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Watch Dogs performance analysis

Pre-launch, Ubisoft Montreal confirmed Watch Dogs would operate at different resolutions on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The PS4 operates at a straight 900p, while the peculiar '792p' - first seen in Titanfall - is the resolution of choice for the Xbox One version of the game. But what other differences set the two releases apart? And do they each play just as well as each other?

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eurogamer.net
TIER1xWOLFPACKx4381d ago (Edited 4381d ago )

I got absolutely flamed the other day for pointing out the x1 version of watchdogs either has no ambient occlusion or if it is implemented it's it's at such a low level it's it's not noticeable and behold a few days later turns out I was correct .

EDIT: phonemes seems to boubles post it's it's and it won't let me delete them so just ignore them . Every typo you see here my phone won't let me delete so ignore all of the typos

GarrusVakarian4381d ago (Edited 4381d ago )

Not sure why you got flamed, you were entirely correct. Only reason i can think of is that you upset some people by pointing it out.

Also, if the X1 version has trouble running as well as the PS4 version whilst also not looking as good...then why wouldn't Ubi just drop the res down to 720p? First it was Titanfall, now Watch Dogs to use this weird resolution. I just don't see the point in it, better to drop it down and help performance, even if it's only by a little, no? Surely devs aren't using 792p purely to avoid the PR stigma that is 720p?

Oh well, im glad i went with the PS4 version. It looks great and feels smooth to play. Much nicer than those "30fps" last-gen games, anyway.

GarrusVakarian4381d ago (Edited 4381d ago )

@Master

Yeah, that was the first time i ever saw anyone say that AO looked bad and that they were glad their version didn't have it. Calling it "too shadowy", lol.

AO adds depth to objects and surroundings by realistically darkening areas where light isn't reaching/isn't reaching as much as other areas. Without it, they look flat and unrealistically fit in with the world. The only reason anyone would say they don't like it is because it's not on their version.

http://international.downlo...
http://media.moddb.com/imag...
http://img.techpowerup.org/...

Volkama4381d ago (Edited 4381d ago )

Optimisation is not such a simple puzzle. Dropping the resolution further would not necessarily resolve the performance problem or allow ambient occlusion.

Ambient occlusion in particular can be quite CPU-intensive, most implementations make a lot of draw calls. Strain on the CPU can also cause framerate drops and hitches. Dropping resolution wouldn't really alleviate a CPU bottleneck at all.

Why the One would have more constraints on the CPU than the PS4 I cannot say. Indeed I am happy to admit my guesswork could be totally wide of the mark, I'm just trying to illustrate that it isn't always so simple as lower res = higher frame rate :)

Off-topic, do you like Watch-dogs? Recommend it?

GarrusVakarian4381d ago (Edited 4381d ago )

@Volkama

I only paid £15 for it, im enjoying it for that price and would have happily paid around £30 for it, no more than that though. The game is 'good', so far, nothing really mind-blowing though, in my opinion. I think my favourite part of the game is how varied and realistic the pedestrians are.

So yeah, i would recommend it, but not for full price.

Volkama4381d ago

Ty for the feedback.

It is £30 on the PC at the moment (and should drop quite sharply as nvidia packed-in codes hit the market), but the hacking and gameplay mechanics look kinda cheese to me and it sounds like it'll perform pretty badly on my AMD hardware, so I'll give it a miss. At least until it is dirt cheap.

Wont touch the XBox One version with a barge poll, I really do hate screen tearing.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4381d ago
Flutterby4381d ago

No way the more powerful console proves it once again doing everything the xbone does plus more and also at a higher rez yet also holds better fps, I thought some people said the gap was closing.

disKinected4381d ago (Edited 4381d ago )

Ps4 also has much better AO and better shadows.
Much happy with ps4's performance here.
Can't wait for ps4's performance boost :D

disKinected4381d ago (Edited 4381d ago )

@TIER1xWOLFPACKx

I think it was nicksetzer1 who was arguing with you and trying to prove that x1 has on par or even better AO than ps4. Lol. Must be eating crow now.

TIER1xWOLFPACKx4381d ago

Yeah it might of been I hope he like the taste of crow.

Kayant4381d ago (Edited 4381d ago )

Well not really surprising. There will always be a difference between the two. It's always interesting to see the PS4 having the more consistent framerate despite having higher Ambient occlusion quality and rendering at a higher resolution.

Edit -

"so the good news is that despite lacking a full 1080p framebuffer, the PS4 edition remains a very handsome-looking game compared to the PC release running at maximum settings." - That's interesting is that ultra or high settings they are talking about here?

"On top of that, shadow quality also appears to move down a notch on the Microsoft console, although this is only noticeable when you view things up close." - Oh so reduced shadow quality as well.

PC version sounds a bit rough with the constant stuttering issues. Looking forward to seeing the full blown face-off.

traumadisaster4381d ago

Turning vsync off in game and enabling nvidia vsync in control panel has been a fix for stuttering for years. For some unknown reason developers vsync is sheet. I first learned this on force unleashed and is one of the first optimizations I go to and works most every time.

MasterCornholio4381d ago

I knew there was something funny with the shadows on XB1.

Bennibop4381d ago

Seems to be a lot of compromises on the xbox one version other than resolution - definite screen tearing, jaggies, lack of ambient occlusion and framerate stutters. Its no wonder Ubisoft did not want people to see it.

Aussiebeachbabe4381d ago

I've seen both xb1 and ps4 versions of the game and I can honestly say differences are minimum at best. PS4 is slightly and I mean " slightly" better. Not much difference at all.

spirited4381d ago (Edited 4381d ago )

Shame on you Ubisoft yet again, never fails to disappoint
when it comes to PC optimization.

Volkama4381d ago (Edited 4381d ago )

NVidia deserve a big chunk of the blame here. It's their spiteful Gameworks "black box" code that prevent AMD from being able to optimise their drivers to run the game.

Hopefully these performance problems will ring some alarm bells in the right places, and things will change for the better either through NVidia dropping their damaging policies or developers choosing a more neutral alternative.

Volkama4381d ago (Edited 4381d ago )

For reference, AMD's Robert Hallock talking about the driver intended to improve Watch-dogs performance (due this week):

"[AMD had] very limited time with the title and [we've] been able to implement some respectable performance improvements thanks to the skill of our driver engineers. Careful performance analysis with a variety of internal tools have allowed us to profile this title, despite deliberate obfuscation attempts, to improve the experience for users.”

“The code obfuscation makes it difficult to perform our own after-the-fact driver optimizations, as the characteristics of the game are hidden behind many layers of circuitous and non-obvious routines,” Hallock continues. “This change coincides with NVIDIA’s decision to remove all public Direct3D code samples from their site in favor of a ‘contact us for licensing’ page. AMD does not engage in, support, or condone such activities.”

Quite strong words at the end there...

traumadisaster4381d ago

I'm not having issues at 4k and 30fps. I turned vsync off in game and forced on in nvidia control panel and fixed the stuttering. Also 0 jaggies at 3840x2160 so AA is not needed which frees headroom.

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70°

The entire WatchDogs series is 87% off and it's not even Black Friday

If you are looking for a bargain, check out the huge discounts across the entire WatchDogs series on Steam.

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videogamer.com
200°

Watch Dogs Deserves A Remake, More Than Ever

With the world of information and technology, privacy and security growing every day, Watch Dogs deserves another chance in the spotlight, now more than ever.

RaidenBlack1763d ago

The only Ubi title that deserves a faithful remake right now is Splinter Cell 1.
All 2014+ Ubi titles are just underwhelming. Especially ones from 2016+ are just cancer.

LucasRuinedChildhood1763d ago (Edited 1763d ago )

Seriously, are we so far removed from Ubisoft actually making good games that people now praise Watch_Dogs in retrospect?

"Watch_Dogs has remained one of my favourite games of the last ten years." Jesus Christ.

HankHill1763d ago

I remember being so disappointed in Watch Dogs when I played it at release. It was alright, but I think I fell for the hype and I needed a game to play on my new PS4.

obidanshinobi1763d ago

This is what happens when mediocrity gets praised as good.
Standards are slipping across the whole entertainment industry.
What was once considering rubbish is now considered as OK, what once was OK is now being praised as good etc etc.

LamerTamer1762d ago

Everyone has their own likes. I liked it a lot myself. I played through it twice and liked the car chases and the open world with fairly decent environments and missions. It suffered from the whole downgrade thing where they showed graphics that weren't actually there. No game will appeal to everyone but it was still ambitious for it's time.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1762d ago
gantarat1763d ago

assassin's creed 1 should get a remake.

ExBee1763d ago

For certain! AC1 was brilliant at the time but with new graphics and gameplay it would be amazing! Do you prefer old combat or new though?

RaidenBlack1763d ago

I'd say a reimagining of AC1.
I direct AC1 remake would be a bad idea. It'll need better story pacing and significant better world building.

BlaqMagiq11762d ago

Old. Let it play like how it did with AC2-Syndicate style gameplay but refine the setting and story.

Profchaos1763d ago

It would need a lot changed for it to be enjoyable again as even back in 2007 on launch we were all complaining about it's repetitive gameplay go here perform one of three side quests repeat then assassination now do it over and over until a big battle with a unforgiving checkpoint system.

BlaqMagiq11762d ago

Absolutely. It needs it. The only AC I truly didn't enjoy.

chicken_in_the_corn1762d ago

I'd prefer it didn't. Ubisoft would make it so bloated, it wouldn't be anywhere near the original

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smolinsk1763d ago (Edited 1763d ago )

Absolutely, this watch dogs legion was terrible boring.

Profchaos1763d ago (Edited 1763d ago )

As a fan of the franchise legion was garbage and I regretted my purchase for the first time in the franchise the entire thing felt like an experiment in NPC behaviour and released without the writers input on what makes a good story.

I don't think I'm alone in that feeling though as wrench and Aiden are brought back and the campaign was rewritten to fit them.

I am tempted to buy the season pass to play it again with Aiden but fool me twice shame on me I'm waiting for a deep sale

camel_toad1763d ago

Agreed. Despite the annoying hipness of the characters in part 2 I thought it was a really fun game. I was extremely disappointed and surprised at how many steps back they took with Legion. You'd think it was made by an entirely different team. Or was it?

It was just so devoid of fun.

LamerTamer1762d ago

Honestly one of my biggest annoyances with Legion is that they took out the camera views for the driving. I mean the behind the car view that they stuck us with is near unplayable. I always used a first person driving view. After two releases why did they take OUT features? I don't get it.

TheSinsibleOne1763d ago

The fist watchdog game was the best by far
After that they weren't weird and annoying with that hipster stuff. Aiden was a badass.

LamerTamer1762d ago

I thought so at first too. I got used to it and it ended up being good after some play time. I just had to give it a chance.

TheEnigma3131763d ago

Remake the PoP series from xbox/ps2/gc era

RaidenBlack1763d ago

They are remaking Sands of Time.

TheEnigma3131763d ago

That's good news. Hopefully it's done right.

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290°

Inside the Driver game that died so that Watch Dogs could live

From VG247: "When cars slide, they leave tyre marks. In a game like Driver, they’re an aesthetic touch, part of the inherent cool of a handbrake turn. But those dark shadows in the road also tell a story. From tyre marks, you can determine the speed of a vehicle, when it started to skid, and its ultimate direction of travel – long after the car itself has vanished into the distance."

vallencer1827d ago

Different spellings in different parts of the world friend. Tyre is a correct way to spell it.

Pridefall1827d ago

Dunno why you got downvpted when tyre is correct in Australia.

mikefizzled11827d ago

The mystery that is En Fore Gee

neutralgamer19921827d ago

Give us driver San Francisco remastered

IGiveHugs2NakedWomen1827d ago

Why did they stop making some of the best games ever? Driver was one of them.

Gameseeker_Frampt1827d ago

Assassins Creed 2 showed Ubisoft how to make money and Far Cry 2 showed them that gamers don't like complex ideas. Now Ubisoft just turns out games that are just variations of the same thing.

WeAreLegion1827d ago

Best driving mechanics ever made. Nothing has come close.

Gardenia1827d ago

A story driven game with pure driving gameplay. I'd love to see a new Driver game or a remake of the first one.

ApocalypseShadow1827d ago

Yes. This one. A definite remake of the first without adding any ridiculous fluff. The first game had great physics and sound for its time. The start of the car in the beginning cinema I watched constantly. My father and uncles were big muscle and classic car freaks. Only thing crazy about the game was the relentless cops in the last level. Insane the way those police cars were and launched at you.

Bleemcast made it look better just like PC emulators. But would definitely take a remake.

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