Draugoth
Gold Member
Final Fantasy 14 arrives on Xbox Series X/S consoles, mere months before the arrival of a major graphics overhaul. Guest present Marc 'Try4ce' Duddleson - an expert on the game - brings us up to date on the game after his prior 2021 video, checks out the Xbox Series X and Series S versions in depth and analyses every single graphics mode variation... and there are certainly plenty of them! How does the new Xbox version stack up? Are our issues with the PS5 version resolved? It's all here in a mammoth 40 minute review.
00:00 - Intro
01:54 - Version 7.0 preview
05:05 - Optimizations from version 6.2
10:07 - Xbox version overview
13:13 - Basic performance testing
15:58 - 2160p performance and VRR
20:43 - Edge-case stress tests
22:51 - 24-player performance testing
26:15 - Beta dynamic resolution scaling
28:36 - Loading comparisons
30:41 - Hangups in instances on Xbox?
34:35 - Enforced profanity filter on Xbox?
37:07 - Conclusion
40 minute video holy shit.
- General Update(s)
- The game very much retains the look of a 2013 cross-gen game until the graphical overhaul
- DF wants to cover the game now before most of it gets lost to time when the update changes the game
- PS5 versions drops to mid / low 50's were removed in Version 6.58.
- The game generally runs at 1440p / 60 FPS
- The 2160p mode now runs around 50~ fps but practically it falls below the 48hz VRR range too often to fully recommend
- PS4 version also benefits but it remains difficult to hit solid 60 FPS
- PS4 Pro can have isolated 60 FPS moment but towns still can't reach 60. 1080p still recommended here.
- Xbox Version Overview
- Series X parameters matches PS5 with the same setting options present, including FXAA
- Series S offers 1080p/1440p (no 2160p)
- At 1440p, all 3 (PS5, Series S|X) look identical.
- Series S does not have the 4K icons for things that PS5/SX have
- Xbox versions system level low-level frame rate compensation w/ VRR makes higher resolution playing more viable
- General / 1440p:
- Series X when set to 1440p is generally locked at 60 fps at all times like PS5
- Series S at 1440p generally hovers in the 40s. 1080p is mostly locked at 60 with some drops
- While not as locked as PS5/SX, Series S is still an improvement over PS4/Pro even if it isn't as performant as it can.
- 2160p Specific:
- Series X version hits 60 FPS in the 2160p more often than PS5 in combat
- During world traversal both generally hover around 48~50 fps
- Xbox's VRR and system-level low framerate compensation results in the 4K mode being a 'very darn consistent' experience
- This is the 'only way to have a mostly smooth experience while hitting high resolutions'
- DF suggests if possible, VRR + LFC is recommended on Series S as well for the higher clarity in 1440p over 1080p.
- Stress Test:
- Specific test areas where the game can populate unusually high amount of players has PS5/SX run mostly similarly with Series S dropping a little behind them both
- Stress boss rush areas with high effects is hard to replicate exactly on both but in DF's testing PS5 seemed to have more drops to 40s with them generally being a few frames apart
- However in the saem stress boss rush area, Series S can drop more than either when visual effects are set to normal
- Native 4K and normal effect quality can hit PS5/SX more than 1440p.
- Beta DRS Feature:
- The games beta DRS feature is kind of useless in DF's testing wtih it taking too long to adjust the game.
- Series S and PS4 seem to benefit more from this than PS5 / Series X
- DF recommends avoiding DRS feature for the two big boy consoles.
- Loading:
- PS5 / Series are generally identical on loading instanced rooms
- When teleporting between zones, PS5 is generally 2~3 seconds faster than Xbox, but they're both 30~ seconds faster than PS4.
- Non teleporting zone traversal takes only 1~2 seconds on the current consoles
- Series S can have an issue where it can hang on a black screen for 20~ seconds when entering a new zone, this doesn't seem to stop actions from happening in the background
- In some areas Series S hangs on a black screen even longer than a PS4
- Series X can also have this issue but DF were not able to replicate it reliably, seemingly random
- Conclusion:
- Xbox version's profanity filter is much stronger than other platforms and DF thinks it needs to be changed asap. It causes a lot of NPC words etc to be 'hidden' by the filter and they think it is a legitimate concern.
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