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[4K] The Witcher 3: PS4 Pro Analysis, PC Comparisons + Frame-Rate Tests!

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Digital Foundry: Witcher 3: PS4 Pro Analysis, PC Comparisons + Frame-Rate Tests!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcNQVuNo_kY

Full article:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/d...3-on-ps4-pro-deliver-a-top-tier-4k-experience


Visuals:

- 2160p image achieved with Checker Board Rendering
- Technically rendering out 1920x2160 being checker boarded to a full 4K frame buffer
- Results slightly blurrier than native 4K but in still moments it creates a good illusion of native 4K.
- CDPR went past DF's expectations in results.
- If in-game motion blur is disabled, some CB artifacts can be observed, so recommended to keep it on.
- Super sampling for 1080p TV's confirmed again.
- Anti aliasing on foliage etc makes it much clearer over OG PS4.
- Ambient Occlusion upgraded from SSAO to PC's higher grade HBAO
- Texture filtering increased close to 16X AF.
- Draw distances and shadow quality remains the same.
- PC's Higher quality textures, higher shadow quality and Hair works are not included
- "Easily one of the better Pro upgrade I've covered"


Performance:

- Stress areas like croogback bog and alpha heavy cut-scenes run worse with the patch on Pro.
- Bog runs at around 25 FPS for stretches.
- But issue only arises in either intensive cut-scenes or the bog area.
- Alternatively in CPU heavy areas like Novigrad which has a lot of objects in a place, Pro runs at 30 FPS with OG dropping to 25 FPS.
- Much of the game is still 30 FPS with fewer streaming hiccups on the Pro.
 
Just uploaded:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcNQVuNo_kY


- 2160p image achieved with Checker Board Rendering
- Technically rendering out 1920x2160 being checker boarded to a full 4K frame buffer
- Results slightly blurrier than native 4K but in still moments it creates a good illusion of native 4K.
- CDPR went past DF's expectations in results.
- If in-game motion blur is disabled, some CB artifacts can be observed, so recommended to keep it on.
- Super sampling for 1080p TV's confirmed again.
- Anti aliasing on foliage etc makes it much clearer over OG PS4.
- Ambient Occlusion upgraded from SSAO to HBAO

No... I... Must... resist... A... Third... Playthrough...

Ngh.... Toussaint... in PS4 Pro.... aaaaaaah
 

KageMaru

Member
- Technically rendering out 1920x2160 being checker boarded to a full 4K frame buffer
- Super sampling for 1080p TV's confirmed again.
- Anti aliasing on foliage etc makes it much clearer over OG PS4.
- Ambient Occlusion upgraded from SSAO to PC's higher grade HBAO
- Texture filtering increased close to 16X AF.
- "Easily one of the better Pro upgrade I've covered"

They really went above and beyond with this patch. Happy to see that AF and AO are indeed improved. I can't wait to start the expansions.
 
Honestly a very impressive upgrade over base resolution. I was in the camp where I thought that they would just go to 1440p and call it a day.

I played a bit of it and it looks pretty great in 4K.
 
I really wish Tom showed a comparison to HBAO+ setting on PC next to the PS4pro version as I have my doubts that they would use it on console. It would be easiest to tell in the corners of buildings more so, than in the grass IMO.

Perhaps the differences in AO that are evident are due to TW3 scaling AO with resolution, and not a difference in technique.

The detriment in performance makes sense (PS4pro does not have the bandwidth although it has shading performance) but kinda lame. It would be nice if they offered a lower resolution mode to help with the performance, and 1800c setting.
 
It's weird that they don't mention the foliage running at lower res. Is that not a thing throughout the game? Looked pretty bad on some of the screenshots here.
 
Would of hoped for stable 30fps throughout, but I'll take it. You're in Novigrad significantly more than the bog anyway... and it was only specific areas of the bog that seemed to cause noticeable slow-down. Whereas it was literally like half the Novigrad city which would cause slow dow.
 

Viale

Member
Man, those sound like some great improvements. I wanted to double dip and replay on PC now that I finally have myself a gaming pc, but it looks like the pro version got a lot of love... Maybe I could do three playthroughs.
 

KageMaru

Member
I really wish Tom showed a comparison to HBAO+ setting on PC next to the PS4pro version as I have my doubts that they would use it on console. It would be easiest to tell in the corners of buildings more so, than in the grass IMO.

Perhaps the differences in AO that are evident are due to TW3 scaling AO with resolution, and not a difference in technique.

The detriment in performance makes sense (PS4pro does not have the bandwidth although it has shading performance) but kinda lame. It would be nice if they offered a lower resolution mode to help with the performance, and 1800c setting.

Hopefully someone can provide PS4 and PC screens to compare.

And yeah it was clear in the VGTech video that the game dips during alpha heavy scenes or environments. Wonder how the end game runs. If I had the time I'd love to play through the whole game again.
 

BeeDog

Member
Aside from the small performance decrease in the bog, sounds like a much better upgrade than I imagined. Good work, CDPR! And thanks for the great summary OP.
 
Hopefully someone can provide PS4 and PC screens to compare.

Skellige inside the blacksmith building in Fryesdal:

HBAO+
witcher3_2017_10_06_1cts9r.png


SSAO
witcher3_2017_10_06_1ursb6.png
 

Krappadizzle

Gold Member
Man, those sound like some great improvements. I wanted to double dip and replay on PC now that I finally have myself a gaming pc, but it looks like the pro version got a lot of love... Maybe I could do three playthroughs.

60 fps on PC with hairworks is a way better experience than 4kCBR.

But honestly, you can't go wrong playing either way as it's still an amazing game regardless of platform.
 

JoeLT

Member
Looks great, hope the Xbox One X patch keeps the 4K Checkerboard and increases some settings instead going with native 4K. Or even better give us the option like in Tomb Raider and Shadow of War!
 

EGM1966

Member
So really solid job in the end. Well done to the devs. I play it on PC so not interested in playing on PS4 with this but nice to see a Pro patch that delivers a worthwhile boost and delivers a solidly better experience for Pro owners.

Wonder if One X will CB and push effects more or go for native 4K (or both)?
 

Krappadizzle

Gold Member
So really solid job in the end. Well done to the devs. I play it on PC so not interested in playing on PS4 with this but nice to see a Pro patch that delivers a worthwhile boost and delivers a solidly better experience for Pro owners.

Wonder if One X will CB and push effects more or go for native 4K (or both)?

If XBX can do CBR while also giving 60fps, that'd be great. I'd prefer that than native 4k 30fps if I had to play on consoles.
 

Markitron

Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
When they first announced the patch I would have been happy with 1440p and an improved draw distance. Really happy with it, looks fantastic on my TV. Perfect excuse to finally play the expansions.

If XBX can do CBR while also giving 60fps, that'd be great. I'd prefer that than native 4k 30fps if I had to play on consoles.

There's no way this is gonna run at 60 fps even on the 1X. My guess is native 4K, locked 30 fps, improved draw distance and shadow quality - Maybe.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
If XBX can do CBR while also giving 60fps, that'd be great. I'd prefer that than native 4k 30fps if I had to play on consoles.

Frame rate is more CPU oriented, the XB1X's CPU isnt' that far ahead of the Pro.

At best, native 4K with a solid 30 FPS should be do-able.
 

Journey

Banned
If XBX can do CBR while also giving 60fps, that'd be great. I'd prefer that than native 4k 30fps if I had to play on consoles.


Doubling the framerate would require more than double the performance because of overhead, you would need a true next gen console to pull that off, and as powerful as X1X is, the CPU is not that far ahead of Pro.

CBR 4K would be fine, but then the focus should be rock solid 30fps throughout and PC quality textures, including TreeGate.
 
There's no way this is gonna run at 60 fps even on the 1X. My guess is native 4K, locked 30 fps, improved draw distance and shadow quality - Maybe.

4k 60 is not happening on XB1.

CB rendering is a good substitute for native 4k. You get good results, like this, without melting your machine.
 

Markitron

Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
4k 60 is not happening on XB1.

CB rendering is a good substitute for native 4k. You get good results, like this, without melting your machine.

Isn't that exacly what I said ? :)
 

Ahasverus

Member
Checkerboarding techniques are getting better and better. This one is up there with Guerilla's in the "You almost got me" category.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
One thing I wish DF would mention, or if John can add a comment here.

Is there any improvements on the frame rate on the Pro by turning the in game "Motion Blur" and "Blur" options off ? In their last OG PS4 comparison with the patch 1.08, they mention that turning both these off gives a 3~4 frame rate boost in the bog area.
 
Really wish that CDPR would have went with a tricked-out 1440p upgrade (or even a PC Ultra-level comprable 1080p upgrade) instead of this. It does look better in some regards...but worse in others.

Glad to see CDPR provide this to gamers though. Can't wait to see the improvements to the XBO:X version.
 

KageMaru

Member
Really wish that CDPR would have went with a tricked-out 1440p upgrade (or even a PC Ultra-level comprable 1080p upgrade) instead of this. It does look better in some regards...but worse in others.

Glad to see CDPR provide this to gamers though. Can't wait to see the improvements to the XBO:X version.

How does it look worse?
 

carsar

Member
60 fps on PC with hairworks is a way better experience than 4k.
I had been playing The Witcher 3 for 50 hours at 1080p60fps and then switched to 4k 30fps. I'll never return to 1080 whatever fps it can offer. So, people are different, tastes are different..
 

belvedere

Junior Butler
My gaming PC is starting to collect dust, but isn't HBAO expensive as hell? Unless that's changed in recent months.
 
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