Digital Foundry Article Technical Discussion Archive [2015]

What's the problem with Jaguar?
What's the purpose of Jaguar cores in current consoles? Hint: they should not be used for computationally-intensive tasks.

Only if you have a problem with your render-pipeline design.

 

From what I have heard treat them when it is possible like the PPE/PPU of the Cell processor. Or at least let the GPU feeding itself for rendering task.

 

Or if some aspect of simulation, scripting engine, streaming etc is CPU limited.

So yeah, sometimes you're CPU limited.

 

Then your whole design is a problem.
If your simulation is CPU limited - you did not reduce its resolution to multiple frames (which you can always do).
If your streaming is CPU limited - you are a bad programmer, streaming should be I/O limited.
If your scripting engine is CPU limited - you are a bad programmer, scripting is the least demanding task, should take around 1% of frame time.

P.S. I can think of only one case where being "CPU limited" is at least somehow justified: real-time strategy, you have a lot of actors that need to show a good real-time behaviour. But even there there are tricks to make it better: reduce the speed of the simulation, use GPU for some tasks (for example threat assessment can be converted to 2D render target and then gaussian-bluring it to the needed precision).

 

Mature @DrJay24 . I played Halo 2 -my first Halo game- since 2004 on my first console at 30 fps because I had no option back then and because the limitations were higher those days. But I matured. And now I have a choice.

I mentioned all the problems I had with FC4, and with other 30fps games, the problems with the sequel of one of my favourite games ever, Need for Speed 3: Hot Pursuit (NFS was my first PC game ever), the sacrifices I made on my PC to run The Witcher 1 at the highest possible framerate, etc etc.

Just wish I could play a 30 fps game, but I can't stand the framerate. If Blizzard or Bethesda release a 30 fps game I'd deal with it the best I can beause of my love for those companies, but I won't buy a 30 fps anymore if I can help it. I can tell you, 95%+ of my X1 games are 60 fps or try to run at that framerate.

 

Your choice should be game on a PC and not bother with a console where most of the games are 30fps. The good news is you can play most of your XB1 console exclusives on a PC. Perfect 60fps for Titanfall, Dead Rising 3, Ryse, etc.

 

Yup, PC is the perfect alternative. I barely have money for a laptop, that's the issue for me. Recently purchased a new car -and it wasn't expensive at all- and have no money for a good PC, life has changed a little for me as of late, so saving money for a PC might take another year.

This Gamespot's video talks about framerate, not necessarily defending the 60fps vs other framerates argument (the original video is in their webpage, you'll find it using the title in a search engine, is actually 60 fps, but not the 2013 youtube video I am sharing here).

 

Yeah just don't take into mind the fact you will need to spend quite a bit of money on a PC that will run those games at 1080p 60fps

 

Oh, wow. I'm gonna have to tell my colleagues this.

 

lua laughs at your puny sacrifice of 1% frame time

 

That's the price for not compromising. I don't have such an aversion to 30 fps despite having a gaming PC and the means to upgrade it.

 

Performance Analysis: F1 2015

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2015-f1-2015-performance-analysis



1080p Ps4, 900p X1, seems like an average lead of 10~ fps for Ps4 over the X1 version. It's running on the Codemasters EGO engine. Tearing galore for the X1 version.

 

Chromatic aberration in a racing game WTF...

Do we really need motion blur on an unlocked 60 fps game?

 

If travelling 200 mph, yes.

 

I prefer 60 fps locked without motion blur... Maybe it is not the bottleneck but on consoles out of Forza games no real 60 fps racing games anymore...

Edit: Fighting games and racing games a locked framerate is very important. For racing games 30 fps is okay for arcade racer and 60 fps for simulation...

 

You will get CA in everything and like it young man!

(Seriously though I've never been as hard on blur as some but CA can bugger off into the sea)

 

Reality is silky smooth and produces motion blur. F1 drivers at those super high speeds see motion blur. It makes sense to have it. This game does a lot more than Forza such as dynamic weather and dynamic daytime

 

Motion blur at 60 fps locked is better but add effect is bad when framerate is variable and sub 60 fps most of the time. In fighting game and racing game a locked framerate is very important.

Forza Horizon 2 and Drive Club are great at 30 fps with a locked framerate and motion blur but 60 fps is a must for a simulation. I think the Forza team is the best of the industry because they choose 60 fps locked as the first priority...

 

I'm in the minority that loves 60fps but doesn't think simulation needs 60fps, but a predictable latency.

I have to add that I support 60fps even for turn based games, it's more of a presentation problem for me than what type of game it is. I hate 30fps UI, and turn based games, the whole game is an abstract UI.

 

I am not impressed when someone writes that simulation gets a higher frequency with the move from 30fps to 60fps, as almost all modern racing games should have this decoupled from the framerate anyway. If that isn't the case for F1, then that's an issue with the game right there.