Digital Foundry Article Technical Discussion Archive [2015]

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Performance Analysis: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The first distinction is that PS4 caps its frame-rate at 30fps (with v-sync), while Xbox One runs with no cap at all to allow a variance between 30-40fps during play. This means Sony's machine is in theory capable of a smoother experience - with the cadence of frame delivery forced to a consistent rate. However there are issues on the Sony side side as well, and the net result is that neither feels truly smooth, though for very different reasons.

Actual gameplay paints a slightly different picture. A trip through the busy Novigrad city really puts both consoles through their paces, and Xbox One is essentially reduced to a 29-31fps range of fluctuations that produces stutter. By comparison, PS4 doesn't go over this line, but nor is it especially well optimised for large areas like this, with 25fps lurches seen at its worst. This is perhaps an issue of background streaming lots of new geometry and NPCs at each turn - as made evident by the heavy texture pop-in for each console. Sadly, each turn prompts Sony's platform to hiccup to 29fps as we canter forward, meaning it rarely feels much smoother than Microsoft's platform in a synced test, despite the frame-rate cap.

Overall, the fact Xbox One tends to holds a higher frame-rate is misleading in terms of the quality of the end experience; a capped 30fps is by far the preferred option in this case and we still hope to see it implemented in a future update. The PS4 release has the right tactic, but it lets itself down by being unable to stream in world geometry or render effects at a perfect 30fps to take advantage of this. The perceived effect is a judder to motion on both consoles, for cut-scenes and gameplay, though PS4 is capable of smoother passages of play at times. When it comes to performance, and factoring in the game's superior 1920x1080 output, Sony's hardware is a preference - but it's not the clear choice we had expected.
 

I hope DF's sample include the frame rate from the latter environments of the game, although it doesn't look it.

The framerate is supposed to take quite a tumble on consoles when you reach no man's land. This reminds me of their analysis of Diablo III on consoles where all of the initial testing was done on the starting areas of the game, none of which puts any real stress on the engine.
 
Given the amount of hours needed to be invested in getting further into these games, there's probably not a lot that can be done about that. Maybe some weeks/months later they could issue an update from a save file someone who's played the game(s) has given them? Which I don't think is even supported these days and they'd have to play the games themselves.
 
I gotta go, more on that later. But I just want to say that the situation of Digital Foundry is quite sad. I said it before and I insist, the version with the best framerate always wins, their locked 30 fps holy grail mantra is just annoying to see.

Does anyone know of alternatives to Digital Foundry? I can't stand them! And please, CD Projekt, don't touch Xbox One's version framerate, it's smooth -as smooth as a 30+ fps framerate can be-, don't listen to them.
 
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I've said it before: you need to calm down and check your fanboy.
Knowing DF maybe I will get banned. Still, that's my opinion about them. PS4 version can't win because the framerate is worse. If they used a dynamic resolution that would never happen, and users wouldn't mind for the most part. But since you can "only" run a game at 1080p...
 
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Funily enough I 'hated' df last time round because they were a Microsoft tool. He still tries to polish every result in microsofts favour somehow so I really don't see your point.

At any rate it's not df's fault you brought the underpowered console this generation much like it wasn't their fault I bought a ps3 the last round.
 
Funily enough I 'hated' df last time round because they were a Microsoft tool. He still tries to polish every result in microsofts favour somehow so I really don't see your point.

At any rate it's not df's fault you brought the underpowered console this generation much like it wasn't their fault I bought a ps3 the last round.
You know well that the PS3 won several face-offs. How many times did DF concede a victory to the X1 version? The Witcher 3 is a very very special game, we are not talking about Pong here. Maybe if it was another game they would call it a tie.

DF don't care about framerate, they just care about developers doing what they want them to do.
 
Ps3 and xbox360 were all lot closer than ps4 and Xbox one.

Do you honestly believe that if the ps4 had an uncapped frame rate it wouldn't be far higher than Xbox one?

Ps4 dips below 30 less and never goes as low as the Xbox version plus it's full hd. How is that a tie?
 
Knowing DF maybe I will get banned. Still, that's my opinion about those asswipes. PS4 version can't win...
Win what? There's no gold medal here. Having just looked at the article, you seem completely hung up but a half-heartedly given recommendation despite the article in full explains the pros and cons of both. The end result is entirely subjective. People who prefer a wandering framerate and uneven frame pacing will prefer the XB1 implementation. People who prefer a constant 30 fps will be better served by the PS4 version. People who prefer a higher resolution will also be better served by the PS4 version. Given one of those factors is subjective and one is objective (unless one actually prefers lower than native resolutions), how can the overall recommendation not go to PS4? It has one clear advantage and one subjective difference which the author clearly prefers to be locked 30 fps.

...a capped 30fps is by far the preferred option in this case and we still hope to see it implemented [on xbox one] in a future update. The PS4 release has the right tactic, but it lets itself down by being unable to stream in world geometry or render effects at a perfect 30fps to take advantage of this. The perceived effect is a judder to motion on both consoles, for cut-scenes and gameplay, though PS4 is capable of smoother passages of play at times. When it comes to performance, and factoring in the game's superior 1920x1080 output, Sony's hardware is a preference - but it's not the clear choice we had expected.
There's nothing pro-Sony about this.
 
Indeed. They're just saying that they prefer 30fps v-synced over 30-40 variable (still v-synced) framerates. They've always done so, for almost their entire existence regardless of what platform. All they're saying is they don't understand why the Xbox One version isn't v-synched as well. This is not a slight of the hardware, but a question to CDProject. And then, they go on to say that they are surprised that v-synch doesn't help the PS4 version as much as they thought, due to what they suspect are streaming or effects issues.

Probably we'll see some performance tweaks in future versions on both platforms to bring them both to a smoother v-synced 30fps.
 
Why can't devs just add the option to cap/uncap at 30Hz? Second Son did it and it works great. Of course a frame rate in the low 30s is not when you would want it uncapped, you really benefit when it is 40+.

It's maybe not that simple with the different parts of the engine running different rates, but I'm not entirely clear. We've already seen instances of 30fps caps not being immune to frame-pacing, for example, and I'm not sure the PS4 version of TW3 is either (those 29/28fps drops here and there).

Durante even seemed to think that the frame limiter for TW3 PC wasn't effective compared to other tools (quoted earlier).
 
People give Digital Foundry's "opinion" way to much weight. Watch their video's, and make your own opinion. Is their opinion going to change what version of the game you buy? I would say for 90% of viewers it wont, and the only reason they are really interested is because they want to be reassured they bought the "better" console. The better console is totally subjective, and if you prefer the Xbox or PlayStation, then Digital Foundrys opinion on what console has the better multi plats shouldn't matter much. Typically, the difference in these titles has been rather marginal anyway. Honestly, what I took away from the Witcher performance video was how unimpressive the game looks on both consoles. Neither one has a rock solid framerate, and there is tons of pop in at fairly short distances.
 
Given the amount of hours needed to be invested in getting further into these games, there's probably not a lot that can be done about that.
In the Witcher 3, you can get to these areas in about 90 minutes play time. It's not like they have to level a character in an MMO to lvl 60 to do end game content ;)
 
People give Digital Foundry's "opinion" way to much weight. Watch their video's, and make your own opinion. Is their opinion going to change what version of the game you buy? I would say for 90% of viewers it wont, and the only reason they are really interested is because they want to be reassured they bought the "better" console. The better console is totally subjective, and if you prefer the Xbox or PlayStation, then Digital Foundrys opinion on what console has the better multi plats shouldn't matter much. Typically, the difference in these titles has been rather marginal anyway. Honestly, what I took away from the Witcher performance video was how unimpressive the game looks on both consoles. Neither one has a rock solid framerate, and there is tons of pop in at fairly short distances.

This really. Last gen I had both but due to PS3 being free online it was my console of choice - I used DF to make sure I didn't buy 'broken' games largely (and to see how the PS3 was closing the performance gap over the years). They even conclude both versions are purchase worthy but essentially people want a 'winner' so they gave it to PS4 by a nose...but it's a hollow victory.
 
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