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[bombshell]

CD Projekt Red's latest patch 1.03 is a must if you haven't already downloaded it, with The Witcher 3's frame-rates tweaked for the better on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One over its day one state. Counting in at 500MB, a 30fps cap is crucially also added to Xbox One with this update, at last evening out its frame-pacing to give smoother results.

On Xbox One especially, we see the addition of a proper 30fps cap giving us a far more consistent rate of motion in play. Where before it ran unlocked between 30-40fps, causing stutters as frame-rates lurched up and down the graph, patch 1.03 forces all motion to a single rate of refresh. The end result is exactly as you'd expect; battles and fast gallops across The White Orchard benefit hugely by running at a straight 30fps - a smoother ride, only dropping frames as heavy transparencies enter the picture.

PS4 performance is improved too, if not to quite the extent we had hoped. Compared to patch 1.01, the latest update lowers the frequency of stutter as we wind through Novigrad's marketplace, with hiccups cut down by a noticeable margin - though they're still an issue (you can see this visualised by the frame-time graph in the video - there are fewer latency spikes above 50ms).

On balance, it's an improvement on both sides but Xbox One owners have a bigger reason to celebrate this update. Though it struggles to match the clarity of PS4's native 1920x1080 output, the 30fps cap is better adjusted for Microsoft's platform in practice, with fewer stutters during play giving it a tangible performance advantage.

More here: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/d...e-witcher-3-patch-103-fix-console-performance

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Videos:

The Witcher 3 PS4 vs Xbox One Patch 1.03 Gameplay Frame-Rate Test

The Witcher 3 PS4 Patch 1.03 vs 1.01 Gameplay Frame-Rate Test

The Witcher 3 Xbox One Patch 1.03 vs 1.01 Gameplay Frame-Rate Test

 

[mike4001_]

And again

We have one consoles which struggles at 1080p

And another one which doesn´t even try.

 

[Sephiroth_GR_]

And again

We have one consoles which struggles at 1080p

And another one which doesn´t even try.

Did you read about the framerate? hope they fix it in the next console update. As a Ps4 owner it sucks big time. Also that xp bug...these games must be played months after release in order to enjoy them fully.

 

[Dredd97]

Hang on, I've watched all those videos and the PS4 does indeed drop frames, maybe 1 or 2 in combat and a lot more in cut scenes, but why would this give the xb1 a 'tangible performance advantage.' if the places with the largest drops are non interactive scenes...

Surely the fact the PS4 is native 1080p gives the better 'tangible performance advantage.'

on a separate note, the asset pop in is pretty dire though...

 

[StrongBlackVine]

I have a huge backlog and The Witcher 3 is headed to the bottom of it. I would be so pissed if I had not gotten this for only $40.

 

[Ghost Slayer]

PS4 here, while 1.03 give better framerates, it still drops a lot during rain

 

[sinnergy]

Hang on, I've watched all those videos and the PS4 does indeed drop frames, maybe 1 or 2 in combat and a lot more in cut scenes, but why would this give the xb1 a 'tangible performance advantage.' if the places with the largest drops are non interactive scenes...

Surely the fact the PS4 is native 1080p gives the better 'tangible performance advantage.'

on a separate note, the asset pop in is pretty dire though...

But 1080p is not about performance, that's about IQ

 

[Backfoggen]

Missed opportunity to not do a frame rate test in a gameplay section with heavy drops. People are gonna say "only drops in cutscenes bro" again.

 

[MacBosse]

Jesus the PS4 is dropping to 20 during those cutscenes. Ouch. Not that 25 on the X1 is something to write home about but still ... jesus, 20?

 

[Dredd97]

Missed opportunity to not do a frame rate test in a gameplay section with heavy drops. People are gonna say "only drops in cutscenes bro" again.

then perhaps DF should do that, because if showing the cut scenes gives the worst drops between consoles, I suspect the actual game scenes with heavy drops are bad for both of the consoles...

 

[bombshell]

Hang on, I've watched all those videos and the PS4 does indeed drop frames, maybe 1 or 2 in combat and a lot more in cut scenes, but why would this give the xb1 a 'tangible performance advantage.' if the places with the largest drops are non interactive scenes...

Surely the fact the PS4 is native 1080p gives the better 'tangible performance advantage.'

on a separate note, the asset pop in is pretty dire though...

Yeah, outside cutscenes both versions are very close to a locked 30 in these videos.

 

[Seanspeed]

Hang on, I've watched all those videos and the PS4 does indeed drop frames, maybe 1 or 2 in combat and a lot more in cut scenes, but why would this give the xb1 a 'tangible performance advantage.' if the places with the largest drops are non interactive scenes...

Surely the fact the PS4 is native 1080p gives the better 'tangible performance advantage.'

PS4 drops to a vsync'd 20fps at times, even during gameplay and seems to have more drops in general.

XB1 version performs better right now.

Resolution is not performance.

 

[sinnergy]

Jesus the PS4 is dropping to 20 during those cutscenes. Ouch. Not that 25 on the X1 is something to write home about but still ... jesus, 20?

Maybe it's the price to pay for 1080p, who knows.. Still this game is pretty nice and fun to play, should be all that matters.

Back in the days all GB games stuttered, Megaman was terrible, it didn't matter.. made the game even harder.

 

[Leyasu]

Digital foundry... The site that has profited most this gen from the power difference.

I'll probably pick this up next month now the stutter has been so new vice

 

[bombshell]

PS4 drops to a vsync'd 20fps at times, even during gameplay and seems to have more drops in general.

So yea, you might not like to hear it, but XB1 version performs better right now.

Resolution is not performance.

No, the drops to 20 fps because of vsync are only in cutscenes.

 

[Seanspeed]

No, the drops to 20 fps because of vsync are only in cutscenes.

No they are not:

http://www.gamersyde.com/hqstream_the_witcher_3_wild_hunt_swamps_1_03-34759_en.html

There is a whole thread about it on here anyways.

 

[funkystudent]

Jesus the PS4 is dropping to 20 during those cutscenes. Ouch. Not that 25 on the X1 is something to write home about but still ... jesus, 20?

Wonder whats up with that scene with the dude burning in fire.


Obviously its due to the fire effects but it doesnt seem to effect the XB1 version for whatever reason which doesnt really make sense.

 

[Prine]

Yeah, outside cutscenes both versions are very close to a locked 30 in these videos.

Have you seen Blims comparison vids in the swamps?

 

[BigTnaples]

Great to see them making progress on all platforms via patches. And so soon.

Looking forward to see what they have in store for PC as far as graphical additions they hinted at.

 

[julzillamilitia]

oh i see. apparently.

"resolution is not performance"

my my, how the goal posts have moved from previous gen tech "analysis".

do carry on...

 

[bombshell]

Have you seen Blims comparison vids in the swamps?

Yeah, I have now.

I wonder why Digital Foundry are using Novigrad as their stress-test scenario, when they obviously should be using the swamp during rain.

 

[MacBosse]

Wonder whats up with that scene with the dude burning in fire.


Obviously its due to the fire effects but it doesnt seem to effect the XB1 version for whatever reason which doesnt really make sense.

Yeah it happened with the wild hunt cutscene aswell, but the fire cutscene hardly had any fps drop at all on X1. Didn't look that particular taxing in terms of visuals, but its a heavy drop right there. The performance issues in the bog is understandable given the visuals and effects but during these cutscenes one might wonder what happens.

Eitherway it truly is a masterpiece of a game, regardless of system.

 

[Seanspeed]

oh i see. apparently.

"resolution is not performance"

my my, how the goal posts have moved from previous gen tech "analysis".

do carry on...

When people talk about performance, they mean framerates/frametimes.

Resolution affects performance, but they are not the same thing.

This is not goal post moving, this is how it always is.

 

[Norwegian_Imposter]

Asset and texture pop in is way worst in 1.03 patch so much so my friend who doesn't comment much on these things asked me if I saw it too

 

[Guymelef]

This same shit as Assassin's Creed.
I wonder why CD Project are more allowed...

 

[Seanspeed]

This same shit as Assassin's Creed.
I wonder why CD Project are more allowed...

Probably because TW3 is a masterpiece in nearly every other regard. And the performance problems, as bad as they are, seem to be limited to isolated areas, whereas Unity performed badly nearly 100% of the time.

 

[bede-x]

Like I said in one of the previous DF threads, I still think the populated areas look like ghost towns. That ride through Novigrad I couldn't stop thinking, where are all the people?

It's nice that they've given the XO version a 30fps cap, but why didn't it ship with it?

 

[dlauv]

oh i see. apparently.

"resolution is not performance"

my my, how the goal posts have moved from previous gen tech "analysis".

do carry on...

When you're speaking of performance you're usually speaking of framerate and framerate consistency. In this case, for the sake of comparison, 1080 is definitely the trade-off for slightly worse performance.

 

[the_batman]

This same shit as Assassin's Creed.
I wonder why CD Project are more allowed...

because the game is actually great.

 

[Zakalwe]

This same shit as Assassin's Creed.
I wonder why CD Project are more allowed...

The game is amazing, AC hasn't been for a while (if ever). Imo, of course, but the majority seem to think TW3 is pretty special.

Regardless, there are plenty of people calling CDPR out for the technical issues. Not sure anyone's getting a pass.

 

[Pankratous]

Even I can see when it drops to 20 how choppy it looks, and I'm someone who can't see a difference between 30 and 60. Must look like a slideshow to you guys.

 

[Backfoggen]

Even I can see when it drops to 20 how choppy it looks, and I'm someone who can't see a difference between 30 and 60. Must look like a slideshow to you guys.

It's the same for me. Have zero problems with 30 with drops. But 20 locked just straight up sucks.

 

[Spider_Jerusalem]

This same shit as Assassin's Creed.
I wonder why CD Project are more allowed...

It's a great game. People must stop caring about minor nuisances like these (which happened every generation) and go back enjoing games.

 

[Zakalwe]

It's a great game. People must stop caring about minor nuisances like these (which happened every generation) and go back enjoing games.

Eh.

Some people are very sensitive to performance aspects like framerate. I can't enjoy a game that has stuttering issues or regularly drops frames, just pulls me out.

 

[Prine]

This same shit as Assassin's Creed.
I wonder why CD Project are more allowed...

TW3 is a masterpiece, one of the best games released and should be played regardless of the hiccups. Itd be a crying shame of someone were to avoid it due to these (to me) minor hitches. Unity on the other hand was a mess of a game so its performance failing just further cements its joke status.

 

[StrongBlackVine]

It's a great game. People must stop caring about minor nuisances like these (which happened every generation) and go back enjoing games.

This is not minor issues.

 

[Spider_Jerusalem]

This is not minor issues.

Probably it's very subjective then. I'm highly enjoying it on Xbox One and frame rate hasn't been a problem at all so far, even pre-1.03 patch.

 

[Zakalwe]

This is not minor issues.

Subjective. Some find it gamebreaking, some don't even see it.

 

[Mr Rivuz]

Wish i had an xbone to play this game.

Or a decent pc.

 

[MMaRsu]

Wish i had an xbone to play this game.

Or a decent pc.

Why not a ps4?

 

[EGM1966]

Good to see them continue to optimize the game. I get the feeling their familiarity with DirectX is allowing them to achieve better optimization on XB1 (where they're more held back by the console's specs) vs PS4 (where it feels they're improving but somewhat relying on the power advantage to deliver 1080p but haven't achieved quite parity optimization wise).

I reckon they'll squeeze out some further improvements though.

It's interesting though how DF compares as the resolution difference in cases like this complicates things. XB1 definitely has a small frame rate advantage but mainly due to being 900p vs 1080p (I know it's dynamic 1080p but the analysis has shown it's essentially 900p almost all the time so the dynamic element is moot). I guess for dual console owners it becomes a case of what matters more, better IQ or better frame rate.

For single console owners the situation is locked in. If you're XB1 you have no choice but to accept worse IQ and better frame rate and vice versa on the PS4.

Curious to see what difference DX12 makes on PC though after the comments from developer of Project Cars.

 

[Ghost Slayer]

Subjective. Some find it gamebreaking, some don't even see it.

Maybe on Xbone or PC but i'm pretty sure it's noticeable on PS4

 

[Mr Rivuz]

Why not a ps4?

Because it's the less smooth version of the game, the only one dropping as low as 20 fps i think.
I own a ps4 by the way, on the fence waiting to see if they can improve it with future patches.
Will buy it anyway sooner or later, but i can wait. Maybe they'll fix it, and surely i'll find it cheaper.

 

[Deleted member 325805]

I couldn't imagine playing this game or any at 20fps or lower, that's just slideshow territory. When it locks to 20fps it looks like it's running in slow motion. Surely 900p without dips would be better? I'm playing on PC and it's one of the best games every made so it's shame it runs like ass on console.

 

[Evo X]

This is not minor issues.

If these issues bother you so much, get it on PC. I'm playing 1440p 60+fps with GYSNC.

If you don't want to spend the money, then enjoy the experience these sub $400 budget boxes provide.

CDPR are doing the best they can with the hardware at their disposal.

 

[OmegaTreeFish]

Probably it's very subjective then. I'm highly enjoying it on Xbox One and frame rate hasn't been a problem at all so far, even pre-1.03 patch.

It is. Some people don't care about IQ either and some find it very important.

For me its the frame rate thats important. Image quality I am fine with being lower as I basically don't notice once I'm playing. Choppy frame rates are very noticeable and ruin the game play for me.

I have to run this at 720p on my laptop to get it always 30+ and it took a lot of tweaking to get there. But now I have, the games a pure pleasure to play. Until that Kepler "fix" got found, the games drops in towns, villages, Random spots on the map almost had me shelve the game.

I almost got this for my ps4 instead a d I'm glad I didn't now.

 

[GoonerTRON]

Even I can see when it drops to 20 how choppy it looks, and I'm someone who can't see a difference between 30 and 60. Must look like a slideshow to you guys.

Do you have some sort of eye condition?

 

[the_batman]

Because it's the less smooth version of the game, the only one dropping as low as 20 fps i think.
I own a ps4 by the way, on the fence waiting to see if they can improve it with future patches.
Will buy it anyway sooner or later, but i can wait. Maybe they'll fix it, and surely i'll find it cheaper.

waiting on this game is a mistake, it's like when i waited to buy dark souls..

 

[omonimo]

Because it's the less smooth version of the game, the only one dropping as low as 20 fps i think.
I own a ps4 by the way, on the fence waiting to see if they can improve it with future patches.
Will buy it anyway sooner or later, but i can wait. Maybe they'll fix it, and surely i'll find it cheaper.

The ps4 it's 20 fps locked in some situations, it didn't drops simply. I'm surprise DF has not indagate yet about it, because it's really weird and not normal.

Missed opportunity to not do a frame rate test in a gameplay section with heavy drops. People are gonna say "only drops in cutscenes bro" again.

The funny thing it's this tangible advantage is not really evident in those video, except in the cutscene. They should provide at least the comparison in the bog to talk of advantage.

 

[Kezen]

If these issues bother you so much, get it on PC. I'm playing 1440p 60+fps with GYSNC.

If you don't want to spend the money, then enjoy the experience these sub $400 budget boxes provide.

CDPR are doing the best they can with the hardware at their disposal.

I absolutely agree with the last line. Hardware limitations are real.