Fallout 4 Locked At 30 FPS on Consoles

[Fanghawk]

Fallout 4 Locked At 30 FPS on Consoles

[tweet t=https://twitter.com/Bethblog/status/613008088824741888]Bethesda Softworks confirmed when when it comes to Fallout 4's fps, frame rate never changes.

We may be well into the latest console generation but like war, one thing never changes - <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/columns/experienced-points/11507-The-Great-Framerate-Debate>the ability to offer high frame rates on consoles. This time the offender is none other than Fallout 4, which Bethesda confirmed would be limited to 30 fps on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One platforms. On the plus side 1080p will be standard while the PC version has no frame rate limitations - but <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/scienceandtech/columns/forscience/12606-Facts-about-Frame-Rates>that likely won't matter to fans and Vault Dwellers hoping this game would be different

The information was first revealed <a href=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/gaming/news/a654071/fallout-4-will-run-at-1080p-and-30-frames-per-second-on-everything.html>during an E3 interview last week, and confirmed on Bethesda's Twitter account today. "Fallout 4 is 1080p & 30fps on Xbox One and PS4," the post reads. "Resolution and fps are not limited in any way on the PC."

Now before we attack Bethesda about Fallout 4's frame rate - or attack the attackers by suggesting no one would notice a difference - let's remember this is the same challenge <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/138538-Low-Frame-Rates-in-Early-Reports-of-Assassins-Creed-Unity>Assassin's Creed: Unity faced last year. It's unlikely that software developers have fixed the technical hurdles yet, especially for a game world that's probably bigger than Ubisoft's Paris.

Yet at the same time, I get the frustration. This is Fallout 4 for Dogmeat's sake - if any game was going to usher in a consistently high console frame rate, you'd think a series this groundbreaking had the best chance. That said, I'm sure it won't impact Fallout 4's gameplay when it launches on Nov. 10, 2015.

Source: <a href=https://twitter.com/Bethblog/status/613008088824741888>Twitter

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[Obbi]

haha, I like that the thumbnail's still Vault Boy giving the thumbs up. "Healthy Fallout! Now with 50% less FPS!

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Oh no! Now how will I enjoy the glitchy, buggy NPCs and incomplete textures?!

Spoiler

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Fallout has never had a high frame rate on consoles, as far as i've seen. Neither Skyrim or its' predecessors either. In fact, i'm really confused as to why this should be a disappointment. If anything, locked at 30fps sounds like an upgrade compared to previous console fallouts.

 

[Dalek Caan]

I'm ok with this as long as it stays at a consistent 30FPS. I have grown use to playing 60FPS, sometimes, on my Laptop but I can make do with 30 on my Xbox.

 

[Quellist]

Who cares? I've been playing Witcher 3 on PS4 for a while and it looks fine at 30fps. I don't buy into this 'more cinematic' crap for one moment but while 30FPS looks like shit on a PC generally it looks fine on consoles, at least to me anyway

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

PC it is then. Well, I already planned on the PC version from the get-go. Anyone familiar with Bethesda knows that you should get the PC versions of their games if you have that option.

Though, this doesn't surprise me much. A lot of games are either making sacrifices to hit 60 FPS or just go with 30 FPS for this generation. (Or at least those games are getting attention in the news for their frame rate, since resolution and frame rate are the two buzzwords for this generation.)

 

[Phasmal]

Eh, even though my computer would be fine with Fallout 4 I kinda have to get it on the console anyway, so I was expecting something like this.
I'm not that bothered, personally. As long as it looks and plays alright, I wont be complaining. I do wish there were more options for console, but at the end of the day I just wanna play a fun game.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Not surprised being that its a massive open world game so im fine with it. Good there isnt a limit on PC, they shouldn't be restricted if their PC can handle it.

 

[And Man]

As long as they don't utter the word "cinematic"...

 

[Casual Shinji]

Well gee whiz, who couldn't see that coming?!

Next you tell me the console version will necessitate a controller.

 

[Mister K]

I dunno, I had PS3 and PC versions of Fallout 3 and never noticed any differnce between them in both framerate AND quality of the graphics.

I am still going to buy F4 for PC though (because I don't have PS4, yet).

 

[BayouStalker]

Perhaps we should just accept the fact that the PS4 and Xbone should likely have spent more time in development as it seems to be a massive issue on most games for it to have 60fps? That said, Bethesda open world games tend to have so much going on in the background, that a console can't really handle it as well as a pc could. This is the same sets of games where npc's can get themselves killed when you are nowhere near them. Hell, it's getting to a point that I am tempted to just drop down the money on a gaming pc rather than moving onto a new console for better bang for my buck.

Honestly though, it's looking more and more like the 30/60fps is a bit of a hardware issue at this point.

 

[Callate]

Given the VATS system, I think 30FPS is going to be a lot less of an issue with Fallout 4 than it would be with a lot of other games.

As far as the main point, I have to be blunt. I think waiting for some technical miracle to bring about universal 1080P 60FPS on the current generation of consoles is a lost cause, and people should stop expecting it. Some games will achieve it, but it's going to be about limiting the number of characters on screen, limiting the draw distance that's necessary to show at any given moment, or limiting the fidelity with which characters or objects are shown. (Or tricks like the "letterboxing" bars in "The Order", effectively limiting the resolution.)

The underlying hardware of both the XBox One and the PS4 is essentially PC hardware. This isn't obscure proprietary parts that some arcane process, some sudden developer insight, is suddenly going to find a way to crank up to 11.

And it's only going to get worse if 4K television actually gains traction as a common standard.

I think if people want better performance, they're going to have to grit their teeth and accept that there's only so much oomph you can get out of a box that costs under $500 anymore. And I think the needle's already at the red line.

 

[laggyteabag]

Not too sure that anyone really expected anything different. 1080p 30 is pretty much standard on consoles, these days, at least when it isn't 900p 30 on the Xbox One.

 

[Krantos]

"It begins"

*eats popcorn*

Or, if we're being more topical.

"Platform war, platform war never changes"

*Continues to eat popcorn*

 

[Baresark]

Eh, this is not the type of game that is dependent on a huge framerate. 60 definitely looks and feels better, but 30 is far from unplayable. I'm a PC gamer, so I will be glad to get more than 30 though. It matters a bit more on the PC since we tend to have our turn sensitivity much higher.

 

[Sight Unseen]

Who cares? I've been playing Witcher 3 on PS4 for a while and it looks fine at 30fps. I don't buy into this 'more cinematic' crap for one moment but while 30FPS looks like shit on a PC generally it looks fine on consoles, at least to me anyway

Framerate doesn't really have a big impact on how a game looks, generally speaking. As long as frame rate is consistent, it won't be especially noticeable because it doesn't affect graphics at all.

What high framerate will do though, is make a game FEEL a lot smoother, faster, and more fluid. It will also reduce the input lag so you'll feel like you can react more quickly.

This is why high framerate (and low input lag) are so important for fast paced games like shooters and action RPGs. Framerate is arguably more important than even graphics because it improves your reaction time and makes the game so much smoother.

OT: This doesn't surprise me in the least. This console generation has been nothing but disappointment in terms of good performance. THey put all their budget into making their games as shiny as possible and don't care at all about keeping a reliable framerate.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

I am surprised considering how dated the visuals looked.