Digital Foundry Article Technical Discussion [2020]

[Dictator]

I guess it really does depend on the game. Ultimately, to make a game look 'more CGI', the lighting itself needs to be better, and perfect reflections can help but won't save a game such as Watchdogs with its mostly flat lighting.

For example, a game with very, very good baked lighting such as TLOU2 would probably benefit more from RT reflections than Watchdogs. At the same time, making TLOU2 look as good as it does but with an RT GI implementation - instead of baked - may be outside of the performance targets we will get this generation. We'll have to see!

Watchdogs just looks flat, regardless of the reflections!

I think Watchdogs has pretty normal and average open world indirect lighting - it looks to use the exact same techniques powering every open world game these days (probe grid).
Given the amount of glass and metals in london and how often it rains, I think the RT reflections help the games visuals quite a bit:

 

[London Geezer]

I think Watchdogs has pretty normal and average open world indirect lighting - it looks to use the exact same techniques powering every open world game these days (probe grid).
Given the amount of glass and metals in london and how often it rains, I think the RT reflections help the games visuals quite a bit:

A-ha! Well those are much better shots than anything I've seen on youtube, to be honest. Much, much better actually.

 

[cheapchips]

A-ha! Well those are much better shots than anything I've seen on youtube, to be honest. Much, much better actually.

Seconded!

Although puddles and water are the easiest target for SSR. Some more shots in the way of window reflections would be good. Alex should get to it! There's not a lot going over the next few weeks.

 

[Deleted member 86764]

I think Watchdogs has pretty normal and average open world indirect lighting - it looks to use the exact same techniques powering every open world game these days (probe grid).
Given the amount of glass and metals in london and how often it rains, I think the RT reflections help the games visuals quite a bit:

Do you choose to use DLSS for the screenshots? Static images do look nicer with it enabled. Some of the videos appear a little "smeary" in full screen motion. Not sure if it's my eyes though.

 

[Dictator]

Do you choose to use DLSS for the screenshots? Static images do look nicer with it enabled. Some of the videos appear a little "smeary" in full screen motion. Not sure if it's my eyes though.

these screenshots are with DLSS in performance mode at 4K - so 1080p internally! So if these screenshots look good to you, then the game's IQ is pretty good with it on. All those screenshots are just screen caps of me moving around the city, never standing still.
I think the blur is from the games rather "low res" and low sample count motion blur.

Seconded!

Although puddles and water are the easiest target for SSR. Some more shots in the way of window reflections would be good. Alex should get to it! There's not a lot going over the next few weeks.

Hah! Here you go: PC Ultra, DLSS Perf Mode like the same as the above screens, and also walking and not sitting still:

 

[London Geezer]

Is that a Ray Traced coat she has? I hear it's gonna be the thing to have in 2021

 

[Dictator]

Is that a Ray Traced coat she has? I hear it's gonna be the thing to have in 2021

That is exactly the reason I chose to use it in game

 

[iceberg187]

Those Watch Dog pics are amazing.

 

[SumoSaki]

Watch dogs looks awful lighting wise let's be honest and frank.

 

[AlNom]

DF unboxes both consoles and compares size:

 

[AzBat]

Got a time stamp to get past the Series X unboxing? Still trying to avoid that if at all possible.

Tommy McClain

 

[AlNom]

Got a time stamp to get past the Series X unboxing? Still trying to avoid that if at all possible.

Tommy McClain

8m20s

That is just past any sort of box content stuff, and on to just showing the consoles out-of-box, and how they think it should be positioned (vertical/horizontal). They talk a bit about the controllers too; IMO MS should have done 3xAA batteries for the Xbox controller. I find that battery life is very short when playing Forza with the impulse triggers being a huge drain.


edit:

Hopefully they can talk soon about how BC performs. This dripfeed embargo is irritating considering how close to launch it is.

 

[goonergaz]

The ending sounded exciting “there will be surprises!”

 

[AzBat]

8m20s

That is just past any sort of box content stuff, and on to just showing the consoles out-of-box, and how they think it should be positioned (vertical/horizontal).

Thank you kind sir!

Tommy McClain

 

[techuse]

Watch Dogs 3 has this weird, low res look to nearly everything. Its not fixed or improved by increasing resolution. It's quite off putting. RTX reflections look great but other than that I'm not a fan.

 

[see colon]

Watch dogs looks awful lighting wise let's be honest and frank.

I don't mind the lighting, it's the materials used. They look really "gamey". They sort of have an old school palletized texture look, though not exactly. There's just something not quite right with them. Maybe it's a side effect of DLSS.

 

[Shortbread]

DF unboxes both consoles and compares size:

The PS5 DualSense controller sounds amazing.

 

[cheapchips]

The PS5 DualSense controller sounds amazing.

It seems like it's good enough to have life beyond just Astrobot. The 'textured' rumble sounds great.

 

[goonergaz]

I wonder if @Dictator can confirm if the stand is a requirement for vertical use? If so I need to re-plan my cabinet as it’s only 43cm high which is what I believe the PS5 is with stand!

 

[London Geezer]

I wonder if @Dictator can confirm if the stand is a requirement for vertical use? If so I need to re-plan my cabinet as it’s only 43cm high which is what I believe the PS5 is with stand!

From all videos we've seen, it is not required for vertical use. It's only required for horizontal use.