Wine's registry editor to access any Windows registry paths.
The app ID (33229) may differ in some cases.
Treat backslashes as forward slashes.
See the glossary page for details on Windows data paths.

[3] File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data.

[4] Use Wine's registry editor to access any Windows registry paths.

[5] The app ID (33229) may differ in some cases.

[6] Treat backslashes as forward slashes.

[7] See the glossary page for details on Windows data paths.

[1] Steam Community - last accessed on 2020-11-03

[2] Splinter Cell Conviction - Games for Windows - last accessed on 20 August 2022

[3] You no longer need an active connection to play Ubisoft PC titles. : gaming

[4] Skip all the intro videos. - last accessed on 2020-11-05

[7] Multiplayer and Online Services availability in Ubisoft games - Ubisoft Help - last accessed on 2022-11-12

[8] WSGF

[9] ttps://www.pcgamingwiki.com/w/index.php?title=Topic:Vx7589f4103ozxnt&topic_showPostId=wo6z1y142e6v4f5l#flow-post-wo6z1y142e6v4f5l

[10] ttps://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/issues/1998#issuecomment-1013813199

[11] ttps://imgur.com/a/0WXJYNW

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[Note 1]

[Note 2]

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Developers

	Ubisoft Montreal
Windows	Ubisoft Ukraine
macOS (OS X)	Ubisoft Ukraine
Publishers
	Ubisoft
Engines
	LEAD Engine
Release dates
Windows	March 27, 2010
macOS (OS X)	February 17, 2011
Reception
Metacritic	83
IGDB	85
Taxonomy
Monetization	One-time game purchase, DLC
Modes	Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing	Real-time
Perspectives	Third-person
Controls	Direct control
Genres	Action, Stealth
Art styles	Realistic
Themes	Contemporary, North America, Europe, Middle East
Series	Splinter Cell