[4K] Anthem: Xbox One X E3 Demo - Is it the real deal?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3E5L2sOvNI
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2017-anthem-the-real-deal-for-xbox-one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3E5L2sOvNI
Let's bang one nail on the head right away: resolution. Anthem is running at 3840x2160 in this demo, but it does so using checkerboard rendering. Looking through our capture, we noted distinctive artefacting on moving edges, presenting as a faint criss-cross pattern where only half the pixels are shaded. The presentation still looks pin-sharp, even with a compromise that effectively halves native 4K resolution. The technique works for three reasons: firstly, the human eye can't really track precision detail in motion (checkerboarding looks very good on slower motion scenes), secondly 'sample and hold' LCD technology cuts resolved resolution in motion, and finally the tiny pixel pitch on 4K screens makes discerning pixel-level detail extremely difficult any way.
That's the first point - as for frame-rates, we only have a 30fps feed from the Microsoft conference, which rules out accurate performance test. From eye-balling the feed though, we did catch some light stutter right at the very end of the demo - as the Freelancers jump into the light - but again, that could well be an issue in the feed sent out. As things stand, the rest of gameplay unfolds with a stutter-free 30fps cadence, and with v-sync engaged
It's these imperfections that help to make Anthem's E3 2017 showing that much more authentic, more real, and less likely to end in another downgrade drama. A forensic breakdown of Anthem's visual make-up takes little away from the tremendous impact of the game's visuals, nor from the scale and scope of the remarkably rich, massive vertical world the title is built around. The Frostbite engine once again pushes console visuals to new heights, but what we've seen does point to this being feasible on Xbox One X hardware, with compromises you'd expect to get this running on a six teraflop GPU at a 2160p output. On top of this, bearing in mind that Anthem is a multiplatform title, it'll be fascinating to see how this game will scale up to high-end PCs, and down to PS4 Pro, PS4 and of course, Xbox One. Time will tell, but we can't wait to see more.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2017-anthem-the-real-deal-for-xbox-one