Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction

Developers
	Ubisoft Montreal
Windows	Ubisoft Ukraine
macOS (OS X)	Ubisoft Ukraine
Publishers
	Ubisoft
Russia	Russobit-M
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	Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

Tom Clancy's 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

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction is a singleplayer and multiplayer third-person action and stealth game in the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series.

The game is heavily unoptimized, performs very poorly and frequently crashes/freezes even with modern PC configurations. See Issues fixed to resolve common problems.

General information

Steam Community Discussions

Availability

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

All versions require Ubisoft Connect DRM.

Windows version requires an internet connection to launch (no longer requires a constant connection).

Ubisoft Connect version contains the Third Echelon Map for the Deniable Ops game mode & the SPAS-12 Shotgun, neither of which is included in the Steam version.

Monetization

DLC and expansion packs

Name	Notes
Insurgency Pack	Delisted in 2024. Can no longer be activated since the game servers have been shut down.

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

Essential improvements

Patches

The latest official patch is v1.04. It is available from PCGamingWiki and Patches-Scrolls.

Splinter Cell Conviction Fusion Mod

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

Fixes stuttering and performance issues on modern CPUs.

Unlocks all DLC content that is not possible to obtain after server shutdown.

Fixes support for the XInput compatible controllers.

Provides windowed and borderless windowed support through .ini file.

Enables enhanced sonar vision.

Adds an option to disable depth of field effect, the black and white filter and character lighting.

Adds an option to skip system detection errors on startup.

Adds an option to disable negative mouse acceleration.

Adds an option to unlock DLC content that's unavailable after servers shut down.

Adds an unlimited ammo for all weapons (disabled by deleting update/weapontuning.ini).

Adds and enables Splinter Cell: Blacklist control scheme by default.

Skip intro videos

Use Splinter Cell Conviction Fusion Mod

Delete or rename video files
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
macOS (OS X)
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/33229/pfx/

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/

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
Steam Cloud
Ubisoft Connect

Video

Video settings.

Graphics feature	State	WSGF	Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen			Use Splinter Cell Conviction Fusion Mod or 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. Use Splinter Cell Conviction Fusion Mod. Capped at 120 FPS in single-player. Open %PROGRAMDATA%\Ubisoft\Conviction\ConvictionUserPC.ini and under [Engine.Display] change MaxFPS=120 to your desired FPS to increase the FPS from the default 120. Some objects stop moving at 120 FPS.
High dynamic range display (HDR)		See the glossary page for potential alternatives.
Ray tracing (RT)
Color blind mode		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.

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 the depth of field disabler. Extract the files to <path-to-game>\src\system.

Input

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse acceleration		Frame rate dependent negative mouse acceleration always present.[citation needed]
Mouse input in menus
Keyboard and mouse prompts
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 support

DirectInput-compatible controllers

PlayStation controllers

Nintendo controllers

Other controller(s)

Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Input prompt override
Haptic feedback
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				Only available in retail release in Taiwan, Translated by Interwise. (Standalone Chinese languange pack installation)
Czech				Retail - 1 2
French
German
Hungarian				Fan translation; download.
Italian
Korean				Retail only.
Polish				Retail only; download for digital releases.
Brazilian Portuguese				Fan translation by Tribo Gamer; download.
Russian				Retail only; download for digital releases. Unofficial dub by presumably 7Wolf is available here.
Spanish

Network

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	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.

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

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 immediately crashes with only an error in the event viewer

The game immediately crashes on newer hardware with no error message at all.

Rename or delete the file "systemdetection.dll" in the game folder.
Go to <path-to-game>\src\system Rename or delete systemdetection.dll. Note The game will display a message twice at startup that the systemdetection.dll is missing. Simply click ok and the game should load.

Game shows black screen and then crashes during startup

The game will not start, if the refresh rate in the configuration files does not match the user's monitor refresh rate.

Change the refresh rate in the configuration files.
Go to %PROGRAMDATA%\Ubisoft\Conviction Open ConvictionUserPC.ini in a text editor. Change the MaxRefreshRate value to the monitor's refresh rate. Save the file.

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 drive other than C:.

Move the game install to the C: 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 the computer's BIOS setup[citation needed]

Game stutters heavily on high core modern CPUs

The game will be unplayable and have heavy stutters on high core count modern CPUs (Intel 10th Gen+, AMD Ryzen 2000 Gen+)

Apply Splinter Cell Conviction Fusion Mod

Additional content is inaccessible

As of summer 2021, content from the Limited Collector's Edition, Gamestop pre-orders, Deluxe Edition, Insurgency Pack DLC 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 Fusion Fix

Flags do not move

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

Limit the framerate to below 120 FPS or enable V-sync with the refresh rate set to below 120 Hz[citation needed]

Black borders with certain aspect ratios

Edit config

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. Go to %PROGRAMDATA%\Ubisoft\Conviction Open ConvictionUserPC.ini in a text editor. Edit the following value so that it is not higher than the used aspect ratio: [Engine.Display] MinTripleDispRatio=3.9

Unable to connect with a friend in co-op

Follow this guide[citation needed]

Wireless controller not working

Install Fusion Fix

Stuttering and low FPS

Use dxvk-gplasync
Install dxvk-gplasync. Create and save dxvk.conf file in <path-to-game>\src with the following content: dxvk.enableAsync = true d3d9.maxFrameLatency = 1 dxvk.numAsyncThreads = 6 Notes The fix can be the most beneficial for old 4/4 CPUs and/or possibly AMD cards. Maximising the game after task switching may not function

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 Physics
Interface	Scaleform GFx
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

macOS (OS X)

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)
Storage drive (HDD/SSD)	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
Storage drive (HDD/SSD)	10 GB
Video card (GPU)	Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT ATI Radeon HD 2600

Notebook graphics cards may work but are not officially supported.