How Would a Potential Supersampling Feature Help the PS5 and Xbox Series X?
Ever since NVIDIA introduced its Turing GPU lineup, featuring both hardware accelerated ray-tracing and AI-based DLSS upscaling, AMD's been on the back foot, hard at work building feature parity into both high-end PC hardware and the next-gen consoles.
With the RDNA2 architecture, AMD's implemented hardware accelerated ray-tracing on both consoles via its Ray Accelerator (RA) modules. This means that, in games like Metro Exodus where ray-tracing is an option, AMD hardware (at least technically) can offer feature parity. This is just one half of the equation, and the reason NVIDIA debuted DLSS upscaling alongside ray-tracing. Current-gen graphics cards, whether on PC or in consoles, are simply not powerful enough to handle ray-traced workloads at a native 4K resolution. The way things stand now, cards like the GeForce RTX 3080 and RX 6800 XT – both of which are considerably more powerful than the GPUs in either the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 – are just about able to deliver a consistent 4K/60 FPS experience in most AAA rasterized titles.
On the NVIDIA side of the fence, DLSS is a must-enable feature if you're running tracing, clawing back most of the performance you lose, while actually enhancing image quality in some cases. With DLSS 2.0 in Performance mode, many ray-traced titles deliver 4K/60 or something close to it.
AMD, on the other hand, currently offers no such option. If you turn on ray-tracing on RDNA2 cards or on the consoles, performance and resolution are the only available levels to pull. This is set to change soon, however. AMD announced its own take on AI upscaling, Fidelity FX Super Resolution, months back, alongside the debut of the RDNA2 cards. Since both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X share the same GPU architecture as the RX 6800 XT and co, Super Resolution will almost certainly make its way over to consoles. AMD has offered precious little further input, however, about how Fidelity FX Super Resolution works, what image quality looks like, and the performance impact. We should hear more in the months to come. But before that, let's take a look at the potential implications of AI upscaling for the current crop of consoles.
The possible end of upscaling as we know it
Both ninth generation consoles are massively powerful devices. However, neither is quite up to the task of delivering a flawless 4K/60 FPS experience in most of today's AAA titles. And as we move out of the eighth-gen transition period, hardware requirements will only increase, not decrease.
Case in point? The Medium on the Xbox Series X. It's fair to say that this isn't a very well optimized game. However, the dual-world gameplay element can be very performance intensive when combined with ray-traced reflections. The only way Bloober Team managed to maintain reasonable performance on the Xbox Series X is by dropping resolution as low as 900p in those areas – almost ⅛ native 4K. Even the most advanced temporal upscaling techniques are limited when confronted with such a profound lack of pixels. As a result, image quality in The Medium on Series X ranges from acceptable to absolutely terrible. On PC, however, RTX series owners have the option of enabling DLSS. In performance mode, the GeForce RTX 3080 is able to stick closely to 4K/60 FPS, albeit with some dips into the 40 FPS range. It's not ideal. However, image quality is a night-and-day improvement, despite DLSS upscaling from a 1080p base image.
This is the single biggest game changer we see if and when AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution debuts on console: developers will no longer need to resort to conventional upscaling techniques when performance limited. They can leverage Super Resolution to deliver great image quality without sacrificing performance or high-impact visual features like ray-tracing.
On the Sony side of things, games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales stand to benefit tremendously. With ray-tracing disabled, Miles Morales manages to deliver a 4K/60 experience, albeit with periodic dynamic resolution dips below. In the ray-tracing "fidelity" mode, you get a native 4K output, but only at 30 FPS. A ray-tracing performance mode does exist, but comes at a sharp cost in terms of resolution and even features like pedestrian density. Basically, native 4K/60 FPS is off the table on consoles when ray-tracing is enabled. FidelityFX Super Resolution could make this a moot point, however. If it offers image quality that at least approaches DLSS 2.0 in Performance mode, Super Resolution could enable developers to add in lavish ray-tracing and other high-end technical features without worrying about hitting a native 4K resolution target. This is a real "have your cake and eat it, too" situation. In upcoming games like Gran Turismo 7, that make extensive use of ray-tracing alongside high quality core assets, Super Resolution could be the key to great image quality and great overall visuals.
There is another way Super Resolution could change things: it could turn the Xbox Series S into a viable 4K machine. While Microsoft has heavily promoted the Series S as a 1440p or even 1080p machine, the fact is that the Xbox Series S can (and does) run a limited number of games at native 4K, such as Ori and the Will of the Wisp. Super Resolution could allow developers the option to offer native 4K output on the Series S across a wider range of games.
Implementation could be a game changer – or a dealbreaker
Right now, one of the biggest drawbacks to AMD's Super Resolution feature is just how little we know about it. We don't know how it works at a technical level (though tipsters hint that it's a shader-based solution, much like "DLSS 1.9" in Control.) We don't know when it's coming out, and we don't know about how in-game integration will work, apart from the fact that it'll be cross-platform. AMD's vague statements indicate that Super Resolution could even work on NVIDIA cards – though whether those need to be recent RTX cards or if it works on older parts remains to be seen.
From a console perspective, the biggest question here is just how difficult (or easy) will it be for developers to enable Super Resolution? Currently, adding DLSS 2.0 to games requires quite a bit of time for integration. The process is a whole lot easier than it was with DLSS 1.0 (which was trained on a per-game basis). However, it's still a non-negligible amount of work which means that not all new titles ship with the feature. If Super Resolution is truly cross-platform as AMD claims and if it's easy to integrate, we could see most (or even all) console titles ship with the feature replacing dynamic resolution scaling. If it's harder to implement, we might see it limited to a smaller selection of AMD-sponsored titles.
Conclusion
AMD's certainly taking its time to bring FidelityFX Super Resolution to the market. However, the little we know about the tech (that its cross-platform, likely shader-based, and will work on consoles) is nothing but good news for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S owners. If FidelityFX Super Resolution is easy to implement and delivers a genuine boost to image quality, it could be the transformative "secret sauce" that'll help this generation of consoles stay relevant as performance-sapping ray-tracing becomes more and more important.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
Little Nightmares is Free on Steam
If you're looking for something free to play this weekend, and Company of Heroes 2 isn't to your taste, you can pick up Tarsier Studios' horror games Little Nightmares on PC via Steam. If you're unfamiliar with the game, Little Nightmares, players assume the role of a girl named Six who is trapped in a prison called The Maw. Six's mission is to escape while avoiding some truly terrifying things that want to harm her.
The game won critical acclaiming taking home several awards at The Games Awards 2016 for Best Independent Game. It also won four BAFTA Awards for Original Property, Game Design, Artistic Achievement, and Narrative. We liked Little Nightmares when we reviewed it, and it's definitely stuff worth picking up.
The game also spawned a sequel that released earlier this year and was also pretty good. If you're planning on playing Little Nightmares 2, you should probably download the first one if you have access to a PC that is capable of running Steam. After all, it's free, and that's a price that's hard to beat.
Chivalry 2's Final Open Beta is Available Until June 1st
Chivalry 2's open beta is live now, and you can play it through June 1st on PC via the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The beta features cross-play functionality and will be the last opportunity to play the game before its June 8th release.
According to the game's website, the new beta features a ton of "new maps, features, and updates based on player feedback from the Closed Beta." That content includes 5 new maps, a free-for-all mode, full character customization, servers for 1-on-1 duels, and 64 and 40 player servers. Users on the same platform can also group up and form parties.
While players on PC and PlayStation can access the beta for free, Xbox players will require Xbox Live Gold to play. Those more interested in the beta can watch a Developer Diary video on the beta. You can also check out a trailer for the beta below, courtesy of PlayStation:
Horizon Forbidden West's State of Play Was the Most Watched Broadcast for a Single Sony Game
We finally got to see some gameplay footage from Horizon Forbidden West yesterday, and as you'd expect, it looked pretty impressive. Unfortunately, however, we didn't get any information about the game's release date, though apparently development is "on track" and we'll get an update on the game's release date "very soon."
Still, release date or no, the State of Play showing for Horizon was an obvious success. It turns out that it was even bigger than you might think, however. According to Benji-Sales, an independent market analyst, the Horizon: Forbidden West State of Play is the most watched State of Play presentation to be focused on a single game.
"There have been State of Plays higher than this, but those were ones that featured multiple games/showcases," he tweeted. It makes sense, given how impressive Horizon looked. In addition to showing off the game's impressive tech, the reveal highlighted some of Aloy's new toys and the techniques she can employ, so it makes sense that 2.3 million people would want to watch it.
In only 3 hours Horizon Forbidden West is already the most watched State of Play ever for a PlayStation Studios game
Horizon FW – 2.3m
Demons Souls – 2.2m
Ghost of Tsushima – 1.9m
The Last of Us Part II – 1.5m
Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart – 960kIncredibly impressive @Guerrilla pic.twitter.com/CoMltvCCY8
— Benji-Sales (@BenjiSales) May 28, 2021
Griftlands Launches for PC on June 1st, Coming to Consoles on June 4th
Griftlands has been available in Early Access for quite some time now, was available in alpha before that, so developer Klei Entertainment has had a lot of time to listen to feedback as it continues to develop the game. That strategy seems to have paid off, as Klei Entertainment has announced that the game will exit Early Access and officially launch on PC on Steam and the Epic Games Store on June 1st.
The game will also be coming to consoles, according to Klei, just three days later when it will release on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PS4 on June 4th. According to the developer, "Griftlands is a deck-building rogue-like where you fight and negotiate your way through a broken-down sci-fi world. Every decision is important, be it the jobs you take, the friends you make, or the cards you collect. Death comes quickly, but each play offers new situations and strategies to explore."
Klei went on to thank the community for all its help during the game's development, writing "We owe a huge debt of gratitude to everyone who played the game before launch and helped us polish, tune and fix bugs. There are way more card and story interactions in this game than our team could ever hope to wrap our heads around on our own – we really do rely on the community to show us what parts were working and which parts needed more work. Every time you hit F8 during the past two years, you've helped to make this game better. "
Streets of Rage 4's Mr X. Nightmare DLC Shows Off Shiva in New Trailer
Publisher and developer Dotemu, and developers Lizardcube and Guard Crush Games announced Mr. X Nightmare, a new paid DLC for Streets of Rage 4, in April. The DLC will feature 3 new characters, as well as a survival mode. We've known that Estel Aguirre and Max Thunder were the first two characters for a while now, but DotEmu, Lizardcube, and Guard Crush have finally announced that the last character is Shiva.
Shiva is a "charismatic Kenpo master, whose time has come to repent. Ready to leave the Syndicate for good, Axel Stone's former rival is now determined to make a difference in 'Mr. X Nightmare.'" Shiva looks a little different, as several of his moves are quick dashes that allow him to both move quickly and do damage. He also appears to have an ability that creates copies of himself and another that gives him wings and damages nearby enemies.
All told, things are looking pretty good for Mr. X Nightmare, but it's not the only thing coming to the game. Streets of Rage 4 will also get a free update that will include a New Mania+ difficulty as well as a much-needed training mode and several new colors for each character. Mr. X Nightmare will be coming to Streets of Rage 4 sometime in 2021. Streets of Rage 4 is now available on Xbox One, PS4, Switch, and PC.
You can watch the trailer for Shiva below:
Company of Heroes 2 is Free on Steam Until May 31st
If you're going into the weekend with a hankering for a good RTS or looking to fight yet another virtual version of World War 2, I have some good news for you. You can do both for free if you download Company of Heroes 2, which is free on Steam until May 31st. In addition, Sega is also giving away the Ardennes Assault single-player campaign as well. Anyone who claims the games before the free promotion expires will be able to keep them forever.
There's also a Company of Heroes sale on Steam at the moment, so if you like what you find in Company of Heroes 2, you can get other Company of Heroes games and DLC for up to 80% off. Company of Heroes 2 is a bit old – the game was released in 2013, and the original was released in 2006 – but the games are still perfectly playable, which is a testament to Relic's design.
Company of Heroes 2's main story follows the Red Army on the Eastern Front. The Ardennes Assault single-player campaign adds another campaign that follows the American Armed Forces. We liked Company of Heroes 2 when we reviewed it, so you should definitely pick it up if you get a chance.
Far Cry 6 is Not Political, Ubisoft Says, Surprising No One
Far Cry 6, a game with a story and setting inspired by Cuba and its political strife, is not trying to make a political statement, says the game's narrative director Navid Khavari.
Far Cry 6 takes place in the fictional South American nation of Yara, which is ruled by tyrannical dictator Anton Castillo. Players play as Dani Rojas, who joins the guerrilla revolutionary fighters, and fights to overthrow Castillo's despotic and oppressive regime.
In an interview with The Gamer, Khavari said that while Far Cry 6 takes inspiration from the Cuban revolution, and beyond that, from "guerrilla movements around the world and throughout history" (they even spoke with actual guerrilla fighters for research purposes), the game itself "doesn't want to make a political statement."
"The original inspiration was guerilla warfare and what is that guerilla fantasy, which is obviously tied to revolution," Khavari said. " When you talk about guerillas, you think of the guerillas in the 1950s and 1960s, we actually went down there to speak to actual guerilla fighters who fought back then, and we just really fell in love with their stories.
"But we also fell in love with the culture and people we met. When we came out of that, it wasn't that we felt we had to do Cuba, we realised it's a complicated island and our game doesn't want to make a political statement about what's happening in Cuba specifically. Beyond that, we're drawing inspiration from guerilla movements around the world and throughout history. For us, it felt like doing the island of Yara would help us tell that story while being very open with our politics and inspiration."
Ubisoft has a long and prominent history of making games with overtly political tones, settings, and premises, and then saying the games are not political. The same thing happened with The Division 2 as well. The Division's developers have previously indicated in the past that being overtly political hurts games' sales, so it looks like a case of Ubisoft wanting to have their cake and eat it too.
Either way, Ubisoft being Ubisoft notwithstanding, Far Cry 6 actually looks really good. On top of showing off a ton of new gameplay footage for the open world shooter, Ubisoft have also revealed new details on the game's protagonist, its story, its open world, its weapons, and more.
Far Cry 6 launches on October 7 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia.
Far Cry 6 Narrative Won't be Completely Linear, Guns for Hire Not Returning
Ubisoft's Far Cry 6 is indeed coming this year and along with a gameplay reveal, the developer also confirmed that it would have the largest map in the series till date. Given how Far Cry 5 was fairly open in how you tackled the narrative, will the sequel offer a more linear path? Speaking to WCCFTech, narrative director Navid Khavari said that "it was important to maintain the notion that you can go in any direction once Yara opens up to you.
"We were tasked with trying to make the narrative truly function and adapt whichever region or area you start in. If you go to the Western regions of Yara and decide to jump over to the Eastern or Central regions, or even take a run at the capital city, the story is going to work. We have these story arcs that tie into the overall metastory." This seems to be similar to the previous game where you could tackle the different Heralds in whatever order you deemed fit.
As for whether main content would be more tightly interwoven with the side content, Khavari said, "Absolutely. With Far Cry 6, we didn't even use the word side content much when talking within the team. These are operations and stories that you'll experience among the local population. It all comes back to having characters that have complex goals and needs.
"Tonally, thematically, everything needs to fit within the sandbox of the revolution, even if the characters aren't necessarily talking about the revolution. Their very existence and livelihood is impacted by that, so we're trying to bring to light the complexity of such a situation."
While Fangs for Hire is making a return, being referred to as Amigos, Guns For Hire will not. That being said, you will battle alongside other guerrilla fighters in missions and out in the open world. Khavari also said that the goal is to have a "bigger roster of Fangs for Hire" and "We created some Amazing amigos that will join the players on their quest to free Yara." Along with Chorizo, the daschund, there's also a crocodile Amigo that will maul foes.
Far Cry 6 is out on October 7th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Google Stadia and PC.
Nintendo Switch Pro Has a Surface-Style Back Flap, USB 3.0, Ethernet Port – Rumour
These Nintendo Switch Pro rumours are refusing to quit. We've been hearing about an upgraded version of Nintendo's hybrid system (colloquially dubbed the "Switch Pro" by fans) for a long time now, and new information has possibly come to light now as well.
Spanish site Vandal states in a newly published report that it has received new details on the upcoming Switch revision from an Asian peripherals manufacturer, and there's some interesting stuff to dive into. Allegedly, the Switch Pro (or whatever Nintendo ends up calling it) is going to have a flap on its back to replace the kickstand of the current Switch model for tabletop gameplay, similar to Microsoft's Surface tablets.
The dock is also going to be thicker, owing to some additions and changes. The current Switch's USB 2.0 is being replaced by USB 3.0, while the dock is also going to have an ethernet port. Meanwhile, the report claims that while the tablet itself is going to be approximately similar in size to the current Switch model, the screen is going to be OLED, and going to be bigger (which might suggest that the bezels are being removed).
We've previously seen reports of the Switch Pro having a 7-inch OLED screen, and this definitely falls in line with that. Meanwhile, Vandal's report also states that the console will support 4K output through the dock, which is something else we've heard more than a few times in previous reports and leaks.
Finally, the report states that the console will launch in Europe at the end of November (and might launch in other regions a little later), and that supply will be very limited at launch.
Recent reports have suggested that the Switch Pro is going to be announced soon, possibly even before E3, so stay tuned for more updates.