I don't know if we will know which direction they are going in regarding exclusives - they might just change their minds again.
[UPDATE - following article Update: Well that didn't take them long did it?!]
I don't have interest in many of their games to begin with, and firmly believe they don't have the userbase to sustain exclusives - something that is only going to get worse for them if the Helix rumours are true. But they really need to make up their minds.
If they choose to go multiformat they need to do it properly - no timed exclusives, no 'lesser' PS5 versions, proper Pro versions (some have been excellent, others not so). Only then might I regain some interest in what they are doing.
How do the Astro costumes appear on Xbox / PC - pixelated blurry messes with a message saying: "This content is exclusive to Playstation gamers; please purchase a Playstation console to view this content" ?! Lol.
Got a couple of games in the backlog ready for the end of the year, after Wolverine of course. (For when GTA6 comes out and the inevitable couple of months of nothing else launching)
It depends on what is announced / shown, but has a chance.
Whilst most enthusiasts will watch it, and likely live if possible, most of the people I know who are casual gamers will watch it ONLY if there is something that interests them.
The only big drawing games they have been interested in so far this gen were Spiderman (MM/2), and GOW Ragnarok.
That does mean that this SoP has a chance though with Wolverine being shown.
@Broad-Spectrum It does (look really good on Pro), and whilst it maybe isn't in the top 10 of games this gen, it is better looking than a decent majority of games imo. The image quality in particular, lighting, and general detail levels are all very pleasing to me. For example, the sights coming in to the hotel in the chess mission are stunning.
Whereas on Base PS5 I would easily go as far as to say it looks very compromised, and obviously has performance issues too.
Performance and image quality / visuals go a long way with me, and I would be tempted to give this only a 7 on base, but a 9 on Pro.
@Segafodder It might have to do with the online functionality causing the slow loading, but I agree it's very slow.
I confirmed last night that Challenge completion is tied to your online profile, NOT your game save file (or any part of it), and for collectibles / mission progress it is your save file.
@Quintumply Nice review, and thank you for the Review in Progress. I was undecided on this game at first, but am thoroughly enjoying it after buying it the other day.
I think this game might just be a good example that scoring for Base PS5 and Pro could Ideally be separate. 2 of the negatives disappear on Pro (visuals/fps), and I would even argue visuals turns into a very big positive for Pro.
@Oram77 No idea if your playing it but 007 FL has full remapping. It has a few 'kinks' to work out (eg don't select 'press' for grapple, only 'hold" or it gets confused with grab rush - it will still grapple on press if you pick hold), but I have found it very useful indeed.
I see they have added the promised button remapping option. Just proven (by DF re-review ideally) performance fixes (all sections) left to go, and I will pick this one up.
@get2sammyb Personally, I think the late reviews have harmed this games sales a bit at the moment (though probably not long term).
As I understand it review code was sent out very late.
Playing the game, it does not feel broken, but it does feel like it came out a little 'hot", with some mechanics / functions that don't always fully work as intended 100% of the time, and very long load times. Still an excellent game though.
@Dogbreath Personally, and its only an opinion, but I believe all this stems from 'sabre rattling', and potential future action, from the UK / Europe etc, against (mostly US based) 'big tech'.
When certain people talk about 'Trade deficits' I don't believe they add in the massive revenue from a lot of activities (eg advertising / sponsorship etc) which makes these companies, and thus countries like the US, a huge amount of money. I don't even know if they add in things like subscription to digital services. The 'trade deficit' figures certainly always seem very one sided and no economy could cope with that. Therefore reducing money going out of countries to these companies does not affect any 'trade deficit' , but does affect the import/export balance in terms of money transferred.
On the other hand things like Social media and the influence it has are becoming concerning to a lot of people, and has made itself an easy target - some companies continued reluctance to increase, or decreasing self moderation, is very concerning in itself. Some of these companies rely on getting people started at under 18, hoping it becomes such a large part of their normal lives it continues through adulthood. A ban on under 16's, even if only marginally effective, will have a massive effect on social media companies earnings from worldwide sources.
I 100% agree with you that Sony getting "ahead of the game and PR problems" is the best thing for them.
@Yor-sama Of course you are. I'm not saying you aren't free to read articles like this, just that unless the dev team is incompetent, you should expect to read that the Pro version is superior. Also that some people are interested in these articles, even if for some reason they offend you.
Price is subjective - if I were buying a new console tomorrow, I would pay the extra for a Pro, and it would be an easy choice. Recent price rises haven't been good for any console, or PC.
I did this without any hassle a while back, using my phone number (which they already have), and a verification code. No photos, ID, or anything else silly.
I even did it via my console settings as there was a new option there.
For info: I have a monthly contract on my phone, and I assume it works because you have to be 18 to have a contract in your name.
Ive not completed the game yet, but this game just screams story type content DLC to me.
They could easily add some smaller 2-4 mission campaigns / stories as purchaseable DLC. Get the price right and they could make a good profit, and people would be happy.
It is illegal, and if someone has bought something based on what amounts to false/incorrect advertising then they have rights, sadly this will probably only extend to a refund. You would get a refund from Sony (or where you purchased), and they would bill the publisher.
The rules would also extend to promises such as "free X if you shop at this store" and you shopped at the store. And may even apply if the 'currency' was your time - ie the requirement was to spend time doing something (eg painting a picture), but you would need an expert for this.
There could also be fines relating to false advertising but this sounds highly unlikely if they have corrected themselves.
The main reason companies don't engage in this sort of BS is reputation, and I wonder if they really thought out the reputational damage they could endure.
Eg what if every time they make an announcement people take to bombarding them with messages like "is this rubbish just like when you said... ".
A reputation for not being truthful/fair is hard to shake, and imo they should have just gone through with the original promise. They may even alter course with a "we have listened and will now fulfill what was originally said" , but some damage will still have been done.
@get2sammyb Am I right in saying (remembering from one of your articles) they are adding additional Single Player content for your created Protagonist. May have even been added today.
I wonder if they are getting fed up with balancing of new styles / moves added with each DLC character (though I will admit I didn't see much balancing in this regard, and don't know why they bothered if they did).
@AI-Generation Having seen both versions running, its very clear that they either targeted Pro (something I suspect we will see more of now), or completely over estimated their ability on base PS5.
People have accepted only seeing Pro footage, so Pro is the version they will 'sell' a game based on.
They should just release it at whatever price it needs to be (subsidising to the normal %), then let customers make the choice.
Cross gen is going to last probably about 6 years, so I don't see there is an issue here - those that can will buy it, those that can't will wait and continue to play their PS5/Pro.
@Yor-sama I for one, as a Pro owner, find the Digital Foundry reviews incredibly useful, and Push Square 100% should report a summary of their findings. In fact, after reading / watching various reviews / footage, I was waiting to watch the DF review before making my decision to buy the game yesterday evening.
People who are considering buying a Pro or this game may well find this sort of article very useful.
Yes, Pro versions should be better, but here the Pro version goes beyond the pitched target as it exceeds the base PS5's quality mode visuals, AND exceeds the base PS5's performance mode framerate, at the same time. In truth I think the Base PS5 version is quite significantly compromised on a visual front. I think going forwards we will see more and more of this.
If you have no interest in Pro (or this game) that's fine; these articles are not intended for you, and you do not need to read them.
@Northern_munkey Mark Cerny seemed very confident about PSSR2 (and the ML capability built into Pro for it) when he was doing interviews last year, with the only thing being it was taking a bit longer - though for the wait we got the system level upgrade (path), which was more than worth it! It certainly is doing a lot of 'heavy lifting' in this game.
(Providing the pre upscale res was around 1080p PSSR v1 was not bad as some made out, when properly implemented - it certainly looked very good in motion).
I think its going to become quite a common thing now to see Pro 60fps Performance modes with better image quality than Base 30fps Quality modes, which also bodes well for PS6, when it arrives.
@Yor-sama In this games case, the base performance mode does not look good at all in my opinion, with a significantly compromised image quality, that looks even worse when moving.
The bigger point here though is that Pro achieves a noticeably better (and far more stable) image quality in its 60fps mode, than the base consoles quality mode (30fps). On top of all this the Pro has better performance at 60fps.
The DF review is up and is pretty consistent with the findings here.
The base PS5 version suffers from (in my opinion very significant) image quality / clarity issues, but has good performance in most areas tested, although driving sections are noted as problematic.
PS5 Pro has much better image quality / clarity (achieved via nearly double pre upscale resolution and PSSR2), and good performance throughout.
The Pro's image quality (running at 60fps) is better than the base PS5's quality mode running at 30fps.
@Oram77
I tend to stay away from mainsteam social media - I don't even have a twitter account, so I am looking at this as an isolated case.
This just doesn't sound like the best example of what you are describing (which I do understand is very common), and unlike some examples, I can see how this one has happened without the normal massive exaggeration.
So he was saying that Sony have "an issue" with ND spending 5+yrs / $300m on a game, but not that Sony were "angry" with ND.
I'm sorry, but without clarification his wording "oh they definitely have an issue with that" is not that far away from sounding like he is saying Sony are "angry".
The embedded tweet above doesn't even say "angry", it says "upset" ; lthough the framing and context is taken a little too far.
One of the joys of written comments, particularly short ones like his, are that they can be misinterpreted.
@Czar_Khastik I love your sarcasm, but please don't tempt fate...lol
I can see it now... your character has just survived a big fight, and happens to mention they are thirsty or tired - only for an advert for some bl**dy energy drink to appear!
@FamilyGuyFAN44 If thats the case - and I really hope it is, why has this been marketed as UE6; surely UE5.1 (for example) would be more representative.
Plus, and I don't know this isn't the case - I am just presuming it isn't; they should really allow for quick and simple upgrades for current UE5 games that devs can patch into games. Similar to how Pro updates PSSR from a system level, but it will require a simple patch as Sony likely won't allow a system level update.
@LowDefAl
UE4 may not be the most amazing engine ever, but as it stands the image clarity and framerates achieved on PS5 UE4 games was/is far in advance of UE5 games I have seen / played so far.
You are literally looking at nearly 2x Pre upscale resolution AND 1.5x Framerate at the same time (providing uncapping is allowed for).
As I said in my previous post, all the UE5 advancements are for nothing when framerate and image quality/clarity are worse.
I do agree that some of the problem is developers using functions they should not, or having settings too high, but I cannot actually think of any game using UE5 that actually achieved a stable 60fps without significant image quality issues on base PS5 (even Pro versions have had issues - though PSSR2 should make a massive difference here).
When it comes to proprietary engines, yes, some are better than others, and DD2 and MHW were not good at all, but I am certain they would have been worse or no better had they used UE5.
Other engines such as all those Sony use, in particular Decima and Insomniacs, and the more recent build of RE Engine, have shown themselves to be far, far better than UE5 (or indeed 4).
I literally dread seeing UE5 is being used for a game I am interested in.
UE5 has, in my opinion, been an absolute disaster.
Framerates and image quality/clarity are much reduced from UE4 and a number of proprietary engines.
Open world games on UE4 can run in excess of 1080p (pre upscale) at well over 60fps; UE5 is lucky to get much over 720p, with framerates that often can't even stick solidly to 60fps, in non open worlds.
I don't care about the visual 'upgrades' because the framerate and image quality are so low they become pointless.
Will UE6 be far less resource intensive, because that is what is needed, before any further pointless 'upgrades'.
@themightyant I get your point; I'm just not sure that with physical sales what they are, that devs etc are going to want to do this.
They would definitely need different packaging (which involves costly artwork / printing) etc, and its very likely that a 'launch' version will be far less sought after on resale, than a 'day 1 patch' version, and that would be less sought after than a 'fully patched' (for posterity) version released later. I did think that maybe they could use stickers, but on copies of different perceived value, people might just mess with them etc.
As I said above, I don't think there is a good way round this, as people are going to get (really) upset whichever way - but I think more devs will move towards delaying physical launch or enabling disc versions via day 1 patches etc, to prevent spoilers / early play, as digital versions become their priority. It might just be nice if they consulted physical buyers as to what is most important to them - speed or preservation.
@Northern_munkey The ones that get me are the "No framerate drops for me" type comments that you see, and I have seen a lot of similar comments for this game. On another similar game, I had someone say something like this, only to later work out they could barely tell the difference between 30fps and 60fps, yet still thought they should be commenting on framerates. On the other hand, you can clearly see the issues, and the improvement from changing the settings.
I hope DF take time to re-analyse this game. For clarity, I don't necessarily listen to everything they say (particularly on visuals) - I use their frame graphs, the frequency they discuss, and my own experience of what I can tolerate, which is far more nuanced than just a simple limit.
And I know exactly what you mean about liking games but still able to find faults - I really loved RE Requiem, would score it a 9 (on Pro), but could (& have) listed a huge number of faults in the game eg Shoe-horned in bosses from previous games that weren't fully realised, some inconsistent lore, a main antagonist who just seems to fizzle out etc.
@Flaming_Kaiser You may have misunderstood my comment. I meant release a fully working from disc day 1 patched version (likely a couple of weeks after digital relesse), OR release physically months after launch, once all patches are complete, with the disc(s) having the complete patched version.
@brakeman90 I certainly agree its a tough decision - I don't think they can make a 'right' decision here. They obviously want to keep digital customers happy because that is their main sales these days, but they also need to try and work out what physical customers want most.
@Northern_munkey Thank you. I'm going to wait for a few more (months of) patches, and a sale, then might take a look. Certainly sounds more promising if limiting particles (and removing unnecessary effects) has a decent effect.
And thank you for a proper overview - I really do hate the "its perfectly smooth for me with no issues whatsoever" BS you get from some; as if they have a unique PS5(Pro) which is clocked much higher lol.
As has been pointed out, delaying physical releases seems the best option to me here.
The question is (maybe a poll?) Should they delay only a few weeks so the disc contains the Day 1 patch version, OR a few months until the game is fully patched?
@Northern_munkey
Pro, with 4k 120hz HDMI2.1 TV. Just read your previous post, and you have me interested - I'm going on the various analysis I've seen, and I'm pretty sure most/all won't have done that.
I would use Performance mode, with VRR 120hz - does that still fit with what you have described (I know usually V Sync isn't needed with VRR).
What does "60% pssr sharpness" mean? I thought PSSR2 was default but might be mistaken.
Can you turn motion blur and any depth of field off - I know that sometimes helps, and I hate them with a passion anyway!
And finally, does it fix areas such as 'bug hill' I think it was referred to? If the fps drops below 55fps for any period of time, it will stop me in my tracks (it sounds strange but I don't need a framerate counter).
@get2sammyb Someone has probably said it already, but very nice opinion piece - I don't think I disagree with anything here.
I'm not sure Sony will listen - I haven't been impressed with their marketing for the last few years (except the advertising part) - but not showing this, or any other LS game, would definitely be 'addition by subtraction' .
@Matroska Fully agree with your 1st paragraph, but not necessarily with your 2nd.
I have been quite surprised sometimes by the people watching these State of Plays - sometimes including people I would consider the very definition of 'casual' gamers. This is particularly the case if its advertised that one of the headlines is a popular character like Spiderman or in this case Wolverine.
@Shepherd_Tallon Yeah, a few really promising looking games, and some decent info on Wolverine would suit me fine.
I sometimes think Sony would do best by having a splash screen before each trailer telling us the basic info - ie game type, SP/MP, Pro enhancement, release date/window. That way, people can just pay attention to the things they want to.
Comments 3,883
Re: Despite Uncertainty Over Exclusivity, Xbox Will Still Show PS5 Logos at Showcase
I don't know if we will know which direction they are going in regarding exclusives - they might just change their minds again.
[UPDATE - following article Update: Well that didn't take them long did it?!]
I don't have interest in many of their games to begin with, and firmly believe they don't have the userbase to sustain exclusives - something that is only going to get worse for them if the Helix rumours are true. But they really need to make up their minds.
If they choose to go multiformat they need to do it properly - no timed exclusives, no 'lesser' PS5 versions, proper Pro versions (some have been excellent, others not so). Only then might I regain some interest in what they are doing.
Re: Rumour: Rayman PS5 Remake to Feature Astro Bot, Will Be Revealed at State of Play
How do the Astro costumes appear on Xbox / PC - pixelated blurry messes with a message saying:
"This content is exclusive to Playstation gamers; please purchase a Playstation console to view this content" ?!
Lol.
Re: Fable PS5 Delayed, Moved Away from GTA 6 for the 'Dedicated Moment It Deserves'
Got a couple of games in the backlog ready for the end of the year, after Wolverine of course. (For when GTA6 comes out and the inevitable couple of months of nothing else launching)
Re: Poll: Will Next Week's PS5 State of Play Be the Most Viewed Ever?
@Oram77
Did Zorn and Thorn cast a spell called 'Elpis' lol
Re: Poll: Will Next Week's PS5 State of Play Be the Most Viewed Ever?
@Czar_Khastik @Oram77
Sod FF9, I'm counting on Bloodborne Remake being shown, and shadow dropped at midnight!
Re: Poll: Will Next Week's PS5 State of Play Be the Most Viewed Ever?
It depends on what is announced / shown, but has a chance.
Whilst most enthusiasts will watch it, and likely live if possible, most of the people I know who are casual gamers will watch it ONLY if there is something that interests them.
The only big drawing games they have been interested in so far this gen were Spiderman (MM/2), and GOW Ragnarok.
That does mean that this SoP has a chance though with Wolverine being shown.
Re: 007 First Light (PS5) - James Bond Returns in a Strong, Confident Origin Adventure
@Broad-Spectrum
It does (look really good on Pro), and whilst it maybe isn't in the top 10 of games this gen, it is better looking than a decent majority of games imo.
The image quality in particular, lighting, and general detail levels are all very pleasing to me.
For example, the sights coming in to the hotel in the chess mission are stunning.
Whereas on Base PS5 I would easily go as far as to say it looks very compromised, and obviously has performance issues too.
Performance and image quality / visuals go a long way with me, and I would be tempted to give this only a 7 on base, but a 9 on Pro.
Re: 007 First Light (PS5) - James Bond Returns in a Strong, Confident Origin Adventure
@Segafodder
It might have to do with the online functionality causing the slow loading, but I agree it's very slow.
I confirmed last night that Challenge completion is tied to your online profile, NOT your game save file (or any part of it), and for collectibles / mission progress it is your save file.
Re: 007 First Light (PS5) - James Bond Returns in a Strong, Confident Origin Adventure
@Quintumply
Nice review, and thank you for the Review in Progress. I was undecided on this game at first, but am thoroughly enjoying it after buying it the other day.
I think this game might just be a good example that scoring for Base PS5 and Pro could Ideally be separate.
2 of the negatives disappear on Pro (visuals/fps), and I would even argue visuals turns into a very big positive for Pro.
Re: Crimson Desert's PS5 Feature Set Has Been Expanded in Latest Patch
@Oram77
No idea if your playing it but 007 FL has full remapping. It has a few 'kinks' to work out (eg don't select 'press' for grapple, only 'hold" or it gets confused with grab rush - it will still grapple on press if you pick hold), but I have found it very useful indeed.
Re: Crimson Desert's PS5 Feature Set Has Been Expanded in Latest Patch
I see they have added the promised button remapping option.
Just proven (by DF re-review ideally) performance fixes (all sections) left to go, and I will pick this one up.
Re: 007 First Light Debuts to 1.5 Million Sales in Just 24 Hours
@get2sammyb
Personally, I think the late reviews have harmed this games sales a bit at the moment (though probably not long term).
As I understand it review code was sent out very late.
Playing the game, it does not feel broken, but it does feel like it came out a little 'hot", with some mechanics / functions that don't always fully work as intended 100% of the time, and very long load times.
Still an excellent game though.
Re: Sony's Spamming PS5 Age Verification Reminders Ahead of June Cutoff
@Dogbreath
Personally, and its only an opinion, but I believe all this stems from 'sabre rattling', and potential future action, from the UK / Europe etc, against (mostly US based) 'big tech'.
When certain people talk about 'Trade deficits' I don't believe they add in the massive revenue from a lot of activities (eg advertising / sponsorship etc) which makes these companies, and thus countries like the US, a huge amount of money. I don't even know if they add in things like subscription to digital services. The 'trade deficit' figures certainly always seem very one sided and no economy could cope with that.
Therefore reducing money going out of countries to these companies does not affect any 'trade deficit' , but does affect the import/export balance in terms of money transferred.
On the other hand things like Social media and the influence it has are becoming concerning to a lot of people, and has made itself an easy target - some companies continued reluctance to increase, or decreasing self moderation, is very concerning in itself.
Some of these companies rely on getting people started at under 18, hoping it becomes such a large part of their normal lives it continues through adulthood.
A ban on under 16's, even if only marginally effective, will have a massive effect on social media companies earnings from worldwide sources.
I 100% agree with you that Sony getting "ahead of the game and PR problems" is the best thing for them.
Re: 007 First Light Tech Analysis Reveals Just How Far Ahead PS5 Pro Is
@Yor-sama
Of course you are. I'm not saying you aren't free to read articles like this, just that unless the dev team is incompetent, you should expect to read that the Pro version is superior. Also that some people are interested in these articles, even if for some reason they offend you.
Price is subjective - if I were buying a new console tomorrow, I would pay the extra for a Pro, and it would be an easy choice. Recent price rises haven't been good for any console, or PC.
Re: 007 First Light Debuts to 1.5 Million Sales in Just 24 Hours
A few missions in and it seems a very good game.
Pro's
Cons
Re: Sony's Spamming PS5 Age Verification Reminders Ahead of June Cutoff
I did this without any hassle a while back, using my phone number (which they already have), and a verification code.
No photos, ID, or anything else silly.
I even did it via my console settings as there was a new option there.
For info: I have a monthly contract on my phone, and I assume it works because you have to be 18 to have a contract in your name.
Re: 'Launching the Game Is Just the Beginning': Don't Trade in 007 First Light for PS5
Ive not completed the game yet, but this game just screams story type content DLC to me.
They could easily add some smaller 2-4 mission campaigns / stories as purchaseable DLC. Get the price right and they could make a good profit, and people would be happy.
Re: The Outer Worlds 'Free' PS5 Upgrade Has Immediately Turned into a Mess
@mwatcher
(As per @themightyant)
As I understand it (UK):
It is illegal, and if someone has bought something based on what amounts to false/incorrect advertising then they have rights, sadly this will probably only extend to a refund. You would get a refund from Sony (or where you purchased), and they would bill the publisher.
The rules would also extend to promises such as "free X if you shop at this store" and you shopped at the store. And may even apply if the 'currency' was your time - ie the requirement was to spend time doing something (eg painting a picture), but you would need an expert for this.
There could also be fines relating to false advertising but this sounds highly unlikely if they have corrected themselves.
The main reason companies don't engage in this sort of BS is reputation, and I wonder if they really thought out the reputational damage they could endure.
Eg what if every time they make an announcement people take to bombarding them with messages like "is this rubbish just like when you said... ".
A reputation for not being truthful/fair is hard to shake, and imo they should have just gone through with the original promise. They may even alter course with a "we have listened and will now fulfill what was originally said" , but some damage will still have been done.
Re: 'Have Fun in the Festering Slop Pit': Hideo Kojima Underfire for Generative AI Short
"But I do think we need to collectively expand our vocabulary beyond “slop” to describe this sentiment!"
Unfortunately, most of the alternatives I can think of require " * " 's or moderation...
Re: 'That's a Huge Bummer': Street Fighter 6 World Tour Support Ends with Ingrid on PS5, PS4
@get2sammyb
Am I right in saying (remembering from one of your articles) they are adding additional Single Player content for your created Protagonist. May have even been added today.
I wonder if they are getting fed up with balancing of new styles / moves added with each DLC character (though I will admit I didn't see much balancing in this regard, and don't know why they bothered if they did).
Re: 'That's a Huge Bummer': Street Fighter 6 World Tour Support Ends with Ingrid on PS5, PS4
I bought SF6 for the single player content, a big part of which is World Tour (I don't play MP). I bought the game and Year 1 on sale.
I have even bought the DLC packs FOR the additional WT content (I will wait for a sale though)
SF6 will therefore end with Year 3 for me.
Re: 007 First Light Tech Analysis Reveals Just How Far Ahead PS5 Pro Is
@AI-Generation
Having seen both versions running, its very clear that they either targeted Pro (something I suspect we will see more of now), or completely over estimated their ability on base PS5.
People have accepted only seeing Pro footage, so Pro is the version they will 'sell' a game based on.
Re: Sudden Steam Deck Price Increase Pins More Questions on PS6
They should just release it at whatever price it needs to be (subsidising to the normal %), then let customers make the choice.
Cross gen is going to last probably about 6 years, so I don't see there is an issue here - those that can will buy it, those that can't will wait and continue to play their PS5/Pro.
Re: 007 First Light Tech Analysis Reveals Just How Far Ahead PS5 Pro Is
@Yor-sama
I for one, as a Pro owner, find the Digital Foundry reviews incredibly useful, and Push Square 100% should report a summary of their findings.
In fact, after reading / watching various reviews / footage, I was waiting to watch the DF review before making my decision to buy the game yesterday evening.
People who are considering buying a Pro or this game may well find this sort of article very useful.
Yes, Pro versions should be better, but here the Pro version goes beyond the pitched target as it exceeds the base PS5's quality mode visuals, AND exceeds the base PS5's performance mode framerate, at the same time.
In truth I think the Base PS5 version is quite significantly compromised on a visual front. I think going forwards we will see more and more of this.
If you have no interest in Pro (or this game) that's fine; these articles are not intended for you, and you do not need to read them.
Re: 007 First Light Tech Analysis Reveals Just How Far Ahead PS5 Pro Is
@Northern_munkey
Mark Cerny seemed very confident about PSSR2 (and the ML capability built into Pro for it) when he was doing interviews last year, with the only thing being it was taking a bit longer - though for the wait we got the system level upgrade (path), which was more than worth it!
It certainly is doing a lot of 'heavy lifting' in this game.
(Providing the pre upscale res was around 1080p PSSR v1 was not bad as some made out, when properly implemented - it certainly looked very good in motion).
I think its going to become quite a common thing now to see Pro 60fps Performance modes with better image quality than Base 30fps Quality modes, which also bodes well for PS6, when it arrives.
Re: 007 First Light Tech Analysis Reveals Just How Far Ahead PS5 Pro Is
@Yor-sama
In this games case, the base performance mode does not look good at all in my opinion, with a significantly compromised image quality, that looks even worse when moving.
The bigger point here though is that Pro achieves a noticeably better (and far more stable) image quality in its 60fps mode, than the base consoles quality mode (30fps).
On top of all this the Pro has better performance at 60fps.
Re: Review in Progress: 007 First Light (PS5) - James Bond's Origin Adventure Is Highly Entertaining
The DF review is up and is pretty consistent with the findings here.
The base PS5 version suffers from (in my opinion very significant) image quality / clarity issues, but has good performance in most areas tested, although driving sections are noted as problematic.
PS5 Pro has much better image quality / clarity (achieved via nearly double pre upscale resolution and PSSR2), and good performance throughout.
The Pro's image quality (running at 60fps) is better than the base PS5's quality mode running at 30fps.
Re: Sony Wants to Make PS5 Matchmaking More Interesting, But It Could Lead to Ads
@Czar_Khastik
I think I needed something stronger after that boss lol
Re: 'Absurd': Social Media Misquotes Journalist, Erroneously Claims Sony Is Angry at Naughty Dog
@Oram77
I tend to stay away from mainsteam social media - I don't even have a twitter account, so I am looking at this as an isolated case.
This just doesn't sound like the best example of what you are describing (which I do understand is very common), and unlike some examples, I can see how this one has happened without the normal massive exaggeration.
Re: 'Absurd': Social Media Misquotes Journalist, Erroneously Claims Sony Is Angry at Naughty Dog
So he was saying that Sony have "an issue" with ND spending 5+yrs / $300m on a game, but not that Sony were "angry" with ND.
I'm sorry, but without clarification his wording "oh they definitely have an issue with that" is not that far away from sounding like he is saying Sony are "angry".
The embedded tweet above doesn't even say "angry", it says "upset" ; lthough the framing and context is taken a little too far.
One of the joys of written comments, particularly short ones like his, are that they can be misinterpreted.
Re: Sony Wants to Make PS5 Matchmaking More Interesting, But It Could Lead to Ads
@Czar_Khastik
I love your sarcasm, but please don't tempt fate...lol
I can see it now... your character has just survived a big fight, and happens to mention they are thirsty or tired - only for an advert for some bl**dy energy drink to appear!
Re: Now It's Raised the Price, PlayStation Wants Your Thoughts on PS Plus
I'm sure I was already asked to do this survey (and did it) a couple of months ago - before they put prices up.
It might just be a rolling survey they do all the time.
Re: Is This Our First Glimpse of PS6? Rocket League for Unreal Engine 6 Surprise Teased
@FamilyGuyFAN44
If thats the case - and I really hope it is, why has this been marketed as UE6; surely UE5.1 (for example) would be more representative.
Plus, and I don't know this isn't the case - I am just presuming it isn't; they should really allow for quick and simple upgrades for current UE5 games that devs can patch into games. Similar to how Pro updates PSSR from a system level, but it will require a simple patch as Sony likely won't allow a system level update.
Re: Is This Our First Glimpse of PS6? Rocket League for Unreal Engine 6 Surprise Teased
@LowDefAl
UE4 may not be the most amazing engine ever, but as it stands the image clarity and framerates achieved on PS5 UE4 games was/is far in advance of UE5 games I have seen / played so far.
You are literally looking at nearly 2x Pre upscale resolution AND 1.5x Framerate at the same time (providing uncapping is allowed for).
As I said in my previous post, all the UE5 advancements are for nothing when framerate and image quality/clarity are worse.
I do agree that some of the problem is developers using functions they should not, or having settings too high, but I cannot actually think of any game using UE5 that actually achieved a stable 60fps without significant image quality issues on base PS5 (even Pro versions have had issues - though PSSR2 should make a massive difference here).
When it comes to proprietary engines, yes, some are better than others, and DD2 and MHW were not good at all, but I am certain they would have been worse or no better had they used UE5.
Other engines such as all those Sony use, in particular Decima and Insomniacs, and the more recent build of RE Engine, have shown themselves to be far, far better than UE5 (or indeed 4).
I literally dread seeing UE5 is being used for a game I am interested in.
Re: Is This Our First Glimpse of PS6? Rocket League for Unreal Engine 6 Surprise Teased
UE5 has, in my opinion, been an absolute disaster.
Framerates and image quality/clarity are much reduced from UE4 and a number of proprietary engines.
Open world games on UE4 can run in excess of 1080p (pre upscale) at well over 60fps; UE5 is lucky to get much over 720p, with framerates that often can't even stick solidly to 60fps, in non open worlds.
I don't care about the visual 'upgrades' because the framerate and image quality are so low they become pointless.
Will UE6 be far less resource intensive, because that is what is needed, before any further pointless 'upgrades'.
Re: 'The Most Important Thing Is People Can Play at Launch': Gothic PS5 Remake Misses the Mark with Mandated Download
@themightyant
I get your point; I'm just not sure that with physical sales what they are, that devs etc are going to want to do this.
They would definitely need different packaging (which involves costly artwork / printing) etc, and its very likely that a 'launch' version will be far less sought after on resale, than a 'day 1 patch' version, and that would be less sought after than a 'fully patched' (for posterity) version released later. I did think that maybe they could use stickers, but on copies of different perceived value, people might just mess with them etc.
As I said above, I don't think there is a good way round this, as people are going to get (really) upset whichever way - but I think more devs will move towards delaying physical launch or enabling disc versions via day 1 patches etc, to prevent spoilers / early play, as digital versions become their priority.
It might just be nice if they consulted physical buyers as to what is most important to them - speed or preservation.
Re: Crimson Desert (PS5) - One of the Most Frustratingly Brilliant Games I've Ever Played
@Northern_munkey
The ones that get me are the "No framerate drops for me" type comments that you see, and I have seen a lot of similar comments for this game.
On another similar game, I had someone say something like this, only to later work out they could barely tell the difference between 30fps and 60fps, yet still thought they should be commenting on framerates.
On the other hand, you can clearly see the issues, and the improvement from changing the settings.
I hope DF take time to re-analyse this game. For clarity, I don't necessarily listen to everything they say (particularly on visuals) - I use their frame graphs, the frequency they discuss, and my own experience of what I can tolerate, which is far more nuanced than just a simple limit.
And I know exactly what you mean about liking games but still able to find faults - I really loved RE Requiem, would score it a 9 (on Pro), but could (& have) listed a huge number of faults in the game eg Shoe-horned in bosses from previous games that weren't fully realised, some inconsistent lore, a main antagonist who just seems to fizzle out etc.
Re: 'The Most Important Thing Is People Can Play at Launch': Gothic PS5 Remake Misses the Mark with Mandated Download
@Flaming_Kaiser
You may have misunderstood my comment.
I meant release a fully working from disc day 1 patched version (likely a couple of weeks after digital relesse), OR release physically months after launch, once all patches are complete, with the disc(s) having the complete patched version.
Re: 'The Most Important Thing Is People Can Play at Launch': Gothic PS5 Remake Misses the Mark with Mandated Download
@get2sammyb
It is one of those questions I wouldn't even like to guess what the answer is going to be.
Re: 'The Most Important Thing Is People Can Play at Launch': Gothic PS5 Remake Misses the Mark with Mandated Download
@brakeman90
I certainly agree its a tough decision - I don't think they can make a 'right' decision here. They obviously want to keep digital customers happy because that is their main sales these days, but they also need to try and work out what physical customers want most.
Re: Crimson Desert (PS5) - One of the Most Frustratingly Brilliant Games I've Ever Played
@Northern_munkey
Thank you. I'm going to wait for a few more (months of) patches, and a sale, then might take a look. Certainly sounds more promising if limiting particles (and removing unnecessary effects) has a decent effect.
And thank you for a proper overview - I really do hate the "its perfectly smooth for me with no issues whatsoever" BS you get from some; as if they have a unique PS5(Pro) which is clocked much higher lol.
Re: 'The Most Important Thing Is People Can Play at Launch': Gothic PS5 Remake Misses the Mark with Mandated Download
As has been pointed out, delaying physical releases seems the best option to me here.
The question is (maybe a poll?) Should they delay only a few weeks so the disc contains the Day 1 patch version, OR a few months until the game is fully patched?
Re: Crimson Desert (PS5) - One of the Most Frustratingly Brilliant Games I've Ever Played
@Northern_munkey
Pro, with 4k 120hz HDMI2.1 TV. Just read your previous post, and you have me interested - I'm going on the various analysis I've seen, and I'm pretty sure most/all won't have done that.
I would use Performance mode, with VRR 120hz - does that still fit with what you have described (I know usually V Sync isn't needed with VRR).
What does "60% pssr sharpness" mean? I thought PSSR2 was default but might be mistaken.
Can you turn motion blur and any depth of field off - I know that sometimes helps, and I hate them with a passion anyway!
And finally, does it fix areas such as 'bug hill' I think it was referred to? If the fps drops below 55fps for any period of time, it will stop me in my tracks (it sounds strange but I don't need a framerate counter).
Re: Crimson Desert (PS5) - One of the Most Frustratingly Brilliant Games I've Ever Played
Performance still has it as a 0 for me, as I wouldn't be able to play it.
Re: For England, James! 007 First Light's PS5 Launch Trailer Is Here to Hype You Up
And, I am stirred, but not shaken.
Re: 'We're Proud of What We've Been Building': Infinity Ward Teases New Call of Duty Ahead of Crucial Reveal
That letter sounds like it was written by AI !
(But I bet they won't be doing a storyline where you have to fight the evil AI that is trying to take over the world - MS might not be very happy lol)
Re: Talking Point: Sony, Don't Re-Reveal Fairgames at the Next State of Play
@get2sammyb
Someone has probably said it already, but very nice opinion piece - I don't think I disagree with anything here.
I'm not sure Sony will listen - I haven't been impressed with their marketing for the last few years (except the advertising part) - but not showing this, or any other LS game, would definitely be 'addition by subtraction' .
Re: Ahead of Humongous State of Play, Sony Trademarks New PS5 Game 'Break In'
@8th_Observer
Nope, because I hate it MORE!
Lol
Re: Reaction: Sony's Big State of Play Must Deliver as PS5 Perception Sinks to an All-Time Low
@Matroska
Fully agree with your 1st paragraph, but not necessarily with your 2nd.
I have been quite surprised sometimes by the people watching these State of Plays - sometimes including people I would consider the very definition of 'casual' gamers. This is particularly the case if its advertised that one of the headlines is a popular character like Spiderman or in this case Wolverine.
Re: Reaction: Sony's Big State of Play Must Deliver as PS5 Perception Sinks to an All-Time Low
@Shepherd_Tallon
Yeah, a few really promising looking games, and some decent info on Wolverine would suit me fine.
I sometimes think Sony would do best by having a splash screen before each trailer telling us the basic info - ie game type, SP/MP, Pro enhancement, release date/window. That way, people can just pay attention to the things they want to.