Digital Foundry Article Technical Discussion Archive [2014]

[function]

Ashame that the game wasn't delayed. Now it'll just get the essential patches and never be all it could have been.

Game is beautiful but those frame rates are really bad.

 

[Shortbread]

Performance Analysis: Grand Theft Auto 5

Rockstar has indeed delivered a native 1080p release, and it adheres pretty closely to its target 30fps - a far cry from stuttering last-gen versions. The game's many enhancements are varied and worthwhile - however, our first impressions suggest an expertly crafted remaster with some lovely features, as opposed to a top to bottom revamp designed to exploit the capabilities of the new consoles.

The Xbox One version's consistent update is a radical departure from the lacklustre performance of its last-gen siblings - gameplay is mostly locked at 30fps with just minor fluctuations beneath its target. Curiously, despite a consistent update, judder can manifest a little during gameplay - a curious effect.

Overall, our first impressions of this spruced-up GTA 5 are positive. Technologically, the game demonstrates its last-gen roots quite clearly, but the quality of the original work still stands up overall. It's also great to see that Rockstar has gone the extra mile with this version, revisiting the game and improving the base assets considerably while adding a compelling new gameplay option. Quite where the PlayStation 4 version fits into the equation remains unknown at this precise moment. While we were able to acquire the Xbox One version ahead of time, we'll be buying the PS4 version on release day along with everyone else. We'll report back with more analysis and some initial comparisons as soon as we can.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Quite where the PlayStation 4 version fits into the equation remains unknown at this precise moment. While we were able to acquire the Xbox One version ahead of time, we'll be buying the PS4 version on release day along with everyone else. We'll report back with more analysis and some initial comparisons as soon as we can.

The versions sent out to review sites seems entirely random. I've read no review where they've been sent both versions, it's either PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Maybe they're so similar, Rockstar feels either version is representative.

Certainly from the screen shots and streaming video I've seen, there's nothing between them. Impressive work once again.

 

[hesido]

SH doesn't free you from light casting, Lights*SH can be costly beyond 2nd order SH, for hard lighting/shadowing boundaries you'd need around 250th. Also, you either have all static light prebaked in SH, or you have all static visibility prebaked in SH. Rotating SHs with moving geometry is very problematic. Which means any dynamic objects/lights are problematic.

Thanks for the insight. That said, any kind of baking wouldn't play well with dynamic objects? Maybe they used low order SH for general visibility and light bleeding and a different approach for dynamic and hard shadows?

 

[babybumb]

The judder in nextgen GTA in unfortunate making it seem not totally smooth. What can be the cause

 

[goonergaz]

The judder in nextgen GTA in unfortunate making it seem not totally smooth. What can be the cause

Have you played it? I've watched a few good streams and the f/r looks fantastically smooth

 

[Starx]

UPDATE 18/11/14 4:30pm:

We've completed work on an initial performance analysis of the PlayStation 4 version of Grand Theft Auto 5, which you can find embedded below. At first blush, we're looking at a very similar release to the Xbox One version - with only one really noticeable difference, the implementation of a lens flare effect that appears either absent or dialled back on Xbox One. Frame-rate is confirmed at 30fps, though the rare dropped frames seen on Xbox One are even less of an issue here. We're working through the game as quickly as we can and our journeys are taking us out of the city, so yes, we're definitely looking into stuff like this and will report back when we have more to share.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-grand-theft-auto-5-performance-analysis

I checked PS4 frame rate video test and fps dropped to 27!

 

[Globalisateur]

UPDATE 18/11/14 4:30pm:


http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-grand-theft-auto-5-performance-analysis

I checked PS4 frame rate video test and fps dropped to 27!

You can't compare scenes that are completely different. Digital foundry even said the performance was slightly better on PS4.

though the rare dropped frames seen on Xbox One are even less of an issue here. (on PS4)

Because when you compare identical scenes like the cutscene from the beginning...

 

[Karamazov]

Ps4 version for me and i saw some stuttering while driving in the city, looked like it was tied with some detail popping, could it be assets streaming issue ?

Also foliage pops in closer while driving, on foot it appears at a way farther distance

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Ps4 version for me and i saw some stuttering while driving in the city, looked like it was tied with some detail popping, could it be assets streaming issue ?

I've had the odd stutter, often at big intersections where there are 40+ cars, but have observed very little pop-in even when travelling at speed. I'm using a 7200rpm drive and I wonder if this is making a difference. I'd be interested to hear from anybody with a pure (not hybrid) SSD.

I hope DF test this.

 

[Karamazov]

Is the game streaming from both disc and hdd like ps360 versions ? If so it would be interesting to compare digital and retail version performances.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Is the game streaming from both disc and hdd like ps360 versions ? If so it would be interesting to compare digital and retail version performances.

I have the digital purchase but it is my understanding is that no PS4 games run from disc. I have six Blu-ray PS4 games and the drive is silent while all games are running. So there shouldn't be the discrepancy there was lasagne where the PS3 version retail disc version ran a little better because the game was streaming from both HDD and disc simultaneously.

 

[goonergaz]

I have the digital purchase but it is my understanding is that no PS4 games run from disc. I have six Blu-ray PS4 games and the drive is silent while all games are running. So there shouldn't be the discrepancy there was lasagne where the PS3 version retail disc version ran a little better because the game was streaming from both HDD and disc simultaneously.

Would be nice to know if there is a difference. Likewise I've read people having issues at the start of playing (while content still installing in the background I assume?) then it clearing up. I have a hybrid HDD so be interesting if DF would look deeper into games with different HDDs, esp. games with big issues to see if they are improved (Unity) and games with minor issues (GTA) to see if they go completely.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Would be nice to know if there is a difference. Likewise I've read people having issues at the start of playing (while content still installing in the background I assume?) then it clearing up.

Yesterday I installed Far Cry 4 from disc which included the day one patch while I was playing GTA V. I expected this to have a perceptible impact on GTA V performance but didn't notice a thing.

Impressive.

 

[rekator]

Aren't the HDD bus on the PS4 and One cap to 100Mb/s? So SSD don't rely useful?

 

[Phil]

Aren't the HDD bus on the PS4 and One cap to 100Mb/s? So SSD don't rely useful?

Even if it is, no mechanical HDD will ever sustain 100Mb/s the way a SSD can on a practical level. Besides, I would think seek times and read are more of an important factor in most games which is where SSDs are on a different level.

 

[goonergaz]

Yes, I should imagine the seek times on SSD vs something like a aging & clogged up HDD (esp. the stock ones) are a big difference and for streaming I would imagine a great help. I recall the best upgrade I ever did for the DayZ mod was installing my OS and DayZ on an SSD - the improvement was night and day.

 

[function]

My guess would be that the ps4 version is more likely to see fps drops in cpu demanding situations (large scale simulation and streaming) and X1 would be more likely to drop ... everywhere else. Would be nice to see some multiplayer testing by DF.

The extra foliage density is a nice touch on ps4. I loved me some dense bush back on Oblivion.

 

[Deleted member 86764]

I loved me some dense bush...

Keep that to yourself

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Aren't the HDD bus on the PS4 and One cap to 100Mb/s? So SSD don't rely useful?

You virtually eliminate seek speeds, though.