Final Fantasy 15 PS4 vs. Xbox One Demo Comparison
"Xbox One plays out more fluidly when it hits its target 30fps cap."
Following the release of Final Fantasy XV's new Platinum Demo last week, Digital Foundry has now conducted a technical analysis and compared the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions.
Both versions use a dynamic resolution, with a cap of 1080p, the site reports. Typically, the PS4 edition will output at 900p, but, using the dynamic resolution, can rise to full-HD for some sections. The PS4 version can fall to 1568 x 882 during the demo's final boss section, but it doesn't go any lower.
The Xbox One version of the Platinum Demo runs at a native resolution of 1408 x 792, Digital Foundry says, with the highest native resolution being 1568 x 882 and lowest at 1360 x 768.
"In other words, Xbox One always runs at a lower pixel output than PS4 and it translates to a perceptibly clearer image for the latter, in the main," the site explained. "However, image quality takes a hit due to the aggressive in-house post-process anti-aliasing, causing the image to blur on each console regardless of resolution in use. Coverage is also spotty, particular on Noctis and Carbuncle's hair, and high contrast elements can flare up in aliasing for a few frames before returning to a blurred state. For the second demo running [following Episode Duscae], Final Fantasy XV is let down by a post-process image treatment that's inadequate for the subject matter at hand, and it distracts from the great visuals at its core."
On the subject of frame rate, Digital Foundry reports that both the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the Platinum Demo can dip below the target 30fps during some sequences; this was also true for the first public demo, Episode Duscae, which was released in 2015.
The PS4 edition performs at an average of 5fps better than the Xbox One version for the Platinum demo, but both versions struggle during some sequences. For example, in the final boss battle, the game can drop to as low as 15fps on PS4 and Xbox One.
Digital Foundry also explains that the PS4 version has a frame rate issue not found on Xbox One.
"Similar to Bloodborne, a faulty 30fps cap causes PS4 to render in new frames at irregular intervals, causing its frame-time to switch erratically between 16 and 50ms," it said. "As ever, this creates the perception of stutter where there should be none--a frustrating bug, and one that means Xbox One plays out more fluidly when it hits its target 30fps cap."
Since this is only a demo, it's possible things will change for resolution and frame rate for the game's final release. In fact, Square Enix has said it's spending time now polishing and optimizing the game for launch. Further still, game director Hajime Tabata has said the new Final Fantasy XV demo is not meant to showcase the game's technical prowess, exactly, but is more designed to give players a feel for the world.
Digital Foundry's full report has many more details, as well as images and videos. Read it here.
Final Fantasy XV launches in September 2016 for PS4 and Xbox One. A PC version could come later, but nothing has been decided. For more on all the announcements from last week's Uncovered event in Los Angeles, check out this roundup of stories and this collection of trailers.
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