Designed with last-gen consoles in mind, Assassin's Creed Rogue slipped under the radar somewhat owing to the controver…
www.eurogamer.net
"With the console versions of Assassin's Creed Rogue, there's a definite sense that the conversion work across both platforms isn't as closely matched as 2013's Black Flag. The Xbox 360 version is softer and noticeably fuzzier than the PS3 release: while both versions utilise a form of FXAA that attempts to mimic traditional multi-sampling style coverage across edges (but considerably blurring the image in the process), the PS3 version renders natively at 720p whereas a sub-HD resolution is in place on the Microsoft console. Pixel counting puts the ballpark native resolution on the 360 at around 1200x688.
Beyond the framebuffer set-up, we find the core art and most of the effects work is interchangeable between PS3 and 360, although there are some unexpected differences between the two platforms that were not present in Black Flag. For one, SSAO is present on PS3, helping to add depth to characters and the environment, while on Xbox 360 the effect is completely absent, lending more brightly lit scenes a generally flatter appearance. Secondly, in most cases we find that streaming is generally slower on 360, with low resolution textures left on-screen (sometimes without normal maps) for a few seconds during changes in camera angles in some cut-scenes, and when transitioning to gameplay. The situation is much improved on PS3, where the majority of the best quality assets are usually loaded in before the scene begins."
This game was released in 2014, one year after the next-gen consoles. It's clear to me that Ubisoft had finally mastered the PS3 architecture ("too little, too late" someone could argue).
There's also this one which got a huge upgrade (720p30 -> 1080p60) after they refactored the code:
How the Second Runner finally got the remastering treatment it deserved.
www.eurogamer.net
Imagine if Bayonetta 1 had gotten the same treatment. We will never know.
This proves once again that console hardware punches above its weight, no matter if it's exotic or PC-based.
GeForce 8800 GTX on a PS3 would do wonders with a low-level API.
To be fair, PCs these days actually have a low-level API (DX12, Vulkan), but it's not the de facto API (yet). Major AAA games like AC Odyssey still use DX11 and suffer from API inefficiencies causing increased CPU overhead.
RSX can use up to 480MB of RAM (an extra 224MB XDR) via an ultra-fast bus (FlexIO).
It's no coincidence that games like Uncharted 2/3 and TLOU1 had high-res textures vs 3rd party games being blurry AF.
Money post, this looks exactly like the posts I use to make in older DF threads on this here forums....
You notice also that all the AC games started looking just as good on PS3, they ditched Quincunx, so when DF spoke of better textures in AC, it was just the quincunx AA blurring the early PS3 AC games.....I still remember folks talking about Bayonetta as if that meant anything, if Bayonetta was done by Nixxes/Bluepoint/Hexadrive or ground up at platinum
it may have looked and performed even better than the 360 version.....Then look at Platinum's Vanquish on PS3, which was done in-house on PS3....
Vanquish
"In terms of graphical differences between the two games, it's fair to say that there aren't any of real significance - certainly nothing that might affect a purchasing decision: both run at 1024x720 resolution with 2x multi-sampling anti-aliasing (MSAA). Vanquish is a spectacular-looking game that throws out an astounding assortment of effects and the overall look is exactly the same on both platforms. Just about the only issue we did notice on a consistent basis was a difference in shadowing, which seems to favour PS3. In these shots you can see shadowing that's either omitted completely or else suffering from "shadow acne" on the 360. "
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-vanquish-face-off
You remember when folk said ZOE could not run better on PS3 it was bandwidth starved, couldn't handle all that alpha? Kojima showed them that was a lie, the game went from a sub 30fps abhorration at 720p with no AA, with everything improved as much as 10x in performance and IQ and now targeting 60fps....A game which fell to the teens at 720p, with reduced alpha resolution and no AA was now internally rendered at 1280 x 1080p with alpha resolution upshot, lots of AA for smooth IQ and targetting 60fps which it holds 99% of the time....In truth, most of the multiplat devs never really programmed to the PS3 architecture, they only used RSX, I could only imagine if RSX was stronger (perhaps if it had my (8800 GTX Ultra), not for the multiplat devs, but for first party devs, I think all games on PS3 would be 1920 x 1080p with much better effects and features. Imagine what GOW3, Ascension, UC2/3, Killzone 2/3, GT5/6...The best looking games in that generation would have looked like with an even stronger GPU+Cell and placed in the hands of SWWS...
Remember pretty much all first party games from Sony was 720p or higher, unlike MS first party with it's "heralded xenos".....GT5 run 1280 x 1080, GT6 run 1440 x 1080, RR7 run 1080p 60fps, whilst most of the 360 games were only 720p......Forza, had no dynamic weather, shadows or TOD like GT5...and people still question which console was more powerful...….RSX+Cell properly used, simply destroyed Xenos+EDRAM…..
An example....
ZOE2
"One of the key changes implemented by HexaDrive to solve the performance problem is the utilisation of the PlayStation 3's SPUs to handle the workload previously designed for PlayStation 2's vector units. ZOE 2 pushed the PlayStation 2 to its limits and the RSX simply doesn't have the muscle on its own to power through it without help. HexaDrive balanced performance across the entire system, including the SPUs, in order to avoid bottlenecks, resulting in a 10x increase in performance across the board.
Freeing up the RSX also allows for an increase in image quality as well as frame-rate. HexaDrive has taken a three pronged approach to image quality starting with an output resolution of 1080p complete with higher resolution HUD, text, and menu elements. In-game we see 3D elements rendered internally at a resolution of 1280x1080 with FXAA used to smooth out aliasing. Nvidia's post-process effect was selected as a result of its speed and the game's reliance on alpha test transparency, which doesn't play nicely with standard MSAA. On the flipside, 32x MSAA was used specifically for the display of wireframe elements which do not work well with FXAA. While we would have liked to have seen the in-game visuals rendered at 1920x1080, the results still manage to provide a smooth and clean image that meshes perfectly with the games aesthetic and it still represents an extra 50 per cent boost in detail over High Voltage's initial efforts.
Another hallmark of the series is its heavy usage of particles and alpha effects. Laser trails, explosions, and smoke are pushed to the breaking point on PlayStation 2 requiring the use of a lower resolution alpha buffer. This same technique is also employed in the original HD release producing even more noticeably chunky effects as a result of the higher resolution. Such effects are among the most expensive on current generation consoles, particularly the PlayStation 3, so it's surprising to find the updated release now rendering alpha effects at full resolution. Particle density is also restored to match the original PS2 version, which was also drastically reduced in the initial HD release.
Another core focus of this patch concerns matching the visual effects work seen in the PS2 original as closely as possible. To that end we find that textures originally exhibiting colour banding are cleaned up and corrected to match the PS2 release. PS2 games were often limited to 8-bit palette textures as a result of memory limitations and no longer have proper support on modern hardware. HexaDrive has implemented a means to properly emulate the appearance of such textures on modern hardware allowing for smoother blending of colours. It's a detail that is missing in a number of other PlayStation 2 ports going all the way back to the original Xbox release of Metal Gear Solid 2.
In addition, various on-screen elements including the map display are properly adjusted for 16:9 where previously they were stretched. The appearance of fog, shading and bloom lighting are all adjusted to more closely match the original PS2 version as well. While subtle differences remain between the PS2 release and this updated HD release, the overall appearance of the game is much more accurate than it was previously.
Another important visual effect missing from the original HD release is depth of field. Kojima games are known for their cinematic quality and depth of field plays a large role in this. Going back as far as the original Metal Gear Solid we see varying implementations of this cinematic effect, so it's safe to say that its removal is surprising. Depth of field is rendered at a lower resolution on PlayStation 2 similar to other alpha effects so perhaps, as a result of the original implementation, the effect simply didn't play well at 1280x720. Version 2.0 not only reintroduces depth of field but does so using modern techniques. The result is a smooth, higher resolution effect complete with bokeh. The effect is most prominent throughout the games cinema sequences but it is also used to enhance numerous gameplay sequences as well.
It's clear that a lot of work was put into this patch, which finally treats the game - and its fans - with the respect they deserve, but we remain mystified as to why these HD remasters were released in such a shocking state to begin with. Bearing in mind the quality of the original ZOE HD release and its Silent Hill counterpart, we can only assume that budgets took priority over properly remastering these games in a high definition format. That said, we also see that lessons can be learned and perhaps this investment will help to avoid such costly mistakes in the future. With the next generation of consoles on the horizon, the days of porting PlayStation 2 software are no doubt numbered but it's a safe bet that we'll see PS3 and 360 games ported to their successors somewhere down the line. Let's hope that the example of Zone of the Enders will inspire publishers to get their future remasters right the first time - after all, at the core, these releases are fan service, and nostalgia-fuelled gamers are a clearly a highly discerning bunch."
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-how-konami-remade-zoe-hd-remaster