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DigitalFoundry: Quantum Break - An Xbox One Tech Showcase
- Thread starter Theorry
- Start date
Spoilers?
Yeah, there are some spoilers (though nothing too revealing or anything - mostly location spoilers for the first half of the game). I needed to show that stuff in order to analyze it, though.
One thing I'm a bit unsure of, is the native res at most given frames still 720p? In other words, does it use previous frames in reconstruction to produce a cleaner native 720p image, which is then up-scaled to 1080p, or does it combine the previous 720p frames to make a new native 1080p image, that doesn't require up-scaling, but has other negatives and still isn't as sharp as typical native 1080p because of the reconstruction process?
In any case, great video. Very in depth, aside from delving too deeply in to the reconstruction method or process.
In any case, great video. Very in depth, aside from delving too deeply in to the reconstruction method or process.
LabouredSubterfuge
Member
My understanding is that it's the latter AFAIK. Someone may correct me.
The video is fantastic, I'm assuming they're your average youtube trolls.
I do think that they are using previous frame information to fill in missing pixels when the camera stops. You always have to move the camera in order to get to a stopping point so the data prior to that is blended together. I have more detail in the article tomorrow including some interesting screenshot examples.
When the game suddenly cuts to another shot and there is no information available, you'll see it become progressively cleaner over the course of four frames. So the very first frame after a transition is very VERY jaggy (though they often try to hide this by using heavy blurring on the first frame following a cut) but it smooths out. So it's always running this calculation and it creates a rather variable image quality while playing that is at its sharpest when not moving.
It never actually looks like a native 1080p image, however, but it doesn't look like 720p either. I think this combines with their AA method to create a very soft, but reasonably sharp, image.
I know some people on here that just won't accept what's going on here IQ wise, but I really think it works pretty well. It's Xbox One we're talking about here - they had to make sacrifices somewhere and I think they've selected the right ones.
Likely hardcore PS4 fans? I dunno, but it's rather disheartening when considering how much time and effort goes into producing these videos. I'm sure Remedy feels much much worse when reading reviews like Giant Bomb and Gamespot after pouring YEARS into the game, though.
Yep! I wish we HAD the PC version already but, no dice.
Bright-Light
Member
TheUnsunghero26
Member
Great analysis. I think you said that you'll be comparing the final game to the clips from E3 2013 and Gamescom 2014, is that correct? I'm very interested to see what has changed.
Also, I'm already excited for the in-game TV show.
Also, I'm already excited for the in-game TV show.
Sam Lake as an FBI agent!
Yes, that video (and perf) is going up tomorrow with the article.
Always-honest
Banned
It's a hobby of some people. They are sad frustrated individuals.
Mohonky
Member
I belueve its a 720p native but uses information from previous frames in conjunction with some sort of post processing effect to smooth the image which is why it has a 'soft' image rather than a sharp one as its not actually rendering a higher resolution, its just a method of reducing jaggies and giving the scene the impression their is more information being rendered than actually is.
Yes. The soundtrack is insanely good.
Yeah I can understand that but these people aren't voicing an constructive opinion. It's too easy to dismiss peoples work with a simple click. And more often than not I don't think they actually dislike the video, but the content the video is based upon, in this case Quantum Break.
Willy Wanka
my god this avatar owns
Shadows aside, it looks excellent on Xbox One. The PC version is going to be glorious.
Karak
Member
I have some people who have promised me that every video I will do they will dislike hahahaha
Bright-Light
Member
Yeah it does look at little weird. The main characters ain't too bad, but holy shit at the hair of the npc in the denim jacket at 5:32, it looks like a Lego hair peice.
cyberheater
PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 Xbone PS4 PS4
Looks really good. A technical benchmark title for sure.
So does that mean native 720p in motion, native 900p when stationary, as DF alluded to in the previous analysis, both still requiring up-scaling? Or does it mean reconstructed native 1080p pixels in all situations, but with varying degrees of quality dependant on reconstruction time and accuracy? This is the bit I'm not quite sure on, and that even Remedy's own statement doesn't quite clarify, unlike Guerilla Games statement on Shadowfall for example, which was far more detailed and explanatory.
General Lee
Member
It looks like Xbox One falls short of Remedy's vision for this game in terms of graphics quality. The game would look awesome if the low resolution issues were fixed. The PC version will no doubt look fantastic, but I'm still waiting until it releases before I buy. Hopefully Remedy has put more effort into the PC port than what we've seen from other UWP titles lately.
Digital Foundry did good. This game's unusual rendering techniques make this video particularly interesting and informative (though it could do without the weird review-style editorializing about Alan Wake).
The ways in which Remedy chose to obscure the shortcomings of the whole game's and their volumetric lighting tech's resolution is really smart and seems to work well, but their ambient occlusion and motion blur solutions (if you can even call it that) are extremely distracting.
Overall, it's an odd-looking game - it looks great whenever it doesn't look like it's about to fall apart at the seams.
The ways in which Remedy chose to obscure the shortcomings of the whole game's and their volumetric lighting tech's resolution is really smart and seems to work well, but their ambient occlusion and motion blur solutions (if you can even call it that) are extremely distracting.
Overall, it's an odd-looking game - it looks great whenever it doesn't look like it's about to fall apart at the seams.
It's not like ShadowFall in that the final frame is never actually a full 1920x1080 pixels. Killzone actually tracks specific pixels and objects while using associated motion vectors to calculate its final image. The method used by Remedy appears to work on a full-scene basis instead. As a result, the image quality varies heavily based on the previous frames the game has to work with meaning that results are generally inconsistent.
Even while moving the camera, you won't ALWAYS see the 720p stair steps - it all depends on those previous frames.
It's also not based on MSAA samples, rather, the resulting 1280x720 4x MSAA frame itself.
I really wish we could talk with Remedy for a better understanding since it's really unlike any other technique I've seen.
Duly noted. Just wanted to toss in some thoughts on that as I was kinda high on the gameplay itself. I actually like Alan Wake but found it to be highly repetitive and wanted to note that Quantum Break feels very crafted in comparison with less chaff.
What Remedy have done with QB seems to be what will happen with many games going forward, especially once the PS4k and Xbox1.5 appear. Neither will be able to run a 4k game natively but a 1080P one with features used by QB to have really cool lighting and other features, seem to be the main option. Kinda interested to see if anyone else follows suit after seeing QB.
I'll watch at home for sure. 
chronic_archaic
Member
Thought I was going to wait for a drop in price but damn it looks so fucking good... and I've been wanting a graphical showcase for my Xbone badly.
Tomb Raider says hi.
Deaf Spacker
Memb
We're seeing similar concessions with Uncharted 4 - not exactly a native 1080p presentation.
Infamous and KZ aren't doing real-time GI either.
Uncharted 4 is 1080p native in it's SP though right? Or at least I hope it is. I was under the impression 900p was only for multiplayer, but more to compensate the 60fps. Still think the multiplayer isn't actually that impressive graphically though, especially compared to something like Battlefront.
Opus Angelorum
Member
The lighting it absolutely stellar.
Chobel
Member
Woah there! That's some pretty big news. UC4 is not native 1080p?
Don't take my word on it as I haven't seen it myself but I recall there being some very recent discussion suggesting that ND is using some sort of reconstruction for SP to achieve 1080p. Again, I haven't seen it so I cannot say.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
Love the look of this game, and can't wait to play it. It does remind me of I:SS a lot of the time, but there are certainly things it has over it. If I had to nitpick, it's that at some points the visuals just don't look as impressive as it does at other times. Almost as if they switch to some low shader quality in some scenes or something. I find that to often be the problem with games that use certain implementations of PBR. It's as if things globally break under certain lighting conditions or something. I also don't think characters looks that great a lot of the time, but they look and animate much better than in Alan Wake, that's for sure.
In typical Remedy's fashion, they create visuals that pinch here and there in many places sacrificing the pristine look of the presentation, to create something of a greater good that globally impresses, and I love that.
In typical Remedy's fashion, they create visuals that pinch here and there in many places sacrificing the pristine look of the presentation, to create something of a greater good that globally impresses, and I love that.
Chobel
Member
Where can I read these discussions?
DISSESHOWEDO
Banned
Please provide a link or this is just tales feom your a...
Yes, because dark is known for doing that?
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
They do some strange things to make indirect shadowing appear better than it normally would if it was rendered at whatever resolution they can render it (probably something low). It results in artifacts that sometimes show up as faint looking patterns over things and I think that combined with video macroblocking makes it look like resolution is lower in those places.
