Digital Foundry Tech Analysis: Watch Dogs on PlayStation 4

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j0hnny_385

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Digital Foundry puts first footage of the next-gen console version under the microscope.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-watch-dogs-on-ps4-tech-analysis

Similar to many multi-platform titles targeting next-gen hardware, Watch Dogs was initially demoed using high-end PCs, rumoured to be using Nvidia GeForce GTX 680 graphics cards, which stood in for the closed-box capabilities of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Given the raw power in these PC-based set-ups is much greater than either of the next-gen systems, there is some concern that what people were seeing might not have been representative of the final product, with potentially higher frame-rates and higher grade visuals being the result.
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"Clearly it's early days, but judging by the high-quality footage available to us, the image quality on the PS4 version of Watch Dogs does indeed look slightly less refined than in last year's PC demo."
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"Watch Dogs performance even at this early stage is promising - we just need to see a little more consistency in the target 30fps update."
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To begin with at least then, despite the clear hardware advantages enjoyed by the PlayStation 4 - its unified GDDR5 set-up for example - we should be prepared for differences between PC and console titles which may not necessarily result in superior console versions. In the case of Watch Dogs, the switch to PS4 hardware means a few drawbacks compared to year-old PC code, but in spite of this it's clear that the core experience remains intact, and obviously a cut-above the capabilities of current-gen hardware.
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A more interesting thought is just how well the same gameplay experience translates over to current-generation systems, especially since dynamic AI and advanced physics appear to play such a big part in realising Ubisoft's vision. We suspect that detail and performance levels will be reduced, and that the underlying AI and other computationally intensive subsystems may be simplified to accommodate the ambitious design on much weaker 360, PS3 and Wii U hardware. Quite how much this will affect the gameplay is hard to say, but it makes you wonder just how long will this "cross-gen" period of games development endure, and at what cost? If the current-gen versions are "good enough" and financially successful as a result, will the need to service the older hardware actively hold back developers from making true next-gen games? We will be watching closely over the next couple of years with this thought in mind.
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Maybe wait until the game is out so you can actually, you know.. compare them instead of comparing a 2012 dev build based on spec assumptions and a 2013 demo build?

This is pretty silly.
 
We suspect that detail and performance levels will be reduced, and that the underlying AI and other computationally intensive subsystems may be simplified to accommodate the ambitious design on much weaker 360, PS3 and Wii U hardware
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I think so too.
 
Watch Dogs was initially demoed using high-end PCs, rumoured to be using Nvidia GeForce GTX 680 graphics cards, which stood in for the closed-box capabilities of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Given the raw power in these PC-based set-ups is much greater than either of the next-gen systems, there is some concern that what people were seeing might not have been representative of the final product, with potentially higher frame-rates and higher grade visuals being the result.
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PS4 version of Watch Dogs does indeed look slightly less refined than in last year's PC demo."
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Compared to the 2012 demo which was run on a GTX680, I don't have any problem if PS4 version looks slightly less refined!
 
What a surprise, Ubisoft create a demo for a game that they know the final game won't look like.
Sethos said:
What's with all these DF articles on unreleased games they haven't had their hands on?
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Ubi went so far as to create PC demos for the Far Cry games that looked miles ahead of the actual games. There's no reason to believe that the final game will look like the PC demo.
 
Sethos said:
What's with all these DF articles on unreleased games they haven't had their hands on?
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I don't see any problems with this.
High caliber games, especially the cross-gen ones will come under lot of scrutiny.
DF writes analysis based on tech and info that they have.
They state this is not the final code but it surely can be indicative of what we can expect from the final products.

I personally like these kind of articles because I'm a multiplatform owner (as many of your here are) and would like to see where the best possible version will be.
 
W!CKED said:
Most important part of the article:
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This is Ubisoft, that's an irrelevant point when it comes to these people. They've been caught several times faking PC demos that they know the final game won't look like. The final game will look like the E3 demo and that includes PC too.
 
Canis lupus said:
Compared to the 2012 demo which was run on a GTX680, I don't have any problem if PS4 version looks slightly less refined!
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And yet most will be able to tear their hair for the truly small differences that may exist between ps4 and xbone versions. You know, the real war.
 
CaptainTiptop said:
Welcome to Ubisoft.
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And still in development launch games.

I think that it's too early to come in conclusions about what sacrifices next gen console version will have compared to the PC versions from a game on unfinished state which is also a launch title...launch titles are known to be rough around the edges and hardly an indication on how games will look and run, just look at the 360 versions of Quake 4 and CoD2.
 
I think the overall look matches up well. DF are of course going into the nitty gritty (and don't even have their hands on final code), but I think what was shown at E3 looked as good as the version shown at the Playstation meeting.
 
szaromir said:
Did Far Cry 3 on PC even look like hte E3 2011 demo?
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No it didn't. So the assumption of DF that the PC version will somehow be identical to last year's E3 demo is fairly amusing and subsequently nullifying this entire tech "analysis".
 
dragonelite said:
SMH..... GTA 5 looked bad in the graphics department tbh. Still looks like massive amount of fun which gets me more hyped hoping for pc or next gen version. Unless friends can convince my cheap ass to get it for my 360.
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Eh, I think it looks awesome for current gen. But, yeah, Watch Dogs clearly looks more impressive in the graphics department.
 
There is no reason why the game should look any worst than the PC version. My pre-order weighs on this, so I hope the final product catches up otherwise I'm not interested.
 
I think we can all agree that the game looks amazing on both platforms (PC and PS4) judging from the available videos?

The devil, of course, is in the details. No doubt the PC version will look the best (if you have a capable machine). PS4 and Xbone differences will be interesting, I'm sure (hell, Watch Dogs Face Off will be something...).

My only concern with this and all other cross platform games is just that...that fact that they are cross platform. Are X360/PS3 somehow dragging the Xbone/PS4/PC version down? From the videos I've seen, it doesn't show, but still...the concern is there (maybe I'm just being paranoid...).

Kun Aguero said:
Click bait.
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Oh come on...really?
 
Meus Renaissance said:
There is no reason why the game should look any worst than the PC version. My pre-order weighs on this, so I hope the final product catches up otherwise I'm not interested.
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1.6GHz Mobile CPU and GPU relatively same power as 7850 vs 3GHz+ desktop CPU and GTX780.......

Yes I know you can't directly compare cpu speeds but you can't compare a $400 console with $1000 PC.
 
I don't think it looks all that much worse than the reveal. The reveal video is not nearly as impressive now as it was a year ago. With the improvements between now and launch it should be close. I just wish Ubi would stop this bullshit of making demos that aren't representative of any version of the game.
 
SJRB said:
Not really. Watchdogs is a multiplatform cross-generation game, whereas The Division is made for next gen from the start with nothing but PS4 and Xbone in mind.
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The same source that leaked The Crew also said that Ubisoft are developing The Division for current gen as well. Yeah, not confirmed but I'd trust those guys more than I'd trust Ubisoft PR.
 
Didn`t they show the game later at Jimmy Fallon and it looked even worse? This comparison is useless.
 
szaromir said:
Did Far Cry 3 on PC even look like hte E3 2011 demo?
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First thing that came to mind. This is a Ubi slight of hand thing, probably not indicative of differences between X1/PS4 and PC. The version of watch_dogs we saw at it's reveal may not exist on any format in the end, as with the FC3 thing.
 
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