Digital Foundry: Redfall Performance and Path Tracing
Redfall 30 FPS Controversy
The team dives into the recent confirmation that Redfall will launch on Xbox Series X/S exclusively in a 30 FPS quality mode. The discussion highlights the following points:
• Concerns about technical state: The lack of a 60 FPS performance mode at launch indicates potential optimization hurdles or an unfinished product.
• Marketing inconsistencies: Previous promotional material consistently featured 60 FPS gameplay, leading to significant consumer frustration.
• UE4 workflow: The title utilizes Unreal Engine 4, and the team discusses how inefficient Blueprint code or incomplete optimization passes can impact performance targets.
Ghostwire Tokyo Technical Analysis
The discussion shifts to the recent Xbox Series X/S port of Ghostwire Tokyo.
• Comparison with PS5: The Xbox version appears to underperform compared to the existing PlayStation 5 release.
• Performance issues: The team notes lower resolutions and frame rates in several modes, marking a disappointing result for a first-party studio output.
Cyberpunk 2077: Path Tracing Overdrive
A major segment explores the new Path Tracing 'Overdrive' mode for Cyberpunk 2077.
• Visual fidelity: This mode represents a massive leap in lighting consistency, offering real-time full Path Tracing that mimics future rendering standards.
• Scalability: Surprisingly, the technology scales well across various NVIDIA GPUs, suggesting Path Tracing might be the future of high-end PC gaming.
• Future-proofing: The integration of DLSS3 and potential future Neural Radiance Caching aims to resolve issues like ghosting and shimmering common in current implementations.
"This is what NVIDIA would like to see happening in a lot of PC games, and I personally would also like to see happening where there's a mode that ships for consoles and it's like, let's say Lumen."
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Brief thoughts on the final pre-release trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
• The team agrees the game appears to hold consistent to Breath of the Wild’s aesthetic and technical foundation while expanding the scope of the world through aerial segments.