Digital Foundry Article Technical Discussion Archive [2014]

[-tkf-]

Well more generally speaking I honestly don't think most people care, they will simply play games on whatever box they have.

Of course, but you can't deny that the general public knowledge of what box is the most powerful will be determined by the general consensus among gamers. And the results from DF plays a big part in this.

I can understand the wish from Rangers, DF is the goto place. But in this case I am not worried, until DF gets caught cheating to promote a certain console they are fine. The technical analysis they provide are rarely open for a subjective interpretation.

And unlike machima, a marketing firm can't pay them to be xb1 fans, it would be revealed instantly.

And bias is out of the question, the whole last generation was spent on showing how far or little the 360 was ahead on multiplatform games

 

[Rangers]

I can understand the wish from Rangers, DF is the goto place. But in this case I am not worried, until DF gets caught cheating to promote a certain console they are fine. The technical analysis they provide are rarely open for a subjective interpretation.

I am not worried about cheating, just for example if one day they dont cover a game, dont face-off one we want to know about, or they take a while, etc. It's just a little worrying to only have one source. No big deal.

As of right now they are the ONLY source of unbiased exact frame rate data (on consoles) in the world...There's a suggestion for example Thief has frame rate troubles on next gen consoles, even alleged to go as low as 9FPS on PS4. But we're all blind until DF weighs in really...about all people can note with the naked eye is framerate problems.

 

[-tkf-]

I am not worried about cheating, just for example if one day they dont cover a game, dont face-off one we want to know about, or they take a while, etc. It's just a little worrying to only have one source. No big deal.

As of right now they are the ONLY source of unbiased exact frame rate data (on consoles) in the world...There's a suggestion for example Thief has frame rate troubles on next gen consoles, even alleged to go as low as 9FPS on PS4. But we're all blind until DF weighs in really...about all people can note with the naked eye is framerate problems.

I think that there is a possibility that if DF slows down, doesn't deliver or whatever might happen, there will be other sources that would pick up the slack. When they started out i think the needed hardware might have been pretty costly coupled with what looks to be a custom developed software it's not easy to step in those shoes. But it's easier and cheaper now than when they started.

 

[orangpelupa]

There also other website /youtube that give exact framer are data.

It's in Japanese and I forgot it's channel and website. Anybody ever know it?

 

[Cjail]

PS360frme did frame-rate analysis, but they stopped after MGR.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

But in this case I am not worried, until DF gets caught cheating to promote a certain console they are fine.

The results and conclusions are always the same - PC is best!

 

[Cjail]

I just think DF should not overlook audio in face-offs.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

The results and conclusions are always the same - PC is best!

I would like DF to test on two PC rigs, the best one they have available and also an 'average' rig. Steam is a fair source of gaming hardware specifications.

I think most folks expect a moderately recent PC, with a modern chipset, higher-clocked quad core processor, 4-8Gb RAM and 2Gb graphics cards, to be competitive (at the very least) with PS4/One, if not trash them entirely, but they're the minority if Steam is anything to go by. 16% are using Intel GPUs!

 

[Kameradschaft]

Metro as best looking? Can't be serious. Art direction is practically nonexistent in that game.

http://i.imgur.com/uGy0BaH.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/tqopKMt.jpg
http://hqwide.com/wallpapers/l/1920x1080/37/video_games_metro_last_light_1920x1080_36491.jpg

This game has no art direction? seriously?

In fact how can a game have "nonexistent" art direction? Have you even played the game? if yes then please provide a post-apocalyptic game that you think that has art direction because apparently Metro is random geometry thrown together or something like that.

 

[Billy Idol]

I just think DF should not overlook audio in face-offs.

They did it the whole last generation, they'll do it this gen...

 

[Cjail]

Well, here it is.
Thief face-off

 

[Deleted member 86764]

Considering DF suggested that the 260X performs as good or better than the consoles, I feel it's only fair to compare that card consistently. I'm fairly sure the article stating the 260X is equivalent will cause people to go out and buy that thing. They'll only be disappointed. I'm certain Tomb Raider runs better on the consoles (using closest settings possible).

Thief reads as really disappointing, on a technical level and gameplay. The 7850 apparently runs much better than PS4, despite being a fair match. Any chance this game is limited bythe CPU?

 

[-tkf-]

Well, here it is.
Thief face-off

Not buying, waiting for steam sale..

 

[ultragpu]

So basically AF > 1080p, better framerate and more comprehensive use of POM. Is this a new low for DF?

 

[-tkf-]

So basically AF > 1080p, better framerate and more comprehensive use of POM. Is this a new low for DF?

If 1080p looks like crap why not? I don't about the low comment, but i read in the comments that someone has the same issues with textures on the PC.

 

[Rangers]

So basically AF > 1080p, better framerate and more comprehensive use of POM. Is this a new low for DF?

I seem to recall a few times last gen PS3 won despite lower res (I want to say GTA 4?). This was typically greeted with cheering rather than controversy.

That said, it's patently clear that Rockstar hasn't handed in a lazy conversion here. Creative decisions have been made to compensate for the technical limitations, and by and large they really work, to the point where you sometimes wonder why they couldn't have been applied to the Xbox 360 version too. PS3 GTA IV looks absolutely fantastic, and even factoring in zero anti-aliasing support and a lower resolution, in many scenarios it looks as good as the 360 version, if not better.

Looking at the vids the games are basically identical anyway. 900P doesn't matter.

 

[mosen]

So basically AF > 1080p, better framerate and more comprehensive use of POM. Is this a new low for DF?

POM is same on both version.

Otherwise next-gen console owners get the full package. Both platforms benefit from POM, a procedural rendering technique that creates the effect of bumps and divots to more complex texture-work.

we see the new consoles struggling to access some assets in quickly when first loading up areas, with normal maps and shadows popping in later on the Sony platform especially.

http://cfa.gamer-network.net/2013/a...ef_PS4_029.bmp.jpg/EG11/quality/80/format/jpg
http://cfa.gamer-network.net/2013/a...ief_XO_029.bmp.jpg/EG11/quality/80/format/jpg

Which one is more visible? worse AF or 900p?
http://cfa.gamer-network.net/2013/a...ief_XO_014.bmp.jpg/EG11/quality/80/format/jpg
http://cfa.gamer-network.net/2013/a...ef_PS4_014.bmp.jpg/EG11/quality/80/format/jpg

 

[-tkf-]

I seem to recall a few times last gen PS3 won despite lower res (I want to say GTA 4?). This was typically greeted with cheering rather than controversy.

Looking at the vids the games are basically identical anyway. 900P doesn't matter.

I think there was some issues with the 360 version and long distance dithering, vs a softer more film like look.
The GTA4 did work for the PS3 version, but the low framerate did not work at all

In this case the PS4 has streaming issues, framerate issues and blurred textures.

Our biggest grievance with Thief on consoles is not with its visual competence, but in the way it plays.

In the end they don't like neither console version.. time to ready a patch

 

[FATBOT]

POM is same on both version.

Nope:

 

[DavidGraham]

If 1080p looks like crap why not? I don't about the low comment, but i read in the comments that someone has the same issues with textures on the PC.

Probably a driver issue, nothing of that kind on my end. Everything is crystal clear.

The AF and framerate issues will most likely be rectified with a patch. I am more concerned about DF missing the absence of POM in several scenes from the XO footage.

I remember talk of a diagonal sample, but that post actual shows that a static image was still detected as different.

Yeah, even in a seemingly static scene, frames are not 100% identical it seems.