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QB1

E'er since the Xbox One and PS4 launched in 2013, it'due south been clear that both consoles have problems maintaining a steady xxx FPS at 1920×1080 (1080p). Microsoft'south Xbox One has particular trouble with these settings and oft runs at a lower resolution than its PS4 equivalent. Quantum Break was supposed to break this trend. The game was adult by Remedy Entertainment, the aforementioned studio behind Max Payne 1 & 2 and the critically acclaimed Alan Wake. Concluding year, Remedy went out of its way to state that Quantum Intermission on the Xbox 1 would run at 1080p native resolution, with some effects rendered at a lower resolution to maintain a steady 30 FPS.

Independent testing by Eurogamer suggests this isn't what actually happened. The company spent hours with what appears to be the final game code. Eurogamer writes:

Curiously, the [SIGGRAPH 2015] newspaper as well states Xbox I's concluding output is 1920×1080, and that'southward where there is some confusion — as we've yet to see evidence of full HD 1080p gameplay in close analysis — barring the title'south HUD elements and menus. In every scene tested so far, a native resolution of 720p is the consistent result establish in each pixel count test — so while there's every possibility of private return targets operating at college resolutions, basic geometry that we're able to measure hands in a 720p result as things stand up.

There are ii versions of the SIGGRAPH newspaper in question — the smaller annotated version is available here, while the total version with embedded images is here.

quantum_break-2

Quantum Pause is visually stunning in many respects.

Co-ordinate to Eurogamer, Quantum Suspension on the Xbox I is often visually stunning, with smart use of materials, lighting effects, and antialiasing. The game makes some utilize of dynamic resolution scaling to adjust GPU load depending on what'south happening on-screen, but Breakthrough Break pushes the envelope of what the Xbox One can handle in terms of outdoor environments. Again, here'due south Eurogamer: "More open locations combined with continued apply of advanced furnishings piece of work can impact functioning to a certain extent. Tearing and frame-rate drops result in judder and reduced controller response here, with this having a knock-on effect to gameplay. Performance suffers just as we take aim at surrounding enemies, and the variable levels of latency and visible stutter make it harder to take accurate shots. Once the engine catches its breath and frame rates stabilize these issues are fully resolved."

The shadows in Quantum Break are low resolution and tend to dither when you move. Image by Eurogamer

The shadows in Quantum Break are low resolution and tend to dither when you move. Image by Eurogamer

Eurogamer writes that the PC version of the game is also locked to 1080p and 30 FPS, though they say the game still "required plenty of work before launch." Since Quantum Break is a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) awarding only available through the Windows Store, it'southward but not clear if it volition transcend the current barriers to that platform or end upwards duplicating Gears of War's terrible launch.

Triumphant achievement or symptoms of a larger struggle?

Digital Foundry goes out of its way to praise Breakthrough Intermission's visual blueprint and notes that many of the bug they encountered were isolated to specific areas of the game. Nonetheless, the news that the title'south final output is in 720p (and a soft 720p at that) will disappoint some fans. Writing for Forbes, Jason Evangelho excoriated the 720p / thirty FPS target, writing:

"Nearly 50 games on the original Xbox ran at 720p. 15 years afterward, one of Microsoft's flagship titles on the Xbox One system is as well running at 720p… I realize that doesn't paint a complete picture. I realize that the graphics we're existence treated to are calorie-free years ahead of past panel generations. I realize that Quantum Break actually appears to be a beautiful game… I would be perfectly content with a 720p/60fps presentation. But i that struggles to maintain 30fps 100% percent of the time and is detrimental to gameplay? That'southward an issue if true, and it's not something console players should be dealing with in 2016."

One of the common complaints this generation has been that it doesn't really feel like a full generational upgrade. Games wait better than they used to, certainly, but non to the degree yous might expect given the eight-year gap between the Xbox 360 and the Xbox Ane (or PS3 vs. PS4). Much of this is explained past price. The PlayStation three launched at $499 and $599 ($597 and $693 in 2013 dollars), while the Xbox 360 debuted at $300 (no hard bulldoze) and $400 (20GB). That comes out to $357 and $477 in 2013 dollars, only remember — the original Xbox 360 didn't ship with Kinect. That's significant, because Microsoft later revealed information technology had spent a substantial chunk of the Xbox One'south original evolution costs on Kinect two, and the hardware packages from both companies were meant to make them profitable on panel says from Day 1, rather than taking a bath on sales from day 1 and hoping to brand information technology up in software license fees.

The fact that both the Xbox 1 and PS4 have sold briskly to-date suggests that plenty of gamers are willing to tolerate sub-30 FPS frame rates and 720-900p presentations. I've got no particular bone to pick with that, and whatsoever objective comparison of last-gen to current titles illustrates that the detail levels and overall visual effects have improved, fifty-fifty if the gain is smaller than in previous generations. At the same time, notwithstanding, Forbes has a betoken. Resolution isn't everything, only it's certainly something, and the fact that developers can't manage to offering fifty-fifty 60 FPS at a resolution that went mainstream ten years ago speaks volumes near how both Microsoft and game developers have set their priorities.

There are rumors of major refreshes coming for both consoles, simply information technology's not clear that either Sony or Microsoft wants to use those refreshes to improve basic presentation. Sony is talking almost 4K capabilities, only even an enormous GPU upgrade at the 14nm node wouldn't fit a 4K / 60 FPS GPU into the $fourscore – $120 BOM price of the APU itself. Honestly, I think even 4K at 30 FPS would be a stretch, and I'd rather see a 1080p / 60 FPS target, provided that Sony and MS made constant 60 FPS presentation mandatory.

Microsoft'due south Phil Spencer clarified his comments on an upgradeable Xbox One to specify that the console wouldn't be upgraded in-place, but left open what nosotros think is the more than likely scenario — an entirely new Xbox Ane panel with full backwards compatibility and upgraded performance. Sony's rumored PS4.five or PS4K appears to envision a like scenario. The only way gamers would accept this kind of strategy, however, is if they experience similar the new, mid-cycle panel offers compelling performance updates and capabilities that the previous version lacked — plenty to make information technology worth dropping $400-$500 on a new platform.