Playstation 5 [PS5] [Release November 12 2020]

How is BC a hot mess? I assume it has nothing to do with issues from downloadig PS5 version of a game?

 

I don't see it as being an issue with Backwards-Compatibility or Forward-Compatibility either. I see it as an issue on the Sony Game SKU backend system they call "Cross-Buy", it's the lack of a smooth means to provide an experience like Smart Delivery.

 

Yup. And the backend system has always been convoluted. Sony has what feels like endless variations of distinct SKUs for what is often the same game. There may be a good reason for it but it's probably contributing to the current issues.

 

It was interesting that the PS3 was the first ‘region free’ console but it locked games into a region (as it were). So when Resistance came out you could play the Japanese version on your UK PS3 but the online aspect had you on Japanese servers!

Then there’s the whole DLC lock where you have to ensure you buy the right region DLC (or game save).

I recall not long ago re-installing LoU only to find it had lost all my progress and none of the DLC was there. Then I remembered I initially bought it on the US store and when it was on PS+ I naturally bought it anyway, so when I downloaded I downloaded it from my UK account because I owned it.

 

Fixed now.

 

Does the PS5 run on full clock speed and with all CU's enabled in PS4(Pro) backcompatible mode, or is this on a game by game basis? Im sorry if this has been answered already.

 

AFAIK it hasn't been fully confirmed by Sony, but it probably runs at full 2.23GHz clock speed "most of the time" in PS4 Pro "boosted BC" mode (i.e. patched for PS5 boost). By nature, it may need to reduce the clockspeed on certain power-demanding loads of each game, but it's not on a game-by-game basis.
On PS4 Pro "compatibility BC" mode (i.e. non-patched), it runs the GPU at the same 911MHz as the PS4 Pro.

 

Some specific games can run the GPU at lower clocks if the high clocks are a problem. It's supposedly what's happening in a bunch of Ubisoft games: notably AC Unity and Division 2. We know from github leak the BC modes can actually have specific clocks depending of the game probably for better compatibility.

 

NXGamer covered this in one of his videos in November, he compared both the Xbox Series and PS5 approaches to running old code.



He states that PS5 running PS4 code has three BC (Backwards Compatibility) modes. This explanation begins around 7min 30 secs in he says the three BC modes offer the following CPU core/thread and clock configurations: BC1 (PS4 8c/8t and clocks), BC2 (PS4 Pro 8c/8t and clocks) and BC3 (PS5 8c/16t and clocks).

 

Is there any gain at all from enabling 2-threads per core in BC?

 

I guess it depends if games spawn threads and how they are allocated to clusters/cores - perhaps by a utilisation metric.

If so, then yes. By how much? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Aside from how PS4 games run either seemingly as before or much better, I think my favorite new feature is a headphone output that doesn't suck. The PS5 headphone output reminds me of X-Fi's headphone mode with CMSS-3D (which I still use on PC). It has that narrowed sound stage that's less irritating in addition to solid positioning effects.

I've had the machine for a bit over a week and have tried Horizon, Mad Max, Killzone 4, Until Dawn, Days Gone, Mirrors Edge 2, and The Order 1886. Days Gone and Until Dawn being the most notable improvements. There are some quirks I've seen but the thing is I don't remember if they happened on PS4 too, such as seeing a moment of Until Dawn voice sync being off, and videos having some stutter, and a recurring audio pop with Order 1886 maybe only noticeable on headphones.

I think it's strange that they do the SDR to HDR translation because that has caveats, but I'm not sure if I've seen problems with it.

I'm still not one with the artistic sculpture look of the machine but the airflow / cooling of it seems much smarter than the PS4 Pro.

 

Sony needs to change their minds on full-time HDR. The Order 1886 in particular makes this clear. The game is just too dark. I use an LG C7 OLED so all of the detail is there but you really want to play it in a pitch black room lol. Actually running around in this tunnel level it is so dark that if I stand around and the TV dims itself as the OLED does, it won't return to full brightness when playing because the game isn't bright enough to trigger it heh.

I imagine PS5 games won't be affected by this because they will be designed for the behavior, but it compromises BC.

At least I can go into the menu and disable it myself without it requiring a game restart.

 

With the b7 you can disable asbl from the service menu to ensure it doesnt dim. I also use an hdfury linker with 900 nit metadata to force the lg to tonemap more accurately. The 2017 lg oleds tonemap 4000nit metadata quite dark. Gaming on ps5 with sdr to hdr conversion actually looks quite good to me. However the conversion remaps 100 night peak to roughly 250 nits, and actually exaggerates near black posterization issues - specifically with games like The Order. I was just playing it the other day and it looked awesome but did exhibit pretty severe banding/posterization

 

What do you mean? The PS5 should add Full time HDR or does it have it already and causes this issues you mention?

 

The PS5 running everything in an HDR container even SDR titles produces oddities when the tonemapping isn't right.

 

Can you force the PS5 to SDR, or does it and/or PS5 exclusive games require HDR?

 

Oh I had no idea it does this. So it doesnt provide an option to disable this?

 

I really dislike it. Most of the games I've played on it have crushed blacks or the look of it because I only have an SDR display.

 

All you can do is entirely disable HDR output in the PS5 video options. It doesn't require a game restart at least.