@Fenbops That's the reports I have been seeing that PS5 is properly doing 4K/30 (or 40)/Ultra and Performance is 4K/60/Standard. So if you force 1440p, you should be getting 1440p/60/Ultra.
Xbox appears to be just 4K/60/Standard no matter what - though no one has mentioned if forcing 1440p works as it should on Xbox.
Some people are saying the Xbox version is bugged and stays in Performance Mode no matter what.
If this is true, Microsoft really needs to get stuff sorted out with its developers! This would be the second recent multi-console release that ended up working "correctly" on PlayStation and is bugged on Xbox.
If Microsoft really wants to restore good will with people, make sure the first-party games work correctly on its own system!
@BBB @Nenoeil I will be interested to hear Digital Foundry's thoughts on the 1440p Mode not being a selectable option in the game rather than having to set the console output to 1440p to do it.
To have the game running 1440p/60/Ultra Settings seems way better than Dynamic 4K/Standard Settings/60fps or 4K/Ultra Settings/30fps.
I swear, I feel like Microsoft really pushes that "4K native resolution" way more than Sony does as plenty of games in Sony's library run 1440p for Perfomance Modes. It was the same problem in the X1X days when resolution for most games was ruled in favor of performance.
"*When connected to a 1440p display, the title will run at 1440p resolution at 60 FPS w/ ultra settings regardless of rendering mode"
Kind of dumb that a Balanced Mode option wasn't added that renders the game at 1440p/60 with Ultra settings rather than forcing the system to 1440p to get arguably the best experience over the two selectable options for the game.
@Grumblevolcano I see. I don't play multiplayer so...what's wrong with just playing Gears 4 or Gears 5 multiplayer? It's the same thing, isn't it: pew pew pew other player and be toxic to everyone in voice chat?
I never understood how some people prefer multiplayer to one game in a series to the other as they all look the same to me with the same objectives only different weapon/character skins.
Why do people keep asking for Remasters when the original Trilogy is not only completely playable on Series X|S, but also enhanced?! They still hold up quite well!
I think that's kind of the nice part about the Xbox ecosystem: Microsoft enhances the old games for free and rarely charges for a remaster (there are some small exceptions like Gears of War Ultimate and Halo MCC - but that was long before backwards compatibility enhancements we really a thing - and the Quake games).
Anyways, I am hoping we got some Gears 6 news this year - though I will be curious how they handle the "Sophie's Choice" made at the end of Gears 5.
@IssaBrvndo There is the FPS Boost route, but it's limited to the Xbox One resolution only. The FPS Cap Mod was only for those who wanted "4K/60" on Series X - at the cost of no Achievements (should one even cares).
Hopefully, aside from bug fixes, this update does more for visuals than simply implement the FPS Cap Mod.
I have a feeling a lot of people already playing this on Series X|S and using the FPS Unlock Mod will probably not notice much difference with this update.
@trev666 Because they secretly like Microsoft games but either don't want to buy an Xbox to play them, or can only afford one console and chose PlayStation.
Plus, I think a lot of PlayStation gamers are jaded Xbox fans that didn't like decisions made during the X1 era so they jumped ship and are now "locked" into the PlayStation ecosystem (by choice, of course).
@BBB There was already a Tetris movie. It was all about getting Tetris released outside of Russia - which, apparently, is a rather gripping story mainly because of Soviet Era red tape and control as well as licensing disputes.
It's pretty wild the hoops that had to be jumped through for one game (I only read about it - I have not seen the movie).
@OldGamer999 Perfect example of the differences in thinking between Engineering and Software Development. 😅
I am sure an Engineer thought "Why consume the higher bandwidth memory for this smaller stuff when we can allocate a slower pool for it and leave the faster RAM for other things?"
A developer saw it was like "WTF is this?!" - especially with an engine that probably wasn't designed with this concept in mind as the slower memory was supposed to be use for:
audio data
stack data
executable data
script data
which feels more like a custom engine solution (or modifying UE4 to do so adequately).
Also and interesting note: both Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves use UE4.
When it boils down to it, Microsoft chose to use more CUs in its GPU and Sony chose higher clock speeds.
Perhaps UE4 is more suited for Sony's approach rather than Microsoft's and the PS5 can have slightly higher quality shadows to maintain target framerates than Xbox. Neither is wrong and one approach may have better results than the others under certain conditions.
Such is life.
If anything, this just means Microsoft needs to choose its PR points more wisely when on paper metrics don't necessarily translate to real world metrics in every scenario.
@GeeEssEff Sure, Microsoft was the first do it and will probably the first to end it, too, because the practice is just stupid. You can argue it is because its market share is so low, but regardless, it seems to be slowly ending the practice - love it or hate it.
Final Fantasy XVI will probably never see the light of day on Xbox - but it hasn't even been a year so time will tell. Only a PC version has been discussed.
This game is shockingly taking the leap, though I would have added that to the list.
Silent Hill 2 Remake will probably stay on PlayStation (time will tell)
Silent Hill Short Message (granted, it's not great and it's free) will probably never move over.
Forspoken has yet to get an Xbox date (probably never will)
JETT: The Far Shore has yet to make it to Xbox
Persona series and Like a Dragon series took FOREVER to release on Xbox.
Yes, ultimately the decisions to make these deals lies in the publishers making the deal with Sony - and the biggest culprit is Square Enix.
It is much more difficult to find timed exclusives though, because Sony generally publishes third-party exclusives and ensures the games will stay on PlayStation consoles only (and then jump to PC where applicable). Which, again, supports my argument that Sony doesn't like to share.
None of the games you listed are published by Microsoft, so most of what Microsoft gets is timed (and rarely for more than a year - barring some exceptions). Heck, I think even Stalker 2 only has a 3 month exclusivity window!
Look, I really don't care what plastic box people buy or don't buy. Sony's strategy is working for it. Kudos to Sony. I only get Sony consoles for exclusives (same with my Switch) and I use my Xbox for everything else (I find the Series X to have the better system feature set).
Yes, Microsoft did do some crappy things 19 years ago that rippled through the gaming industry (paid online really needs to go away). But things have changed and markets are changing.
Sony is chasing that live-service cash cow and PC market for a reason - because solely releasing on a single platform isn't sustainable as it was (especially when spending hundreds of millions on development).
And if Microsoft does make its next console PC-based and able to have multiple storefronts (Steam especially) AND still provide a console experience...that puts Sony in a serious bind if it continues with the mindset it has.
Sure, it could block access to its Steam games to the Xbox PC but it would get significant backlash as it would literally be dictate what brand of PC can run its games (and also looking incredibly petty in doing so).
I guess Sony could make its own marketplace on PC, but even Microsoft knows that Steam is where you want your games, so even that is a risky move to maintain market share in PC space.
Pulling out of the PC market all together is not an option for Sony.
Sony will have no choice but to let an Xbox PC play the PC versions of its games (assuming it goes where Microsoft seems to be heading, of course) at the risk of losing console market share as I bet a lot of people would probably migrate to an Xbox PC if Microsoft is able to improve upon what Valve has been doing with Steam Deck and making it a console-like experience, but still being a PC.
I know I would totally skip a PS6 if that were the case (in fact the only reason I don't have a PC is because the "living room" experience is terrible).
@GeeEssEff I don't think Sony is evil...I just know it's less prone to sharing than Microsoft.
It's no secret that if something hits Sony as an exclusive (even if marketed as timed), there is a 90% probability it won't come to any console for the foreseeable future. Heck, even third-party timed exclusives with Nintendo don't last as long as Sony's!
@Fiendish-Beaver I misinterpreted - not the first time I misunderstood something and won't be the last! 😅
It is hard with Sony exclusives since it does tend to latch on and does a good job making even timed exclusives seem like it was something Sony had a strong hand in creating (despite not being the case). It's good marketing, that's for sure!
Die-hards of PlayStation love that Sony puts PlayStation first and foremost and would argue that is what makes PlayStation great. And, it has worked for Sony as PlayStation is also just the habitual purchase for a lot of people who want to play the next FIFA/COD/etc.
But, it's also clear that Sony's way has drawbacks as the money it's bled into gaming is slowly becoming unstainable and has forced its hand to branch out to the PC-market.
Microsoft, on the other hand, knows software and services is where the most money is made. Sure, it can and will produce a piece of gaming hardware for those who choose to buy one, but it's the software and services that "bring the bling". So, it's "moved on" from solely focusing on the plastic box.
I know Xbox die-hards aren't happy about it and threaten to "jump ship" to PlayStation, but even going over there and buying Xbox games is still money in Microsoft's pocket (probably more so than buying the plastic box).
"Under Jim I think they still thought they were competing in the 32 bit wars with Nintendo and Sega trying to find mascots to rival Sonic and Mario"
I'd argue there are a lot gamers still in this mindset, though.
That was a great video to watch. We need more studios like Moon Studios. Some of the stuff they are doing is truly impressive - and you can tell that the studio puts actual care into the "craft" of video game making rather than seemingly getting stuff sloshed together to get a release out the door.
Moon Studios wanted a very specific look and feel to the game and came up with brilliant ways to portray it with careful attention to detail!
Perhaps there is more stuff like this going on with AAA developers than we realize (as indie developers are more "open" about the developer process than studios from Ubisoft, EA, etc.), but it just feels like smaller studios that have more to lose put in more effort.
I guess this is why Nintendo-made games have such charm to them as Nintendo can't afford to have games bomb.
@Fiendish-Beaver While I agree with you about the third-party part, Sony does have a habit of locking "timed" exclusives [seemingly] indefinitely to PlayStation to the point that any exclusive that Sony once held coming to Xbox is news-worthy.
@TheLastHarbinger Does Hogwarts let you travel to 3 different levels of a huge open world without any perceptible load times?
Does Hogwarts let you attach literally anything to the world to literally anything else?
Does Hogwarts let you craft equipment using any item found in the world that apply unique properties to that equipment?
Are all the trees, grass, rocks, in the world able to be interacted with in some way in Hogwarts?
Can you build vehicles in Hogwarts out of stuff found in the game world?
Does Hogwarts have a physics engine that governs everything I just listed?
I would highly agree that Zelda deserves best technical achievement because there is a level of interactivity, creativity, and ingenuity that even games on more powerful consoles haven't done before.
It isn't just because it's a big game running on Switch. It's the entire core design of the game that makes it a technical achievement. The fact it's being done on a mobile system with 3 usable CPU cores and only 3.5GB of useable RAM makes it all the more impressive.
@NEStalgia I’m excited about the prospect too and really hope it comes to fruition.
It puts the Xbox in a place where Microsoft is strongest: PC. It brings things back full circle to the Xbox original mission of bringing PC to a console experience.
And it gives me a PC more powerful than my Surface Book 2 that wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg!
@ShadowofTwilight We'll just have to agree to disagree.
An Xbox branded PC is a PC, not a closed console. Even if Microsoft was able to make that PC feel like a console (like the Steam Deck does), it's still not competing with PlayStation anymore. It's competing with all the other gaming PCs on the market.
Sony can absolutely try, but the backlash would be pretty intense. Sony would literally be blocking a purchased game from being installed on a PC simply because it has "Xbox" in the branding. The consequences wouldn't be in Sony's favor on that one.
I just don't see the PC market taking too kindly to Sony dictating what brands of PC they have to buy to install its games on an open platform.
Sony may very well be in its right to block such a thing, but the court of public opinion would probably force a change of heart after:
Massive refund requests
Petitions
Boycott of Sony PC games
etc.
It wouldn't even be a Microsoft vs Sony thing, this would be open-platform supporters vs Sony.
@ShadowofTwilight I think it would significantly impact Sony's PC market share to block that.
Let's say the next Xbox is an Xbox PC and it has Steam integration.
Valve could very well tell Sony to "pound sand" if it tries to block games on a PC platform brand simply because it's seen as "competition" to Sony. It's a PC game, not a PlayStation game at that point.
Any of the other store fronts (GOG, Epic, etc.) could tell Sony the same thing as these store fronts want to be in front of as many players as possible.
Sony needs Valve in the PC space way more than Valve needs Sony (same for the other storefronts).
Plus, PC gamers could see Sony as being a bunch of babies by attempting to block it on a PC just because it's manufactured by Microsoft (my Microsoft Surface Book 2 isn't blocked from Sony games, so why should an Xbox-branded PC?).
Sure, Sony could create its own launcher and leave the other storefronts, but if it did that just so it could control its games in the PC space, it will cut significantly into sales.
PC players don't play into this console wars garbage.
Sony has to "play nice" in the PC space because it has very little weight in the market - unlike Microsoft. If it doesn't, it might as well pull out of the PC space and continue to live in its own island and bleed money.
Market leader or not, it's clearly shown it needs to branch out beyond the plastic box.
@101Force It would have an effect on PC development as well - developers would finally have a standardize hardware profile to develop against in the desktop PC specific space (not the handheld PC as the Steam Deck made room for that) and can branch out accordingly from there.
It would be similar to developing against a closed Xbox console, but not since it's just the PC version with specific system specs to work against. Again, something the Xbox was trying to do in the first place all those years ago.
Time will tell, but I would love Microsoft to play into its strengths (PC and software) rather than continue going down the traditional console path.
@GuyinPA75 I see where you are coming from, but I am coming from something like the Steam Deck where it's a very "console" experience, but is also a "PC".
What if the experience was more like Xbox looks now, except the entire backend is PC-based? It can play PC versions of games. PC games get "Xbox certified" with settings automatically set for optimal experience on the "Xbox PC". Legacy games can run in an official emulator (or whatever Microsoft uses to still support older titles that can't cross-save to a PC version).
It basically marries the console experience with PC.
Much like the Steam Deck, PC versions can be validated against the "Xbox PC" during development to ensure a solid experience there while still able to scale games accordingly for different hardware.
Short story, long: take the concepts that Valve started with the Steam Deck and make it even more user-friendly so that one still gets the console experience of insert disc/download game and play except it's just that it's the PC version instead. All the user sees is what they see now.
Keeps options available for those who are power users to allow them to go in and tweak stuff if they want, but the base experience is no different that what we see now.
@101Force My thoughts exactly. It could also mean they are working on a way for this to work on a broad range of hardware (i.e. PC) so that the next Xbox won’t be a closed system but a PC-based console.
With this and Phil’s comments regarding having multiple storefronts on Xbox is starting to lean in that direction - which was the original goal of Xbox: a PC in the living room.
@NEStalgia Curious what kind of TV you're playing this on.
Mine is a Vizio M7 Quantum. It's only a 60Hz LCD, but it does offer VRR (only down to 40Hz, so the 30fps mode is well out of the support VRR range).
I'll have to fire up the game again and see if I noticed any screen tearing - I am actually very sensitive to it so the fact I never saw it at all is curious.
But, I also know people are very sensitive to 30fps and see it as unplayable.
I'm not arguing your feeling on Graphics Mode, it's just odd that what you describe is very extreme to the experience I had with the game.
I went to check to see if Digital Foundry found something I may have not noticed but even they only found rare instances where framerate went below 30fps (by like 1 or 2 frames) and frame pacing was off and noted no screen tearing in the Graphics Mode.
@NEStalgia Screen tear? I never noticed screen tear once. As far as stutter, I never noticed that either.
I never turned Performance Mode on once.
Maybe it's because I am not sensitive to 30fps that I didn't have a problem with it. The whole game felt fine to me in the almost 60 hours I played it in Quality Mode. 🤷♂️
@Fiendish-Beaver It was good. I wouldn't call it the GOTY Contender people were saying when it was released, but it was still enjoyable.
Definitely more "God of War" than Final Fantasy. Some sections reminded me more of something like Bayonetta.
Story was good, though nothing I haven't seen before. It had some cool moments, though.
Graphically it was pretty impressive. Performance was consistent (I played in the Default 30fps Mode).
There is an update coming that will better identify "Important" side quests over just content filler quests that don't give much (though getting the EXP is probably helpful to get ahead as grinding would take forever - not that it's necessary).
I only like to delve into longer video games once every few games.
I am just coming off of Final Fantasy XVI and clocked about 60 hours. While I do have Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I couldn't jump into it right away, so I decided to get sucked into Alone in the Dark to "cleanse the palate."
@Tyrant_T103 The thing is, there were a ton of games that ran at 60fps back then and there were games that ran at less. However, no one really could tell the difference because no one knew the actual framerate because no one was analyzing it. Slowdown was the only thing people noticed.
Once these things started to get reported on and analyzed, it suddenly became a "problem".
Now, I definitely support your argument that developers (and gamers) should lower expectations, but I don't think 60fps should be a mandate. I do think a locked framerate on a console should be a mandate.
However, developers should be able to make the game they want to make without reprisal whether they choose to make things more graphically dense at 30fps or choose 60fps+ at the cost of visual fidelity.
If the developer wants to have "Modes" in these games, the highest performing mode should be main target during development and any lower-performing modes are secondary.
Trying to push a 30fps development target up to 60fps sours the experience as it generally leads to terrible image quality and unstable performance.
@awp69 I miss the "old days" when games just released and no one really knew what framerate a game was running - nor was it even reported by anyone.
I had no idea that Ocarina of Time ran at like 25fps or that Star Fox was like 15fps. I just played the game and was never bothered. Heck, I still don't care.
While I certainly love Digital Foundry analysis because I am fascinated about technology and how developers do what they do, but, at the same time, they kind of popularized performance metrics being a "thing".
Developers should just release games how they want to release them, offer no modes, and never report performance metrics and DF should just focus on the visual aspects and leave the framerate analysis out.
60fps is a design choice, not some "option" that gets shoe-horned in because..."60fps or bust".
Believe me, no one was saying "gosh this framerate is unbearable" back in those days (well, unless slowdown was atrocious to the point of unplayable). They talked about the content and fun-factor of the game instead.
30fps is fine for me as long as it's a steady 30fps.
Honestly, unless you switch to 60fps and then switch back, the difference isn't as staggering as some people make it out to be.
Developers should have every right to push visual fidelity at 30fps if that's the experience they want without "gamers" moaning and groaning that it's not 4K60.
Heck, I am sure that if video game consoles were able to engage a TV's 24fps mode like movies do, developers would use that for "cinematic experiences" (that would be pretty awesome actually).
It feels like there is a definite disconnect between the gaming community as a whole and those handling the reviews.
One would look at those scores and think "Wow, Microsoft has released a fair amount of really good games" and, yet, to look at the comments section of many sites, Microsoft doesn't have any good games. 🤷♂️
Seeing as how the shadows at their highest setting on PC also look "worse", I'd chalk this up to simply API differences between DirectX and whatever Sony uses.
But, of course, the internet has to make mountains out of molehills.
Comments 2,159
Re: Fallout 4 Comparison Reveals How Similar The Xbox One & Next-Gen Versions Look
@Fenbops That's the reports I have been seeing that PS5 is properly doing 4K/30 (or 40)/Ultra and Performance is 4K/60/Standard. So if you force 1440p, you should be getting 1440p/60/Ultra.
Xbox appears to be just 4K/60/Standard no matter what - though no one has mentioned if forcing 1440p works as it should on Xbox.
Re: Fallout 4 Comparison Reveals How Similar The Xbox One & Next-Gen Versions Look
Some people are saying the Xbox version is bugged and stays in Performance Mode no matter what.
If this is true, Microsoft really needs to get stuff sorted out with its developers! This would be the second recent multi-console release that ended up working "correctly" on PlayStation and is bugged on Xbox.
If Microsoft really wants to restore good will with people, make sure the first-party games work correctly on its own system!
Re: Dead By Daylight Gets Huge File Size Reduction On Xbox Series X|S
Interesting that the file size has decreased with the engine shift. I wonder what makes UE5 more lightweight on drive space.
Re: Fallout 4 Next-Gen Update Now Live On Xbox, Here Are The Patch Notes
@BBB @Nenoeil I will be interested to hear Digital Foundry's thoughts on the 1440p Mode not being a selectable option in the game rather than having to set the console output to 1440p to do it.
To have the game running 1440p/60/Ultra Settings seems way better than Dynamic 4K/Standard Settings/60fps or 4K/Ultra Settings/30fps.
I swear, I feel like Microsoft really pushes that "4K native resolution" way more than Sony does as plenty of games in Sony's library run 1440p for Perfomance Modes. It was the same problem in the X1X days when resolution for most games was ruled in favor of performance.
Re: Fallout 4 Next-Gen Update Now Live On Xbox, Here Are The Patch Notes
"*When connected to a 1440p display, the title will run at 1440p resolution at 60 FPS w/ ultra settings regardless of rendering mode"
Kind of dumb that a Balanced Mode option wasn't added that renders the game at 1440p/60 with Ultra settings rather than forcing the system to 1440p to get arguably the best experience over the two selectable options for the game.
Re: Gears Of War Voice Actor Reckons We're Due A 'Gears 6' Announcement In June
@Grumblevolcano I see. I don't play multiplayer so...what's wrong with just playing Gears 4 or Gears 5 multiplayer? It's the same thing, isn't it: pew pew pew other player and be toxic to everyone in voice chat?
I never understood how some people prefer multiplayer to one game in a series to the other as they all look the same to me with the same objectives only different weapon/character skins.
Re: Gears Of War Voice Actor Reckons We're Due A 'Gears 6' Announcement In June
Why do people keep asking for Remasters when the original Trilogy is not only completely playable on Series X|S, but also enhanced?! They still hold up quite well!
I think that's kind of the nice part about the Xbox ecosystem: Microsoft enhances the old games for free and rarely charges for a remaster (there are some small exceptions like Gears of War Ultimate and Halo MCC - but that was long before backwards compatibility enhancements we really a thing - and the Quake games).
Anyways, I am hoping we got some Gears 6 news this year - though I will be curious how they handle the "Sophie's Choice" made at the end of Gears 5.
Re: Fallout 4 Next-Gen Update: Release Date, FPS Details & Estimated Launch Time On Xbox
@IssaBrvndo There is the FPS Boost route, but it's limited to the Xbox One resolution only. The FPS Cap Mod was only for those who wanted "4K/60" on Series X - at the cost of no Achievements (should one even cares).
Hopefully, aside from bug fixes, this update does more for visuals than simply implement the FPS Cap Mod.
Re: Fallout 4 Next-Gen Update: Release Date, FPS Details & Estimated Launch Time On Xbox
I have a feeling a lot of people already playing this on Series X|S and using the FPS Unlock Mod will probably not notice much difference with this update.
Re: Xbox Games Are Enjoying A 'Positive Upward Trend' On PS5, Suggests New Analysis
@trev666 Because they secretly like Microsoft games but either don't want to buy an Xbox to play them, or can only afford one console and chose PlayStation.
Plus, I think a lot of PlayStation gamers are jaded Xbox fans that didn't like decisions made during the X1 era so they jumped ship and are now "locked" into the PlayStation ecosystem (by choice, of course).
Re: Xbox Games Are Enjoying A 'Positive Upward Trend' On PS5, Suggests New Analysis
Glad it's working out for Microsoft. The more people playing, the merrier!
It's a shame this isn't a two-way street for Microsoft, but such is life (and it's more money in MS pocket)!
Re: Fallout Continues To Dominate On Xbox As Bethesda Reveals Incredible Player Numbers
@BBB There was already a Tetris movie. It was all about getting Tetris released outside of Russia - which, apparently, is a rather gripping story mainly because of Soviet Era red tape and control as well as licensing disputes.
It's pretty wild the hoops that had to be jumped through for one game (I only read about it - I have not seen the movie).
Re: Sea Of Thieves On PS5 Has Slight Edge Over Xbox Series X, Notes Digital Foundry
@OldGamer999 Perfect example of the differences in thinking between Engineering and Software Development. 😅
I am sure an Engineer thought "Why consume the higher bandwidth memory for this smaller stuff when we can allocate a slower pool for it and leave the faster RAM for other things?"
A developer saw it was like "WTF is this?!" - especially with an engine that probably wasn't designed with this concept in mind as the slower memory was supposed to be use for:
audio data
stack data
executable data
script data
which feels more like a custom engine solution (or modifying UE4 to do so adequately).
Re: Sea Of Thieves On PS5 Has Slight Edge Over Xbox Series X, Notes Digital Foundry
@Xbox_Dashboard "jump ship"
I see what you did there....
Re: Sea Of Thieves On PS5 Has Slight Edge Over Xbox Series X, Notes Digital Foundry
Also and interesting note: both Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves use UE4.
When it boils down to it, Microsoft chose to use more CUs in its GPU and Sony chose higher clock speeds.
Perhaps UE4 is more suited for Sony's approach rather than Microsoft's and the PS5 can have slightly higher quality shadows to maintain target framerates than Xbox. Neither is wrong and one approach may have better results than the others under certain conditions.
Such is life.
If anything, this just means Microsoft needs to choose its PR points more wisely when on paper metrics don't necessarily translate to real world metrics in every scenario.
Re: PlayStation Exclusive 'Kena: Bridge Of Spirits' Rated For Xbox Series X|S
@GeeEssEff Sure, Microsoft was the first do it and will probably the first to end it, too, because the practice is just stupid. You can argue it is because its market share is so low, but regardless, it seems to be slowly ending the practice - love it or hate it.
Final Fantasy XVI will probably never see the light of day on Xbox - but it hasn't even been a year so time will tell. Only a PC version has been discussed.
This game is shockingly taking the leap, though I would have added that to the list.
Silent Hill 2 Remake will probably stay on PlayStation (time will tell)
Silent Hill Short Message (granted, it's not great and it's free) will probably never move over.
Forspoken has yet to get an Xbox date (probably never will)
JETT: The Far Shore has yet to make it to Xbox
Persona series and Like a Dragon series took FOREVER to release on Xbox.
Yes, ultimately the decisions to make these deals lies in the publishers making the deal with Sony - and the biggest culprit is Square Enix.
It is much more difficult to find timed exclusives though, because Sony generally publishes third-party exclusives and ensures the games will stay on PlayStation consoles only (and then jump to PC where applicable). Which, again, supports my argument that Sony doesn't like to share.
None of the games you listed are published by Microsoft, so most of what Microsoft gets is timed (and rarely for more than a year - barring some exceptions). Heck, I think even Stalker 2 only has a 3 month exclusivity window!
Look, I really don't care what plastic box people buy or don't buy. Sony's strategy is working for it. Kudos to Sony. I only get Sony consoles for exclusives (same with my Switch) and I use my Xbox for everything else (I find the Series X to have the better system feature set).
Yes, Microsoft did do some crappy things 19 years ago that rippled through the gaming industry (paid online really needs to go away). But things have changed and markets are changing.
Sony is chasing that live-service cash cow and PC market for a reason - because solely releasing on a single platform isn't sustainable as it was (especially when spending hundreds of millions on development).
And if Microsoft does make its next console PC-based and able to have multiple storefronts (Steam especially) AND still provide a console experience...that puts Sony in a serious bind if it continues with the mindset it has.
Sure, it could block access to its Steam games to the Xbox PC but it would get significant backlash as it would literally be dictate what brand of PC can run its games (and also looking incredibly petty in doing so).
I guess Sony could make its own marketplace on PC, but even Microsoft knows that Steam is where you want your games, so even that is a risky move to maintain market share in PC space.
Pulling out of the PC market all together is not an option for Sony.
Sony will have no choice but to let an Xbox PC play the PC versions of its games (assuming it goes where Microsoft seems to be heading, of course) at the risk of losing console market share as I bet a lot of people would probably migrate to an Xbox PC if Microsoft is able to improve upon what Valve has been doing with Steam Deck and making it a console-like experience, but still being a PC.
I know I would totally skip a PS6 if that were the case (in fact the only reason I don't have a PC is because the "living room" experience is terrible).
Re: PlayStation Exclusive 'Kena: Bridge Of Spirits' Rated For Xbox Series X|S
@GeeEssEff I don't think Sony is evil...I just know it's less prone to sharing than Microsoft.
It's no secret that if something hits Sony as an exclusive (even if marketed as timed), there is a 90% probability it won't come to any console for the foreseeable future. Heck, even third-party timed exclusives with Nintendo don't last as long as Sony's!
Re: PlayStation Exclusive 'Kena: Bridge Of Spirits' Rated For Xbox Series X|S
@GeeEssEff Ori games are fantastic!
Re: Talking Point: Are You Excited For Remedy's Max Payne 1+2 Remake?
Having recently bought Max Payne 1 & 2 Bundle on Steam, I am very much looking forward to a Remake.
Max Payne 1 specifically hasn't aged too well.
I do wonder if Remedy will reuse the same voice acting recordings for the Remake or use a whole new cast.
It will be sad to not hear James McCaffrey as Max Payne anymore.
Re: PlayStation Exclusive 'Kena: Bridge Of Spirits' Rated For Xbox Series X|S
@Fiendish-Beaver I misinterpreted - not the first time I misunderstood something and won't be the last! 😅
It is hard with Sony exclusives since it does tend to latch on and does a good job making even timed exclusives seem like it was something Sony had a strong hand in creating (despite not being the case). It's good marketing, that's for sure!
Re: PlayStation Exclusive 'Kena: Bridge Of Spirits' Rated For Xbox Series X|S
@NEStalgia It's a double-edged sword.
Die-hards of PlayStation love that Sony puts PlayStation first and foremost and would argue that is what makes PlayStation great. And, it has worked for Sony as PlayStation is also just the habitual purchase for a lot of people who want to play the next FIFA/COD/etc.
But, it's also clear that Sony's way has drawbacks as the money it's bled into gaming is slowly becoming unstainable and has forced its hand to branch out to the PC-market.
Microsoft, on the other hand, knows software and services is where the most money is made. Sure, it can and will produce a piece of gaming hardware for those who choose to buy one, but it's the software and services that "bring the bling". So, it's "moved on" from solely focusing on the plastic box.
I know Xbox die-hards aren't happy about it and threaten to "jump ship" to PlayStation, but even going over there and buying Xbox games is still money in Microsoft's pocket (probably more so than buying the plastic box).
"Under Jim I think they still thought they were competing in the 32 bit wars with Nintendo and Sega trying to find mascots to rival Sonic and Mario"
I'd argue there are a lot gamers still in this mindset, though.
Re: Digital Foundry Impressed By 'Stunning Visual Design' In Ori Dev's New Game
That was a great video to watch. We need more studios like Moon Studios. Some of the stuff they are doing is truly impressive - and you can tell that the studio puts actual care into the "craft" of video game making rather than seemingly getting stuff sloshed together to get a release out the door.
Moon Studios wanted a very specific look and feel to the game and came up with brilliant ways to portray it with careful attention to detail!
Perhaps there is more stuff like this going on with AAA developers than we realize (as indie developers are more "open" about the developer process than studios from Ubisoft, EA, etc.), but it just feels like smaller studios that have more to lose put in more effort.
I guess this is why Nintendo-made games have such charm to them as Nintendo can't afford to have games bomb.
Re: PlayStation Exclusive 'Kena: Bridge Of Spirits' Rated For Xbox Series X|S
@Fiendish-Beaver While I agree with you about the third-party part, Sony does have a habit of locking "timed" exclusives [seemingly] indefinitely to PlayStation to the point that any exclusive that Sony once held coming to Xbox is news-worthy.
Love it or hate it, Sony doesn't like to share.
Re: Alone In The Dark Performance Impresses Digital Foundry, Despite 'Sacrifices' On Xbox Series S
The game is a little janky at times, but I am really enjoying it.
I play on a VRR display, so the performance dips are completely hidden from me (except for the load stutters that happen every once in a while).
Re: Baldur's Gate 3 Sweeps 2024 BAFTAs, Hi-Fi RUSH Also Picks Up Award
@TheLastHarbinger Does Hogwarts let you travel to 3 different levels of a huge open world without any perceptible load times?
Does Hogwarts let you attach literally anything to the world to literally anything else?
Does Hogwarts let you craft equipment using any item found in the world that apply unique properties to that equipment?
Are all the trees, grass, rocks, in the world able to be interacted with in some way in Hogwarts?
Can you build vehicles in Hogwarts out of stuff found in the game world?
Does Hogwarts have a physics engine that governs everything I just listed?
I would highly agree that Zelda deserves best technical achievement because there is a level of interactivity, creativity, and ingenuity that even games on more powerful consoles haven't done before.
It isn't just because it's a big game running on Switch. It's the entire core design of the game that makes it a technical achievement. The fact it's being done on a mobile system with 3 usable CPU cores and only 3.5GB of useable RAM makes it all the more impressive.
Re: If Q1 Is Anything To Go By, 2024 Should Be Another Fantastic Year On Xbox
I am more excited about what is to come.
Alone in the Dark has been good on Xbox even if it's a tad janky.
Re: Xbox's Hellblade 2 Is 'On Another Level' Says Digital Foundry, Despite Series S Concerns
I can't wait to check it out!
Re: Shadow Of The Tomb Raider Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (April 11)
I gave it a Good as I didn't like this one quite as much as the previous 2 games.
But, if you are a Dolby Atmos enthusiast, Shadow (and Rise) feel like they were "built" around it!
Re: Star Wars Outlaws Sparks Criticism Over Games With $100+ 'Ultimate' Editions
You know the best way to combat these practices? Everyone stop buying them and just stick with the base game.
Re: Xbox Establishes New Team Dedicated To 'Game Preservation And Forward Compatibility'
@NEStalgia I’m excited about the prospect too and really hope it comes to fruition.
It puts the Xbox in a place where Microsoft is strongest: PC. It brings things back full circle to the Xbox original mission of bringing PC to a console experience.
And it gives me a PC more powerful than my Surface Book 2 that wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg!
Re: Xbox Establishes New Team Dedicated To 'Game Preservation And Forward Compatibility'
@ShadowofTwilight We'll just have to agree to disagree.
An Xbox branded PC is a PC, not a closed console. Even if Microsoft was able to make that PC feel like a console (like the Steam Deck does), it's still not competing with PlayStation anymore. It's competing with all the other gaming PCs on the market.
Sony can absolutely try, but the backlash would be pretty intense. Sony would literally be blocking a purchased game from being installed on a PC simply because it has "Xbox" in the branding. The consequences wouldn't be in Sony's favor on that one.
I just don't see the PC market taking too kindly to Sony dictating what brands of PC they have to buy to install its games on an open platform.
Sony may very well be in its right to block such a thing, but the court of public opinion would probably force a change of heart after:
Massive refund requests
Petitions
Boycott of Sony PC games
etc.
It wouldn't even be a Microsoft vs Sony thing, this would be open-platform supporters vs Sony.
Re: Xbox Establishes New Team Dedicated To 'Game Preservation And Forward Compatibility'
@ShadowofTwilight I think it would significantly impact Sony's PC market share to block that.
Let's say the next Xbox is an Xbox PC and it has Steam integration.
Valve could very well tell Sony to "pound sand" if it tries to block games on a PC platform brand simply because it's seen as "competition" to Sony. It's a PC game, not a PlayStation game at that point.
Any of the other store fronts (GOG, Epic, etc.) could tell Sony the same thing as these store fronts want to be in front of as many players as possible.
Sony needs Valve in the PC space way more than Valve needs Sony (same for the other storefronts).
Plus, PC gamers could see Sony as being a bunch of babies by attempting to block it on a PC just because it's manufactured by Microsoft (my Microsoft Surface Book 2 isn't blocked from Sony games, so why should an Xbox-branded PC?).
Sure, Sony could create its own launcher and leave the other storefronts, but if it did that just so it could control its games in the PC space, it will cut significantly into sales.
PC players don't play into this console wars garbage.
Sony has to "play nice" in the PC space because it has very little weight in the market - unlike Microsoft. If it doesn't, it might as well pull out of the PC space and continue to live in its own island and bleed money.
Market leader or not, it's clearly shown it needs to branch out beyond the plastic box.
Re: Xbox Establishes New Team Dedicated To 'Game Preservation And Forward Compatibility'
@NEStalgia I used to as well. But, I gave them to my brother when I joined the military and they are lost in the void.
Re: Xbox Establishes New Team Dedicated To 'Game Preservation And Forward Compatibility'
@NEStalgia "but most of what's on there is stuff so old a surface pro could run it."
Which is exactly why I love it!
Re: Xbox Establishes New Team Dedicated To 'Game Preservation And Forward Compatibility'
@ZYDIO I love me some GOG...though it's mostly for games from the 80's - early 2000s.
Even still...love me some GOG!
Re: Xbox Establishes New Team Dedicated To 'Game Preservation And Forward Compatibility'
@101Force It would have an effect on PC development as well - developers would finally have a standardize hardware profile to develop against in the desktop PC specific space (not the handheld PC as the Steam Deck made room for that) and can branch out accordingly from there.
It would be similar to developing against a closed Xbox console, but not since it's just the PC version with specific system specs to work against. Again, something the Xbox was trying to do in the first place all those years ago.
Time will tell, but I would love Microsoft to play into its strengths (PC and software) rather than continue going down the traditional console path.
Re: Xbox Establishes New Team Dedicated To 'Game Preservation And Forward Compatibility'
@GuyinPA75 I see where you are coming from, but I am coming from something like the Steam Deck where it's a very "console" experience, but is also a "PC".
What if the experience was more like Xbox looks now, except the entire backend is PC-based? It can play PC versions of games. PC games get "Xbox certified" with settings automatically set for optimal experience on the "Xbox PC". Legacy games can run in an official emulator (or whatever Microsoft uses to still support older titles that can't cross-save to a PC version).
It basically marries the console experience with PC.
Much like the Steam Deck, PC versions can be validated against the "Xbox PC" during development to ensure a solid experience there while still able to scale games accordingly for different hardware.
Short story, long: take the concepts that Valve started with the Steam Deck and make it even more user-friendly so that one still gets the console experience of insert disc/download game and play except it's just that it's the PC version instead. All the user sees is what they see now.
Keeps options available for those who are power users to allow them to go in and tweak stuff if they want, but the base experience is no different that what we see now.
Re: Xbox Establishes New Team Dedicated To 'Game Preservation And Forward Compatibility'
@101Force My thoughts exactly. It could also mean they are working on a way for this to work on a broad range of hardware (i.e. PC) so that the next Xbox won’t be a closed system but a PC-based console.
With this and Phil’s comments regarding having multiple storefronts on Xbox is starting to lean in that direction - which was the original goal of Xbox: a PC in the living room.
Re: Talking Point: Do You Prefer Shorter Or Longer Games In General?
@NEStalgia Curious what kind of TV you're playing this on.
Mine is a Vizio M7 Quantum. It's only a 60Hz LCD, but it does offer VRR (only down to 40Hz, so the 30fps mode is well out of the support VRR range).
I'll have to fire up the game again and see if I noticed any screen tearing - I am actually very sensitive to it so the fact I never saw it at all is curious.
But, I also know people are very sensitive to 30fps and see it as unplayable.
I'm not arguing your feeling on Graphics Mode, it's just odd that what you describe is very extreme to the experience I had with the game.
I went to check to see if Digital Foundry found something I may have not noticed but even they only found rare instances where framerate went below 30fps (by like 1 or 2 frames) and frame pacing was off and noted no screen tearing in the Graphics Mode.
You sure your PS5 is working okay?
Re: Talking Point: Do You Prefer Shorter Or Longer Games In General?
@Fiendish-Beaver There is a demo that covers the Prologue - so there is no risk trying it.
Re: Talking Point: Do You Prefer Shorter Or Longer Games In General?
@NEStalgia Screen tear? I never noticed screen tear once. As far as stutter, I never noticed that either.
I never turned Performance Mode on once.
Maybe it's because I am not sensitive to 30fps that I didn't have a problem with it. The whole game felt fine to me in the almost 60 hours I played it in Quality Mode. 🤷♂️
Re: Talking Point: Do You Prefer Shorter Or Longer Games In General?
@Fiendish-Beaver It was good. I wouldn't call it the GOTY Contender people were saying when it was released, but it was still enjoyable.
Definitely more "God of War" than Final Fantasy. Some sections reminded me more of something like Bayonetta.
Story was good, though nothing I haven't seen before. It had some cool moments, though.
Graphically it was pretty impressive. Performance was consistent (I played in the Default 30fps Mode).
There is an update coming that will better identify "Important" side quests over just content filler quests that don't give much (though getting the EXP is probably helpful to get ahead as grinding would take forever - not that it's necessary).
Re: Talking Point: Do You Prefer Shorter Or Longer Games In General?
I only like to delve into longer video games once every few games.
I am just coming off of Final Fantasy XVI and clocked about 60 hours. While I do have Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I couldn't jump into it right away, so I decided to get sucked into Alone in the Dark to "cleanse the palate."
Re: Hellblade 2 Sounds Like A True Next-Gen Showcase In First Xbox Previews
@Tyrant_T103 The thing is, there were a ton of games that ran at 60fps back then and there were games that ran at less. However, no one really could tell the difference because no one knew the actual framerate because no one was analyzing it. Slowdown was the only thing people noticed.
Once these things started to get reported on and analyzed, it suddenly became a "problem".
Now, I definitely support your argument that developers (and gamers) should lower expectations, but I don't think 60fps should be a mandate. I do think a locked framerate on a console should be a mandate.
However, developers should be able to make the game they want to make without reprisal whether they choose to make things more graphically dense at 30fps or choose 60fps+ at the cost of visual fidelity.
If the developer wants to have "Modes" in these games, the highest performing mode should be main target during development and any lower-performing modes are secondary.
Trying to push a 30fps development target up to 60fps sours the experience as it generally leads to terrible image quality and unstable performance.
Re: Rumour: Gears 6 Could Appear At The Xbox Showcase This Summer
That screenshot reminds me that The Coalition are absolute wizards with Unreal Engine.
Can't wait to see what they come up with next!
Re: Hellblade 2 Sounds Like A True Next-Gen Showcase In First Xbox Previews
@awp69 I miss the "old days" when games just released and no one really knew what framerate a game was running - nor was it even reported by anyone.
I had no idea that Ocarina of Time ran at like 25fps or that Star Fox was like 15fps. I just played the game and was never bothered. Heck, I still don't care.
While I certainly love Digital Foundry analysis because I am fascinated about technology and how developers do what they do, but, at the same time, they kind of popularized performance metrics being a "thing".
Developers should just release games how they want to release them, offer no modes, and never report performance metrics and DF should just focus on the visual aspects and leave the framerate analysis out.
60fps is a design choice, not some "option" that gets shoe-horned in because..."60fps or bust".
Believe me, no one was saying "gosh this framerate is unbearable" back in those days (well, unless slowdown was atrocious to the point of unplayable). They talked about the content and fun-factor of the game instead.
Re: Xbox Series X|S Versions Of Hellblade 2 Confirmed To Run At 30FPS
30fps is fine for me as long as it's a steady 30fps.
Honestly, unless you switch to 60fps and then switch back, the difference isn't as staggering as some people make it out to be.
Developers should have every right to push visual fidelity at 30fps if that's the experience they want without "gamers" moaning and groaning that it's not 4K60.
Heck, I am sure that if video game consoles were able to engage a TV's 24fps mode like movies do, developers would use that for "cinematic experiences" (that would be pretty awesome actually).
I personally can't wait to see this in action.
Re: These Are The 10 Highest-Rated Xbox Exclusives Of This Generation So Far
It feels like there is a definite disconnect between the gaming community as a whole and those handling the reviews.
One would look at those scores and think "Wow, Microsoft has released a fair amount of really good games" and, yet, to look at the comments section of many sites, Microsoft doesn't have any good games. 🤷♂️
Re: Xbox's Hi-Fi RUSH Actually Has 'Slightly' Improved Visuals On PS5
Seeing as how the shadows at their highest setting on PC also look "worse", I'd chalk this up to simply API differences between DirectX and whatever Sony uses.
But, of course, the internet has to make mountains out of molehills.
Re: Xbox Honors Akira Toriyama With Free 'Blue Dragon' Dynamic Background
@Jenkinss Sung by Ian Gillan from the classic band Deep Purple