Being able to tweak a game’s graphics settings was once entirely a PC thing. These days, it’s not uncommon for console games (or the console itself) to offer 4K or supersampling, if you don’t mind a lower framerate. Square Enix’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider is following suit with two such options for Xbox One X players: High Resolution or High Framerate mode.
[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/04/we-played-shadow-of-the-tomb-raider-and-it-looks-like-the-darkest-one-yet/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_lfill,w_768/uzanpctg17ersddydomm.jpg” title=”We Played Shadow Of The Tomb Raider, And It Looks Like The Darkest One Yet” excerpt=”At a Square Enix event in London yesterday, I played through an hour of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the final game in a trilogy, which comes out September 14 for PS4, Xbox One and PC.”]
Frédéric Robichaud, Programming Director at Eidos Montreal, explained the benefits between the modes to Xbox Wire’s Will Tuttle — basically, you’ll get 30fps at 4K in High Resolution mode and 60fps at 1080p with High Framerate mode.
It’s safe to assume this isn’t unique to the Xbox One X, seeing as Rise of the Tomb Raider on the PS4 Pro came with a similar choice. That, and Xbox Wire is Microsoft.
Anyway… Robichaud goes on to say the extra grunt of the Xbox One X has allowed the developer to “improve the quality of certain [VFX] algorithms”:
We’ve been able to improve the quality of certain algorithms on the Xbox One X like stochastic screen-space reflections and atmospheric effects. With the extra memory, we have increased the shadow maps and texture resolution to enhance the visual quality.
Again, PS4 Pro owners should benefit from these improvements too, barring a dimensional glitch deleting Sony from existence.
Alright folks, question time! 4K 30fps or 1080p 60fps? Personally, I would do 4K, but only if the framerate’s rock-solid.
[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/06/three-small-ways-shadow-of-the-tomb-raider-is-changing-things/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_lfill,w_768/b5tgzkc62lkxv8pzi8lc.jpg” title=”3 Small Ways Shadow Of The Tomb Raider Is Changing Things” excerpt=”Rise of the Tomb Raider, released in 2015, was an excellent game, so it’s no surprise that the new Shadow of the Tomb Raider being demoed at E3 looks and plays a lot like it.”]
Inside Xbox One X Enhanced: Shadow of the Tomb Raider [Xbox Wire]
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