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DigitalFoundry: How Knack 2 offers players more on PS4 Pro

L

Loudninja

Member
Vid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdqhei0yXwY

By default, Knack 2 on PlayStation 4 Pro sticks opts for the high resolution mode, which sees the game running at 3200x1800 using checkerboard rendering. Seeing as checkerboarding is a crucial feature of the PS4 Pro - and a focus for Cerny's efforts in developing the console - it comes as no surprise to see Knack 2 tapping into this feature. While not native 4K, the resulting image quality is sharp and clean, working well with the title's distinctive art style.

Pro users also benefit from a high frame-rate mode, which pares down resolution to 1080p in order to maximise performance. On paper, an 1800p to 1080p resolution downgrade doesn't sound too appealing, but image quality is still highly accomplished thanks to a superb temporal anti-aliasing solution. Knack's performance profile varies according to mode, but suffice to say that this option takes you almost to a locked 60 frames per second - a huge improvement over the first game's Pro patch.
Click to expand...
There's more good news for Pro owners too: both modes are available regardless of the display attached - the way it should be. Players still gaming on 1080p screens get the benefit of super-sampling or improved performance: a win-win scenario. For owners of the base unit - PS4 Amateur, if you like - the rendering set-up locks to 1080p as you may expect, but that doesn't mean that we're looking at parity with the Pro's high performance mode. Higher resolution shadow maps are implemented for the top-tier PS4, along with changes to ambient occlusion.

Overall though, the visuals on display are generally equal and the result is a great-looking release that represents a huge leap over the original game. There's a larger degree of variety in the gameplay to the point where the first three levels all look and feel entirely unique, while evolving from checkpoint to checkpoint. Compared to the repetitive designs of the original, something likely necessitated by the need to launch alongside the PS4, Knack 2 feels like a breath of fresh air.
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However, if you're playing on PS4 Pro, you may not even need it. The sequel's high frame-rate mode delivers a near-locked 60fps experience and it does wonders for the game. The game is faster and more responsive in this mode and looks great during gameplay. Knack 2 includes a lot of extra platforming gameplay compared to the original game and the additional precision granted by the improved performance level is welcome. Unlike the Pro's near-locked 60fps, the base system spends most of its time in the mid-40s. This is still a mild improvement over the original game as that could drop below 30fps relatively frequently but here, the frame-rate remains in the 40s most of the time.

It's interesting that Knack 2 manages to deliver on the promise of the PS4 Pro by offering players the option to hit that desired 60fps frame-rate. Few other games have managed to pull this off - Deck 13's The Surge being one of the very few, but it's great to see it here. Of course, it does highlight one performance-saving technique on display here - half-rate physics. When large physics interactions occur, the objects tend to update at half the frame-rate resulting in less fluid motion. It's not a big deal, but it is an interesting way to conserve resources.
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http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2017-knack-2-and-how-it-exploits-ps4-pro-features
 
K

Kyoufu

Member
John covered everything here, but I gotta agree that the 60fps mode looks really good, especially with HDR enabled. No desire to use the higher resolution mode.
 
B

belvedere

Junior Butler
Its easy to see the Jaguar as a lost cause here so its good to see a few recent titles adding this option.
 
C

cakely

Member
It's still really weird for me to read "downgrade to 1080p" in a sentence.

1080p/60fps is an option I wish was available in every single game.
 
D

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
cakely said:
It's still really weird for me to read "downgrade to 1080p" in a sentence.

1080p/60fps is an option I wish was available in every single game.
Click to expand...
That only works when the limiting factor is the GPU, of course, but yes, it's a good option when possible.
 
P

PsihoPerihelion

Member
I may buy the game for my young nephew. I like supporting games with good PS4 Pro efforts.

Ahasverus said:
Disappointing Pro patch coming from Cerny himself. Maybe the Pro is not all that.
Click to expand...
Confused-Jacksonville-Jaguars-fan-in-stands.gif
 
C

cakely

Member
Ahasverus said:
Disappointing Pro patch coming from Cerny himself. Maybe the Pro is not all that.
Click to expand...

So you didn't read the article, and then you clearly didn't read the thread. I'm not even sure you read the topic title.

If this was sarcasm, you got me good.
 
T

TKM

Member
Another good video, and I really appreciate how John addressed the lackluster demo. Not just pointing out where it falls flat, but also suggesting a much better area SIE could have used. Game demos are rare these days, and it's easy to see here the perils of risking backlash. Was the marketing exposure worth it?

As for myself, I was already sold on Knack II and skipped the demo. Plus it would have cluttered up my games library (c'mon Sony, let us hide Betas/Demos!).
 
A

Ahasverus

Member
Loudninja said:
How so?

This is some of the best efforts.
Click to expand...

PsihoPerihelion said:
I may buy the game for my young nephew. I like supporting games with good PS4 Pro efforts.


Confused-Jacksonville-Jaguars-fan-in-stands.gif
Click to expand...

CREMSteve said:
What?
Click to expand...

Ferr986 said:
What more did you expect lol it sounds like the best Pro patch you could make.
Click to expand...

cakely said:
So you didn't read the article, and then you clearly didn't read the thread. I'm not even sure you read the topic title.

If this was sarcasm, you got me good.
Click to expand...
Bear with me.

Yes, the 60fps is great and all. But the graphics don't get very much improved. Cerny, as the architect of the Pro (and the 4) I thought was going to blow everyone away with the Pro mode, but it's almost the same game, in higher framerate.

Of course there are great Pro implementations, but I really thought Cerny was going to deliver something beyond the mean.

Granted, the game doesn't look that good. Maybe graphics are not their thing.
 
F

farisr

Member
Nice, sounds like a great Pro patch.

Also good to see that they took their idea of harder difficulties having altered environments (like certain platforms being gone and fences/railings being missing) and expanded to different harder paths completely that aren't open if you're on easier difficulties.

Also, good thing the demo being bad and not being a good representation of the game was addressed as well.
 
L

Loudninja

Member
farisr said:
Nice, sounds like a great Pro patch.

Also good to see that they took their idea of harder difficulties having altered environments (like certain platforms being gone and fences/railings being missing) and expanded to different harder paths completely that aren't open if you're on easier difficulties.

Also, good thing the demo being bad and not being a good representation of the game was addressed as well.
Click to expand...
Yeah I dont think you see much stuff like this.
 
RedAssedApe

RedAssedApe

Banned
Bit confused by the settings mentioned in this article.

So there's 1800p mode on the pro. Is that the 30 fps locked mode. and if you unlock it it drops to 1080p to try and hit 60? Only have two settings. Or did I misread the article and they were jumping back and forth between pro and oh PS4 so it made it sound like more modes?
 
N

Neith

Banned
Rizific said:
Needs to be shouted from every mountain top until every Dev gets it.
Click to expand...

Devs do get it. But it's not something you can do with a lot of the games they are pushing. Horizon would look like complete shit in 60FPS solid, and even I don't want to play Horizon looking like that. Designing them now around 30FPS is the better way to do it, because they will be 60FPS with the next system more than likely. If you go 60FPS now you have a whole lot of remastering to be done, and a solid 30FPS is mostly fine with great motion blur for many games. You also have to show people your shit looking game and hey but it's 60FPS guys doesn't work when you can barely render your game 4 feet in front of you.

I can sacrifice a lot for 60. But I won't sacrifice draw distance, aliasing, LOD, and overall lighting and textures. I can budge on some of those but never draw distance or aliasing.

I actually just went down to 30FPS so I could get a locked 4K plus ini tweaks and mods in Witcher 3. I played at 60 for a long time. But 4K makes that 1080p look like shit even on a 1080p display IMO. Plus it was never 60 solid. 60 solid is fucking hard to hit with great graphics, and graphics still sell games. You know, because we have to look at the game we are playing.
 
R

Renekton

Member
Rizific said:
Needs to be shouted from every mountain top until every Dev gets it.
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Nah that's too dogmatic and rigid. Let it be situational to the game's workload (eg CPU-heavy) and priorities (eg HZD eye candy).

What you SHOULD shout for is that Sony get a better CPU for PS5 :] Jaguars are awful
 
R

RayCharlizard

Member
henhowc said:
Bit confused by the settings mentioned in this article.

So there's 1800p mode on the pro. Is that the 30 fps locked mode. and if you unlock it it drops to 1080p to try and hit 60? Only have two settings. Or did I misread the article and they were jumping back and forth between pro and oh PS4 so it made it sound like more modes?
Click to expand...

There are two resolution modes, 1800c (high resolution) and 1080p (high performance). There is also a 30 fps toggle, so you can play either resolution modes with unlocked frame rate or you can lock it down to 30 fps. The 1800p mode runs in the mid 40s most of the time, the 1080p mode runs at a near locked 60.

The 30 fps cap is also available on standard PS4, unlocked on base PS4 (which runs at 1080p) runs in the mid 40s as well, but usually slightly higher than the PS4 Pro.
 
C

Callibretto

Member
farisr said:
Nice, sounds like a great Pro patch.

Also good to see that they took their idea of harder difficulties having altered environments (like certain platforms being gone and fences/railings being missing) and expanded to different harder paths completely that aren't open if you're on easier difficulties.

Also, good thing the demo being bad and not being a good representation of the game was addressed as well.
Click to expand...

wow that's cool. does the game have altered layout for very hard difficulty as well?
 
D

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
pswii60 said:
Not text adventures.
Click to expand...
Sure it does! Typing is more responsive at 60hz - updating the screen at half rate would result in a less satisfying typing experience.

It can also become beneficial depending on how you choose to display your text.

:D
 
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