The Xbox One X update for Fallout 4 arrived this week, and while Microsoft’s machine delivers the best-looking un-modded version of the game on a console, Digital Foundry’s in-depth comparison found the PlayStation 4 Pro’s version ran a tiny bit smoother. That’s the difference full 4K makes.
The Xbox One X is a more powerful console than the PlayStation 4 Pro, which is why the enhanced version of Fallout 4 for the PS4 Pro runs at an upscaled 1440p (2K) while the Xbox One X pumps out full 4K with variable resolution ready to handle more intense action sequences.
Not only does the Xbox One X use its increased power to render a higher resolution, it also renders more. There’s an impressive jump in middle draw distance between the PS4 Pro version and the Xbox One X. Check out the buildings and details in the GIF below. Oddly enough, Digital Foundry also tested the unpatched version of Fallout 4 on the Xbox One X, and it also featured better mid-range draw distance than the PS4 Pro.
The Xbox One X also handles more advanced effects more gracefully. God rays, beams of light from the sky that shine through geometry, are smoother with fewer artefacts.
The only downside here is that it takes a lot more power to render all of these details and effects at twice the resolution of the PS4 Pro. While both systems experienced dips from their 30 frames per second targets during more intense, effect-heavy gameplay, the Xbox One X dropped a little more often.
With the Xbox One X Fallout 4 enhancement update only a couple of days old, there’s a good chance we’ll see further refinements from Bethesda down the line, smoothing out the performance.
Check out Digital Foundry’s full comparison video below.
Comments
9 responses to “Fallout 4 Looks Better On Xbox One X But Runs Slightly Smoother On PS4 Pro”
Not surprised, Bethesda’s engines for the Fallout and TES games are complete garbage.
Lol 28fps. I’d take 720p 60fps over 4k.
Right?, Performance & functionality should always come first.
So if I had an Xbox One X, is there an option to run the game at 1080p with a reasonable framerate instead of at a higher res than would even be visible on my current screen or any screen I’d consider buying in the next few years?
Even better, can I turn OFF some of the effects to get the same result while keeping the resolution up? The two things that make the biggest difference to my experience from a visual perspective? God Rays are nice and all but I won’t notice if they’re not there. I will immediately notice a crappy framerate or a crappy resolution, though.
This would make sense but i’d doubt that there’s a indepth options list for anything that would really have an worthwhile effect, Consoles are still one size fits all even when it’s impractical, Last game i played with options settings that wasn’t an afterthought was The Surge, That game’s options menu was damn good. A good options menu is the sign of a developer who understands that gameplay over graphics leads to the best experience.
Every time I try to play Fallout 4 again I can never do more than one night. Just not a game with any replay value for me. Bring back New Vegas style Fallout!
New Vegas has Blue Star bottlecaps, Fallout 4 has overdue brown books. Yeah because books with no covers are exciting… Bottlecaps are a currency which makes sense that they’re rare. After playing Fallout 4, I sure as hell appreciate New Vegas alot more, Fallout 4 & it’s pathetic dlc was an incredible disappointment, Fallout 3 had Underworld, Republic of Dave, Arefu & other great locations, Fallout 4 had the.. er?.. It had the um. The hmm, It had the Fallout 3 Rts settlement building mod badly implemented as a core feature, That was exciting! Playing bad mods from Fallout 3. Fallout 4 Felt like a game i had already played. I own ever Fallout game, Fallout 4 is the first i’ve never finished, The story is so stupid, A android protagonist would have been special but we got a mirrored Fallout 3 main guest in a way.
Meanwhile I’m clocking in at 2300 hours haha
Definitely the opposite for me, Fallout 4 is great. I’m halfway through a third playthrough in survival mode this time, loving it.
Does anyone else get motion sickness with fluctuation fps?
Fallout 4 caused it in a major way until I tweaked the settings on PC to get a consistent 50-60 range. I wouldn’t be able to play this for more than about 10mins.