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Face-Off: Fallout 4 - Digital Foundry
- Thread starter Kralamoonard
- Start date
Intheflorsh
Banned
Oh my god does the PS4 version look like garbage in that gif.
Glad my PC can keep up with the game.
Glad my PC can keep up with the game.
johnnydrama
Banned
C'mon, man! The game is really fun. Been playing on my PC at 1440p and it holds a locked 60fps most of the time.
Pjsprojects
Member
So the stutter while driving got fixed?
Angelus Errare
Banned
ITT: "Something something MGSV, something something this game should be 60fps cuz outdated graphix!" - People who have absolutely no clue what they're talking about.
With that stated it is a shame the performance is all over the place on consoles (and to a lesser extent PC). It would be nice if Bethesda took some time to work on their engine's CPU performance to iron out a few issues. Due to how their engine works and how much it keeps tracks of in each cell, I wouldn't expect miracles but I'm sure there is some net gain to be had.
With that stated it is a shame the performance is all over the place on consoles (and to a lesser extent PC). It would be nice if Bethesda took some time to work on their engine's CPU performance to iron out a few issues. Due to how their engine works and how much it keeps tracks of in each cell, I wouldn't expect miracles but I'm sure there is some net gain to be had.
It is fun and if you like the previous games you will enjoy it. It is just dated and kind of sloppy in places. The conversations and leveling took a step back as well.
Karak
Member
Ya that's pretty much all I hear. Its not only different its shockingly different and instantly regretfully noticeable.
Windom Earle
Banned
Parity paired with abysmal performance, this is as low as it gets. Especially with those graphics.
I have it on PS4 and it's not a looker, the worst part is definitely the random frame drops though, It never feels solid, always feels like you're one step from it dropping again, and it usually does. The indoor sections are dreadful, Corvega in particular feels like you're moving in slow motion when some molotovs get thrown and controller response is ridiculous.
I love Jim Sterling but him saying he didn't notice any drops and I'm like "HOW!?".
I love Jim Sterling but him saying he didn't notice any drops and I'm like "HOW!?".
Zombie James
Banned
Only Pete Hines responded on Twitter and he denies there's a problem.
Shin-Ra
Junior Member
There's nothing tin hat about it, two different hardware specs and API's but they matched settings.
Anyone suggesting they should look the same is crazy.
Primethius
Banned
Yikes at the console frame-rate drops. The PC version is a mess too. The game is super buggy in general too.
I'm actually not sure what I expected.
I'm actually not sure what I expected.
All you really need to get better is an I3 and a 750TI, which isn't expensive.
StrongBlackVine
Banned
When are people going to stop with this shit? Same thing was said about The Witcher 3 forever until they finally fixed their mess. I don't expect Bethesda make the effort though.
Not 100.000% fixed, but reduced to meaninglessness on my PC (SSD, 980, 4770k). The game used to stutter much more noticeably at launch for 3 weeks to one month. Patches + new drivers eliminated it nearly completely, I could only tell it stutters if I record frametimes.
If you want to stress test the streaming engine, take a fast bike. No noticeably stutter on my end.
johnnydrama
Banned
I don't think the game is CPU limited. The problems that the PS4 version is facing are GPU related anyway. My guess would be Bethesda primarily developed the game on Xbox One, and the PS4 is brute forcing a lot of the unoptimized code. Same goes for PC, even though the PC version has been pretty great in my experience.
I'm enjoying it quite a bit (I guess that s remains the core of their sales and level of acceptance) but I'm definitely dissappointed in the code stability and optimization. Either the engine is unoptimized in many areas or they're using code for a lot of stuff that's not worth the end result.
Given the sales increase they've seen from Olblivion through Skyrim it's definitely disappointing the profits didn't result in better code than this.
Based on the material it was obviously developed towards XB1 with minimal effort to port to PS4 or optimise better for it via the port to use some of the additional power. Feels like they coded everything for XB1 DirectX then dumped it on PS4 with no other effort.
Even PC doesn't feel that solid.
I feel they needed to truly revamp the engine at base but this feels like a much less successfully cutting out/bolting in approach on a foundation that shouldn't have been used.
Technical dissppointment aside it is damn addicting though. Bastards!
Given the sales increase they've seen from Olblivion through Skyrim it's definitely disappointing the profits didn't result in better code than this.
Based on the material it was obviously developed towards XB1 with minimal effort to port to PS4 or optimise better for it via the port to use some of the additional power. Feels like they coded everything for XB1 DirectX then dumped it on PS4 with no other effort.
Even PC doesn't feel that solid.
I feel they needed to truly revamp the engine at base but this feels like a much less successfully cutting out/bolting in approach on a foundation that shouldn't have been used.
Technical dissppointment aside it is damn addicting though. Bastards!
Alebrije
Member
En tierra de ciegos el tuerto es el rey
In blinds people land the one eye man is the king
StrongBlackVine
Banned
I expected the PS4 version to be a mess. I didn't expect the Xbox One to be one as well. Bethesda did a horrible job technically and are rewarded handsomely for it. So expect the next Elder Scrolls to be a mess on console too.
Alebrije
Member
Next month sales chart will be the official answer
Kralamoonard
Member
So how about instead of patronising us by telling people they have no clue what they're talking about, please enlighten us and explain why it's crazy to entertain the thought (putting the engine aside) why the game in its current graphical fidelity can't turn a variable 60fps with some things (such as AA and possibly resolution if need be) scaled back.
The reason why MGSV example was bought up is because the game has a really well optimised engine; yeah it doesn't have he detail or scale of FO4, but as I said it shows what thorough optimisation can do.
Pjsprojects
Member
Thanks,will reinstall it.
I have it on PC with a high end rig and feel the same way that you do. Granted it's closer to 60 but the fps fluctuations in Corvega is ridiculous and frankly the game is ugly.
Dictator93
Member
I sent you a PM!
Ricerocket
Member
Tthere is no way this game is GPU limited. This game is no benchmark for graphics or anything in the looks department. The same areas that the consoles struggle with are also on PC as well. There is no brute forcing it.
Primethius
Banned
There's a lot of stuff in the PC version that is bugging the crap out of me.
The Fallout urge was too strong otherwise I would have waited for mods to fix all the annoying shit in the game before purchasing.
No. It definitely is a mix of both. If you just look at what happens while the game is grinding after completion of quests you see the frame rate topple. You can practically feel the state machine of the scripting system rolling its gears.
It's not. You're correct. But it's the biggest factor and the biggest factor by a long shot.
TheChewyWaffles
Member
I can't wait to get off of this gen of consoles :\
Kralamoonard
Member
I can't wait for Bethesda to change their engine and start optimising properly :/
.
Windom Earle
Banned
This gen is comparatively weak, but can still produce great results when in the right hands. (I think Drive Club is the best looking game there is)
Weak console hardware does not excuse this showing.
Same, I regret buying PS4 when it first released with bunch of games afterwards when I could've built a decent PC by now - if i saved. Currently saving atm to build an ultimate PC
Won't make a difference with Bethesda. Fallout 4 is basically the single worst performing game on consoles. They are underpowered but that's not where the brunt of the blame should be placed, I feel.
TheChewyWaffles
Member
All true, but more powerful hardware sure will cover a multitude of sins @ 1080p.
Look at it this way. The scope, systems and simulation complexity hasn't risen much higher than Skyrim. So where are the CPU cycles going?
Some of it is graphics, but even on PC you get areas of low GPU utilization. Why?
Zombie James
Banned
Definitely not. If there's such a thing as an amateur-hour AAA developer, Bethesda is it.
UnrealEck
Member
Like it did with Batman?
Seriously, PC is obviously much more powerful but this is a disastrous port on consoles, it's hard to draw any conclusions and comparisons other than Bethesda messed up.
My PC won with Batman.
As for PCs being much more powerful than consoles, they also tested with an i3 and a 750 Ti and it still came out on top by far.
This isn't just a bad console port. The game is poor on PC too. There's poor performance reported all over the internet on a wide range of setups including both AMD and nVidia and ranging to the top tier of cards. If you couple these results with the visual quality of the game for an end of 2015 PC title, it's not exactly a technically good job on PC either by any means.
To top it off, so much of the game still seems it's built on console first and PC second. The interface. No keybindings. Many actions in the game bound to the same key. Vsync turned on by default. No graphics options in-game still.
Kralamoonard
Member
Where do we draw the line though? "Oh it's fine if we don't optimise it since the hardware can cover our sins".
You get me? Regardless if the hardware was more powerful, they still wouldn't optimise it thoroughly nor would they use it to its full potential. You'd still find the same problems.
Better hardware shouldn't excuse or reward incompetency nor should it cover up for less optimisation.
Zombie James
Banned
I don't remember the developer or the game, but I remember many years ago the response a developer gave about low performance with one of their games was "RAM is cheap". I'm not a fan of the whole "lazy devs" line but expecting users to brute force their way around your ineptitude is definitely lazy.
ClayKavalier
Banned
In going to get the game later this week. I have an X1 and a PS4, and don't have a PC I can play on.
It sounds like PS4 is the better choice since it stutters in firefights more frequently, but X1 stutters while just walking around. Is that right? Or is it basically a wash?
I'm considering waiting to see if performance patches change things like with the Witcher, not sure how realistic that is though.
It sounds like PS4 is the better choice since it stutters in firefights more frequently, but X1 stutters while just walking around. Is that right? Or is it basically a wash?
I'm considering waiting to see if performance patches change things like with the Witcher, not sure how realistic that is though.
AgentOtaku
Member
Excellent OP
And yeah, this game is fucking gross from a technical perspective and, as stated, the hardware itself is receiving a disservice by continually having to run this woefully outdated engine.
I know it doesn't mean shit at this point as Bethesda is laughing all the way to the bank, but I'm at least not gonna pickup Fallout4.
And yeah, this game is fucking gross from a technical perspective and, as stated, the hardware itself is receiving a disservice by continually having to run this woefully outdated engine.
I know it doesn't mean shit at this point as Bethesda is laughing all the way to the bank, but I'm at least not gonna pickup Fallout4.
On xbone and I really haven't seen any real bad drops and I'm 8hrs into the game. You haven't to remember DF is playing these games to stress test the frame rate. I've encountered more more frame rate drops on the Witcher than Fallout 4.
Post a clip of you going through the corvega factory, this anecdotal nonsense with no evidence needs to stop when we all have the capability of showing proof.
I'd love a 3-way comparison with PC at medium, at ultra and ini-tweaked (uGridsToLoad, object and shadow distances).Half the game is missing in the console version
From what you could see in the NV article, the difference for distant vistas between ini-tweaked and ultra is almost as big as between ultra and medium (or consoles).