Photoshop 27.10 becomes progressively slower during normal use, with severe Brush lag and masked adjustment layers blinking in and out

Photoshop 27.10 progressively increases RAM usage during normal editing of multiple PSD files. Memory usage does not appear to be released after repeatedly enabling/disabling layers.

Photoshop version: 27.10
Computer: MacBook Pro with Apple M2 Pro, 16 GB unified memory
OS: macOS 26.6.2

Steps to reproduce:

1. Open Photoshop 27.10. 
2. Open 4 PSD files. 
3. Work normally with the documents. 
4. Repeatedly enable and disable layers. 
5. Continue editing for several minutes.
6. Monitor Photoshop memory usage in macOS Activity Monitor.

Expected result:
Photoshop should release unused memory and maintain relatively stable memory usage.

Actual result:
Photoshop memory usage progressively increases. In my case it increased from approximately 2 GB after launching Photoshop to more than 6–7 GB during normal editing. macOS also begins using significant swap memory.

Restarting Photoshop immediately reduces its memory usage to approximately 2 GB, after which the memory accumulation begins again.

I have tested Photoshop with the memory allocation reduced to 60%, but the behavior still occurs.

Capture One remains relatively stable at approximately 4 GB during the same workflow, suggesting the issue may be specific to Photoshop rather than general system memory pressure.

I have also gone back to 27.9.  I noticed A 25% less CPU usage in 27.9 vs 27.10.  It seems that  27.10 uses a lot more CPU and is slowing down operations.  I have a M1 Max 64gb ram.  

Thank you very much for all the additional recordings, working files, and the comparison between Photoshop 27.9.1, 27.10, and the recent Beta builds, @Ana34954096ida0.

I’ve now been able to reproduce some of the behavior you’re seeing as well. I’m separating the different symptoms you demonstrated, including the Brush performance regression, slow Adjustment Layer/property interactions, layer-related performance issues, Pen Tool slowdown, and the adjustment/mask blinking, and reporting them to the appropriate Photoshop product teams along with the files and recordings you provided.

The comparison with 27.9.1 has been particularly helpful, as the same workflows are noticeably more responsive there.

For now, since Photoshop 27.9.1 is working reliably in your production workflow, please continue using it where possible while we investigate regressions in newer versions. Please keep the affected files you sent us available on WeTransfer, since they are useful reproduction cases for the team.

There’s no need to repeat the troubleshooting or send the same files again at this point. I’ll update the thread when I have something meaningful to share from the investigation.

Thanks again for taking the time to document this so thoroughly.

Best,
Anshul Saini

Hi ​@Ana34954096ida0,

Thank you for the detailed report and especially for testing the same workflow after downgrading to Photoshop 27.9.1. The fact that the Brush performance returns to normal and Photoshop remains responsive in 27.9.1, while you’re seeing the slowdown in both 27.10 and Beta 27.11, is useful information.
 

We’d like to investigate this further with the Photoshop product team. If possible, could you please provide:

• A screen recording showing the workflow from when Photoshop is responsive through to the point where the Brush becomes noticeably delayed, and the masked adjustment layers begin blinking.

• A sample PSD/PSB that reliably reproduces the behavior. Ideally, please keep the layer structure, adjustment layers, and masks intact so we can test the same workflow.

• Help > System Info > Copy from Photoshop 27.10 and paste the contents here.

• If you can estimate it, approximately how long you need to work in the document before the slowdown begins, and whether closing and reopening the document restores performance, or whether Photoshop itself needs to be restarted.

Since the Brush is particularly affected, please tell us more about your input setup:

• Are you painting with a graphics tablet/pen, mouse, or the MacBook trackpad?

• If you’re using a tablet, what make/model is it (Wacom, Huion, XP-Pen, etc.)?

• What tablet driver version is installed?

• Does the Brush lag still occur if you disconnect the tablet and test the same document using only the MacBook trackpad or a mouse?

• Are you using a standard Photoshop brush or a custom/imported brush when the slowdown occurs?

If the project contains private/client material or is too large to attach publicly, you can upload the recording and sample file to Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer, or a similar service and send me the link via DM.

Since you’ve already isolated a version difference between 27.9.1 and 27.10/27.11 beta, please preserve the affected sample rather than flattening it or rebuilding the document. Having a file that reproduces both the progressive Brush lag and the adjustment-layer rendering issue will give us the best chance of reproducing it and logging a targeted bug with the product team.

Thanks again for taking the time to test the previous release.

Best,

Anshul Saini