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Digital Foundry: Star Wars Jedi Survivor - Last-Gen Console Tech Review - Can PS4/Pro/Xbox One/X Run It?

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?


Ported back to the last generation of machines, it's clear base PS4 and Xbox One systems are frequently out of their depth in running Jedi Survivor at a locked 30fps. Still, the One X and PS4 Pro editions acquit themselves better than expected - and while not ideal there is a passable experience on those mid-gen refresh machines. Tom goes in-depth on a fascinating porting exercise.

00:00 Introduction
01:35 Last-Gen Console Install Sizes/Resolutions
03:08 Loading Times Tested
03:58 The Good News: Visual Settings That Remain
06:12 The Bad News: The Cutbacks/Bugs
08:26 PS4 Frame-Rate Tested
12:29 PS4 Pro Frame-Rate Tested
14:03 Xbox One S Frame-Rate Tested
15:12 Xbox One X Frame-Rate Tested
16:20 Verdict
 

kevboard

Member
does the One X version also run at 60fps when played on a Series X?
because that would actually give you a higher resolution lol
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
- Current gen (PS5) 30 FPS Quality mode still drops below 30 and 60fps drops resolution notably to hit the target.

- Base PS4: - 720p/30 FPS spec
- Base Xbox - 576p / 30fps
- PS4 Pro - 864p/30 fps
- One X - 900p/30fps

- Install size cut from 150GB on PS5 to 50GB on PS4 in part due to asset quality reduction
- Load times notably longer (10.5 sec on PS5 vs 2 min + on PS4)
- Random door loading going from outdoor to indoor can also take 10~ seconds on PS4, which is instantaneous on current gen)
- Physics are retained and no reduction there
- Broad visual features like baked GI etc are included and kept
- Last gen has no RT support and uses lower grade assets and cube maps ala current-gen Performance modes
- The water in Koboh uses SSR

- Assets hold up in isolation but are notably lower quality
- Fire, shadows, other visual effects take a hit and water and HUD runs at 15fps
- Foliage density also notably reduced
- Asset pop-in and flashing artifacts are prominent as assets cannot load fast enough, especially notable on base PS4 and XBO
- In-engine cinematics also drop frames and animation often falls out of sync, with effects stalling for a whole second to catch up

- Base PS4 (used for most of the testing)
- During general game play, 30 FPS target can have lurches, screen tearing, bouts of uneven frame pacing on PS4
- Some places have repeated drops to mid 20's when nothing is happening
- Alternatively, in some places the PS4 runs better 30 FPS then PS5's 30 FPS Quality Mode when it encounters RT effects

- Every time the camera cuts in cut-scenes, there's a cluster of notable FPS drops
- Other hitches like audio cutting off, HUD remaining on screen during a cut-scene etc
- All the above makes it an easy version to avoid.

- PS4 Pro:
- Most issues from base PS4 are easily avoided.
- Cut-scene hitches still remain with animation mismatches, but has less drops
- Running PS4 version on PS5 will run this version at 864p with last-gen effects at 60 fps

- Base XBO:
- Large bouts of hitching, drops etc. Some scenes can drop below 20fps time
- Worst way to play the game.

- One X:
- Cleanest presentation of the last gen version with the least amount of issues
- Still has hitches during cut-scenes but less so than the other versions
- DF encountered one crash within the first 7 minutes but no crashes since then
- DF did not mention running this version on Series console like PS4 version on PS5

- PS4 Pro and One X are somewhat recommendable while base PS4 and XBO are recommended to avoid.
 
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adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
does the One X version also run at 60fps when played on a Series X?
because that would actually give you a higher resolution lol

They did not talk about the One X version on Series X unfortunately.

Also, I don't think it will give a higher resolution. One X runs at 900p, the Series version's performance mode runs cleaner now since they removed the forced RT from it.
 

kevboard

Member
They did not talk about the One X version on Series X unfortunately.

Also, I don't think it will give a higher resolution. One X runs at 900p, the Series version's performance mode runs cleaner now since they removed the forced RT from it.

it seems to be also around 900p or slightly above since that patch yeah.

but in this video at 15:17 he curiously said that the One X seems to go above 900p at points.

"occasional signs of a higher 936p reading"


Suggesting that it has a dynamic resolution, possibly one that almost always drops to 900p on One X hardware.

so possibly we could get a 1080p 60fps version here, which would exceed the Series X's average resolution in performance mode.
 
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00_Zer0

Member
With Denuvo gone and new patches released for the PC version, I'll be getting this on Steam, but I'd be curious to see if this game and the first game gets a release on Switch 2. If they do can't wait till we see comparisons between Switch 2 docked mode and PS4 Pro or XBox One X versions.
 

kevboard

Member
With Denuvo gone and new patches released for the PC version, I'll be getting this on Steam, but I'd be curious to see if this game and the first game gets a release on Switch 2. If they do can't wait till we see comparisons between Switch 2 docked mode and PS4 Pro or XBox One X versions.

if I'd had to guess a Switch 2 version would be 1440p DLSS Performance mode, with RT reflections at 30fps
 

tommib

Banned
This almost sounds like some kind of internal bet because the cutbacks are enormous. 3 minute loadings, 540p, screen tearing, assets not loading… I guess gamers in last-gen consoles are still the majority?
 

Skifi28

Member
Did Tom miss FSR2? Watching the video, those didn't look like native resolutions to me and I could spot tons of reconstruction artifacts throughout.
 

Skifi28

Member
This almost sounds like some kind of internal bet because the cutbacks are enormous. 3 minute loadings, 540p, screen tearing, assets not loading… I guess gamers in last-gen consoles are still the majority?
There are games on the Series S that drop in the 400p range, nothing wrong with an over 10 year old console dropping so low imo.
 

Go_Ly_Dow

Member
Impossible port?
Nope UE4 so was always possible by simply taking away the RT, reducing resolution massively, limiting it to 30fps and scaling back the visuals. Many linear environments.

It just seems pointless in the end imo.
 
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M1chl

Currently Gif and Meme Champion
This gives me the thoughts that current gen consoles weren't pushed hard enough. Also game was buggy mess on launch and it wasn't nearly as good as first game.
 

Big Baller

Al Pachinko, Konami President
Snoop Dogg GIF by Verzuz
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
This gives me the thoughts that current gen consoles weren't pushed hard enough. Also game was buggy mess on launch and it wasn't nearly as good as first game.
They put ray traced GI, ray traced reflections and rt shadows in a console game. An AMD console at that. still the only game to do so besides avatar and star wars outlaws.

RT is just really heavy and while you could argue that those gpu resources are better off spent elsewhere, i do think they make a big difference. difference DF and NX gamer cant show off because they only play the first level of each game. ive done some comparisons of rt on and off in several indoor areas and the difference is massive.

i hope they switch to UE5 next time and use software lumen instead of hardware accelerated rtgi, reflections and shadows. its far more performant and will allow them to push visuals elsewhere.
 

LordCBH

Member
I legit didn’t realize this but last Gen systems. Wow.

Side note, wish they’d patch in a 40fps mode on the current Gen versions.
 

proandrad

Member
Wish they would just throw UE in the trash and use source like titanfall. This game on UE has been a technical nightmare since the first game. It holds back what could have been a masterful Star Wars game.
 

NickFire

Member
I’m waiting for the day when an old gen console actually melts from a current gen game. Some dev should try making it happen just for the stealth marketing payoff on current gen.
 

PeteBull

Member
ps4/xbox one arent far from launch cp2077 situation, just as expected, dat 576p on xbone is horror material =D
 

tommib

Banned
They put ray traced GI, ray traced reflections and rt shadows in a console game. An AMD console at that. still the only game to do so besides avatar and star wars outlaws.

RT is just really heavy and while you could argue that those gpu resources are better off spent elsewhere, i do think they make a big difference. difference DF and NX gamer cant show off because they only play the first level of each game. ive done some comparisons of rt on and off in several indoor areas and the difference is massive.

i hope they switch to UE5 next time and use software lumen instead of hardware accelerated rtgi, reflections and shadows. its far more performant and will allow them to push visuals elsewhere.
Doesn’t Callisto have 3 RT methods?
 

SomeGit

Member
I don't think you can run One X versions on a Series X if there's also a Series X version due to Smart Delivery.
It's a different SKU so you can play it on a Series console it doesn't have smart delivery, but it's also a seperate purchase and it's not included in EA play, so it's probably going to hard to find a gameplay video of it.
 
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RedC

Member
It's a different SKU so you can play it on a Series console it doesn't have smart delivery, but it's also a seperate purchase and it's not included in EA play, so it's probably going to hard to find a gameplay video of it.
Frustrated Season 3 GIF by The Simpsons


Yeah, you're right.
 

Three

Gold Member
PS4 - 720p
One S - 1024x576 (LOL)
PS4 Pro - 1536x864
One S - 1600x900

load times 12x longer
Physics and interactions stay same
Cutbacks in textures/grass density
Lots of pop in and flicker due to culling
You've listed One S twice. Second one should be One X. Another reminder that "4x as powerful" is mostly theoretical bullshit.
 

intbal

Member
It's a different SKU so you can play it on a Series console it doesn't have smart delivery, but it's also a seperate purchase and it's not included in EA play, so it's probably going to hard to find a gameplay video of it.
I just looked and it seems the Xbox One version is no longer available for purchase separately from within the Store page on the Xbox. Now it's only available if you buy the "Cross-Gen" bundle for $80. I don't know of anyone who is going to do that just to test this.
Strangely enough, I'm pretty sure the Xbox One version was available to purchase individually yesterday.

Edit: Looking further, it is available through the Microsoft Store webpage. Whether that purchase will go through or not is unknown until somebody actually does it. Although I wonder why it no longer shows up if you search on the Xbox console itself.
 
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PeteBull

Member
You've listed One S twice. Second one should be One X. Another reminder that "4x as powerful" is mostly theoretical bullshit.
Remember amount of pixels total tho, not one axis only, those 576p means 589824 total pixels, 900p from one x means total 1440000 pixels, so thats almost 3x the amount, now count in difference in how stable the fps is on one x and u got the final result, power gap is clear and one x power is well spent there.
 
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Three

Gold Member
Remember amount of pixels total tho, not one axis only, those 576p means 589824 total pixels, 900p from one x means total 1440000 pixels, so thats almost 3x the amount, now count in difference in how stable the fps is on one x and u got the final result, power gap is clear and one x power is well spent there.
Yes even then it's 2.4x and not 4x.
 
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RoadHazard

Gold Member
They should've pre-recorded all cutscenes and make them videos instead of trying to render them in-engine. Like this game is a fantastic example for why this has always been done in the past, these consoles can't handle the cutscenes. lol

That would have made the install size huge probably (or the video quality terrible). And isn't there cosmetic customization in the game, which then wouldn't show up in cutscenes?
 

Mr Moose

Member
They did not talk about the One X version on Series X unfortunately.

Also, I don't think it will give a higher resolution. One X runs at 900p, the Series version's performance mode runs cleaner now since they removed the forced RT from it.
Can you do that? Or does it just do the "smart delivery" thing and not let you?
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Can you do that? Or does it just do the "smart delivery" thing and not let you?

It's a separate purchase and that verison is currently not on GP or EA Play as far as I can see.

Think like Callisto Protocol, separate versions across the generation. Smarty Delivery doesn't work here.
 
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Fake

Member
Nope UE4 so was always possible by simply taking away the RT, reducing resolution massively, limiting it to 30fps and scaling back the visuals. Many linear environments.

It just seems pointless in the end imo.

That was a joke. Will be an impossible port as soon as this game release on Nintendo Switch.
 

Mr Moose

Member
It's a separate purchase and that verison is currently not on GP or EA Play as far as I can see.

Think like Callisto Protocol, separate versions across the generation. Smarty Delivery doesn't work here.
Weird, wonder why they didn't try it then.
 

diffusionx

Gold Member
Nope UE4 so was always possible by simply taking away the RT, reducing resolution massively, limiting it to 30fps and scaling back the visuals. Many linear environments.

It just seems pointless in the end imo.
The game does have linear environments, but it has many very large, open environments that did not exist in the last game.

The fact that they kept those totally intact, with the physics and stuff, and running off a hard drive that was outdated 20 years ago, is pretty impressive. They could easily have done the old school thing of splitting them up and connecting them through a long tunnel, but they decided to keep them and did mandate those major cutbacks everywhere else.
 
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DanielG165

Member
I wonder if the One X could reach 1080p with its GPU and memory here, or is Survivor so heavy that such wouldn’t really be possible?
 
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