Assassin’s Creed Odyssey will officially get 60 FPS support on both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S through backward compatibility tomorrow, August 24.
Ubisoft shared the news on Twitter, revealing that it will be part of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s Title Update 1.6.0. This is obviously a welcome addition for those with next-gen consoles, especially as there is no proper PS5 or Xbox Series X/S version of 2018’s Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
Have you played Assassin’s Creed Odyssey?
Adding 60 FPS support to older games is becoming a big trend in this PS5 and Xbox Series X/S generation, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey follows such games as Dark Souls 3 and The Last of Us Part 2 in giving fans another reason to jump back in.
In our review of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, we said that its “open-world adventure through ancient Greece is a gorgeous thrill, and the best the series has ever been.”
Assassin’s Creed games are known for their post-launch support, from bug fixes to expansions to DLC, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is no different as it recently got its Siege of Paris expansion.
Bringing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey to 60 FPS is great for fans who want to jump back in to the story or experience it for the first time and get ready for Assassin’s Creed Infinity – a game that represents a huge shift in the franchise as it is reportedly an online platform that could include multiple historical setting and evolve over time in a way seen in Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto Online.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
When Valve and IGN revealed last Thursday that the new Steam Deck handheld will target 30Hz gameplay, not everyone was impressed with that low bar — but Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais has taken to Twitter to clarify his original comment, and reveal a new feature of the portable console.
First, he says 30 fps is more of a minimum bar than anything else:
@Plagman2 (Twitter)
“The ‘30 FPS target’ refers to the floor of what we consider playable in our performance testing; games we’ve tested and shown have consistently met and exceeded that bar so far,” he writes.
In other words, when Griffais said in that IGN video interview that “We haven’t really found something that we could throw at this device that it couldn’t handle,” you shouldn’t take it to mean that every modern game runs at 60 fps. Expect less.
Intriguingly, a 30 fps mode will be something you can proactively turn on to get more battery life, too. “There will also be an optional built-in FPS limiter to fine-tune perf vs. battery life,” he writes. The company’s already said you can play Portal 2 for up to six hours at 30fps, compared to four hours normally.
Will it be a good 30 fps mode, though? That’s TBD. In the replies, Digital Foundry’s Richard Leadbetter says Valve confirmed to him that the Steam Deck doesn’t have a variable-refresh-rate (VRR) screen, and eludes to the idea that V-sync might wind up creating some nasty frame pacing issues if you try to lock games to 30Hz on the Deck’s screen. (Digital Foundry would know; it’s covered the issue many times across PC and console. Dark Souls and Sekiro developer From Software is notorious for inconsistent frame-pacing, for example.)
A 30fps setting will be fine for demanding games, but with v-sync active please ensure that a new frame is synchronised with every other screen refresh (typical on consoles) to ensure consistency. 30fps capped but delivered unevenly at 16.7ms/33.3ms/50ms is not a great experience
Bloodborne fans have pleaded for an update to the game since Sony’s more powerful PlayStation 4 Pro was revealed in 2016. But those fans have had no relief, not even on PlayStation 5, where Bloodborne runs much as it did on the original PlayStation 4. Modders have since stepped in to patch in unofficial support for 60 frames per second refresh rates, and now the folks at Digital Foundry have taken things a step further, giving Bloodborne a 4K makeover.
Digital Foundry pulled this off with the help of an AI image-upscaling tool called Video Enhance AI by Topaz Labs, processing pre-recorded 1080p resolution footage up to 4K resolution. It’s not perfect, and as Digital Foundry’s Richard Leadbetter and John Linneman point out, much of that has to do with Bloodborne’s “distinctive visual quirks.” The game’s anti-aliasing, chromatic aberration, and specular aliasing make for a “noisy image,” Digital Foundry explains, visual quirks that AI upscaling models may not know how to contend with.
The result looks nice, if perhaps unusually smooth in parts. It’s not quite Smooth Yoda levels of uncanniness, but some of the grit and detail appears to get lost during the resolution boost. Still, it’s probably the closest we’ll get to seeing Bloodborne rendered at 4K/60 fps, since Sony and FromSoftware seem unwilling to take on the task themselves, six years into the game’s life.
We’ve run the ruler over Microsoft’s first wave of FPS Boost titles and came away impressed, while our thoughts for the Arkane-developed duo of Prey and Dishonored Definitive Edition were perhaps even more gushing. Our coverage continues with a look at the Bethesda Games Studio titles running on the Creation Engine and impressions are a little more mixed this time. Skyrim lands exactly where we expected and works beautifully overall, but the Fallout titles are a little more puzzling. Despite a wide gap in their respective graphics capabilities, both Xbox Series S and X consoles run these titles at 1080p in order to achieve 60 frames per second, even though Xbox One X targeted native 4K.
The Fallout titles are somewhat contentious then, but it was great to return to Skyrim at least. In this case we have a true 4K60 and it’s great to see that the user mod experience we previously tested at Digital Foundry is now made fully official with FPS Boost – though it’s worth stressing these use two different techniques to hit this target. The mod essentially works by removing the 30fps frame-rate cap and disabling v-sync for good measure, allowing Skyrim to tap into the extra horsepower of Series S and X consoles (where back-compat forces v-sync back on).
The end result is a very tight lock on 60fps for Series S at 1080p resolution, whether you’re using FPS Boost or the mod, while Series X runs at native 4K and looks stunning – the price to pay being a drop to performance whenever volumetrics or full resolution alpha effects are in play. By and large, it’s 60fps on both and it adds an extra layer of sheen to what remains an excellent RPG. Yes, the visuals are dated, but the gameplay is golden. And of course, now PlayStation 5 users have access to the same experience via their own mod.
Tom Morgan and Rich Leadbetter compare notes on their experiences with Skyrim, Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 running on Xbox Series X and Series S consoles via FPS Boost.
With the Fallout titles, the situation is a little more complicated. Starting with Fallout 4, Microsoft has seemingly opted to push both Series X and S onto the Xbox One S codepath, meaning that the game runs at native 1080p, with the frame-rate cap removed. Bear in mind that the game originally ran at a dynamic 1080p on Xbox One S, rising to 4K on One X. The end result is a pleasing experience that ensures a consistent 60fps for the vast majority of play.
Only the classic bottleneck points such as the Corvega Factory cause issues, with some performance dips on Series X and a more noticeable drop on Series S. By and large though, it’s a smooth ride throughout, but you can’t help but think that Series X should be doing more. Ultimately, patching in something like an 1800p optional alternative to the 2160p mode seems like a good route forward.
However, there is an alternative if you’d like the best of both worlds on Series X – with 4K and 60fps. Turn off FPS Boost and you’re back to 4K30 of course, albeit with far better consistency in play than the game running on Xbox One X. Next step, a ‘720p60’ user mod delivers the required unlocked frame-rate for Series X as well as a push to 4K (search it out in the mods section of the game, activate it and reboot the game). And it’s here where you see why Microsoft opted for consistency – frame-rate isn’t a locked 60fps while delivering this high resolution. The Corvega throttle point takes you down into the 40s, and there is much more in the way of general instability. It’s still a marked improvement over the stock experience on Xbox Series X, mind you, and many may well prefer it. All of which leads us to the multiplayer-focused Fallout 76, where the setup is similar to Fallout 4 while running FPS Boost. This time Series X’s 1080p60 output is totally locked, whereas Series S does have some small fluctuations from the target frame-rate. It’s not perfect, but it’s a vastly improved way to play the game – though again we have lost resolution on Series X using this feature.
A while back we tested user mods to run Skyrim and Fallout 4 on Series consoles at 60fps. This is our report.
Curiously, there is a route forward in using FPS Boost while retaining 4K on the Fallout games running on Xbox Series X – but it’s what you might call a loophole, and we do expect Microsoft to patch it out at some point. Essentially, you load one of the Fallout games with FPS Boost disabled, load another title, re-engage FPS Boost on the Fallout game you were playing, then return to the action via Quick Resume. This essentially enables the 60fps unlock benefits of FPS Boost while retaining the One X resolution. It’s a trick, it works, but via this you can appreciate why Microsoft made the call to drop to 1080p for their solution. Simply put, 60fps is far from assured playing this way.
In summary, FPS Boost delivers exactly what you’d want from it with Skyrim – turn off the feature and it’s a night and day difference, far more so than you’d expect. You just can’t go back. With the Fallout games, again, FPS Boost works as you would hope – especially if you’re an Xbox Series S owner. You retain the same resolution, and performance mostly locks to 60 frames per second. The Fallout games could be CPU-limited, GPU-limited or even storage limited at any given point – and the improvement delivered by next generation hardware is revelatory. However, Series X forces you to make a choice – 4K or 60fps, FPS Boost on or off. The boost overall is still impressive – the games are so much more fluid in gameplay – but at this point, it’s not quite the killer feature we hoped it would be.
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Microsoft is launching a new FPS Boost feature for its latest Xbox Series X and Series S consoles that’s designed to make existing games run better. While Microsoft has previously focused on improving frame rates with backward compatibility for its latest Xbox consoles, FPS Boost is specifically designed to improve older games without developers having to put in any additional work.
Some games will nearly double frame rates, and Microsoft says it has seen a few instances where backward-compatible titles even quadruple in frame rates. The first games to support FPS Boost are Far Cry 4, New Super Lucky’s Tale, Sniper Elite 4, UFC 4, and Watch Dogs 2. The improvements vary across games, with New Super Lucky’s Tale now running at up to 120fps, and UFC 4 includes 60fps performance on the Xbox Series S specifically.
Games that work with FPS Boost will include a new indicator when you hit the Xbox button on a controller, just like how Quick Resume or auto HDR indicators pop up today on Xbox Series X and S consoles.
New FPS Boost feature for Xbox Series X and S.Image: Microsoft
“This is just the beginning,” explains Paul Eng, a senior program manager at Xbox. “We will announce and release more titles featuring FPS Boost soon, as we roll out new menu icons and system settings in an upcoming system update.” This new dashboard update will arrive in the spring and include the ability to toggle compatibility options on games. You’ll be able to disable auto HDR or toggle this new FPS Boost feature on and off to really see the impact it provides or simply play games in their original form.
Microsoft will be rolling out FPS Boost more broadly soon with this new dashboard update. While the initial list is rather limited, Microsoft says it’s planning to announce more games that support FPS Boost in the coming months.
Six Days in Fallujah, a military FPS based on a real Iraq War battle, has been resurrected by a new developer and publisher after being cancelled by its original publisher over a decade ago.Set for release on PC and consoles this year, the new version of Six Days in Fallujah is developed by Highwire Games – a studio founded by Halo’s lead designer – and published by Victura. A tactical shooter, the game is based on events that took place in 2004 during the Second Battle for Fallujah in Iraq.Designed with accuracy in mind, over 100 Marines, soldiers, and Iraqi civilians have been interviewed to ensure authenticity. The campaign depicts six days of conflict as experienced by the U.S. Marines as they attempted to recapture Fallujah from Al Qaeda. To simulate the battle, the developers at Highwire Games claim to have created “unique technologies and game mechanics” designed to replicate the uncertainty and tactics of modern combat in a way other games do not.
The original version of Six Days in Fallujah was announced in 2009 by developer Atomic Games and publisher Konami, but was met with criticism from war veterans and anti-war groups. Setting a violent video game in a real world war – particularly one not just fresh in the memory, but also seen as unjust – was seen as controversial. This caused Konami to pull out of the project. While never formally cancelled by Atomic Games, news on Six Days in Fallujah gradually faded. In the years since, Atomic Games’ former CEO, Peter Tamte, has set up Victura, and has been working on a new version of Six Days In Fallujah since 2016.
Six Days in Fallujah Screenshots
“It’s hard to understand what combat is actually like through fake people doing fake things in fake places,” said Tamte in a press statement. “This generation showed sacrifice and courage in Iraq as remarkable as any in history. And now they’re offering the rest of us a new way to understand one of the most important events of our century. It’s time to challenge outdated stereotypes about what video games can be.”
Tamte himself was the executive vice-president of Bungie during the development and launch of Halo: Combat Evolved. The development team of the new version of Six Days In Fallujah is headed up by Jaime Griesemer, who was lead developer on Halo and Destiny, while music is provided by Halo’s original composer, Marty O’Donnell. Numerous other ex-Bungie staff make up Highwire, including former design director, character, vehicle, and weapon artists. Victura has said that more details on the game will be released in the coming weeks.
Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer.
One of the PlayStation 4’s best exclusives is finally getting a next-gen upgrade. Sony will release a free PS5 optimization patch for 2018’s God of War tomorrow, giving you an excuse to replay the game before its sequel comes out later this year. With the update, the console will render the title at 60 frames per second and 4K by default. If you played God of War on a PS4 Pro, you might remember you could set the game to either target a 4K resolution or a smoother frame rate. The PS5 gives you the best of both those options. If for whatever reason you want to play the game at 30 frames per second, you can do so by selecting the new Original Performance Experience option.
The God of War (2018) Enhanced Performance Experience for the PS5 is coming tomorrow!
✔️ Syncs to 60 FPS ✔️ 4K Checkerboard Resolution ✔️ 2160p ✔️ Free Update for PS5 Users
Check out our blog for more info 👉https://t.co/CXTyfHFyvN pic.twitter.com/psSLo63ReF
— Santa Monica Studio Is Hiring (@SonySantaMonica) February 1, 2021
The interesting side note to all this is that you could technically already run the game at 60 frames per second and 4K if you owned it on a disc and stopped your PlayStation 5 from downloading any updates for it. God of War shipped with an unlocked frame rate, which developer Santa Monica Studio later changed in a patch to smooth out inconsistent performance on the PS4. Now there’s no need for that workaround.
At the same time, the A1 has a standard ISO 100-32,000 ISO sensitivity range, expandable to ISO 50-102,400, so it should work well in low-light. That’s possible because of the “back-illuminated [sensor] structure with gapless on-chip lenses and an AR coated seal glass,” according to Sony’s latest sensor jargon. It also has improved color reproduction and up to 15 stops of dynamic range. If 50-megapixels isn’t enough resolution, you can use Sony’s pixel shift multi shooting feature to combine up to 16 shots into one 199-megapixel image.
If video is more your thing, you can shoot 8K 10-bit 4:2:0 video at 30 fps internally (to either SD or CFexpress cards), using the full width of the sensor. That 8K video should be sharp, as it’s super-sampled from an 8.6K image size. 4K recording at up to 60 fps also uses the full width of the sensor, or adds a small 1.1x crop if you turn on active image stabilization. If you want to shoot 4K at 120 fps with a full sensor readout, it will crop down to Super 35 mm with 5.8K oversampling. Autofocus works in all video modes.
The S1 can record with 10-bit 4:2:2 color detail and S-Log or hybrid log-gamma (HLG) modes, using Sony’s latest HEVC/H.265 code with intra-frame coding. If that’s not good enough, it will output 16-bit RAW video to an external recorder. The A1 also features Sony’s S-Cinetone color matrix found on its Venice, FX6 and other Cinema Line cameras. One downside for video shooters and vloggers is that the rear display only flips up and not around like on the A7S III.
Rolling shutter has been a problem on previous Alpha cameras, particularly for video. However, Sony has promised that a new anti-distortion shutter reduces that effect by up to 2.8 times. Sony has also introduced an anti-flicker mode to reduce flicker caused by artificial lights when shooting using the electronic shutter.
Sony promises “unrivaled autofocus” on the A1 with real-time eye-tracking for both photos and video, covering humans, animals and birds. The tracking algorithms work faster than ever and with 30 percent greater precision than the A9 II, according to Sony. The A1 also offers 5-axis in-body stabilization, including an active video mode that Sony says is “highly effective for handheld shooting.”
All of these features are contained in a normal-sized, 737 grams (1.63 pound) Alpha body, but Sony promises that you’ll be able to record 8K/30p or 4K/60p video continuously for up to 30 minutes without overheating. That’s clearly a shot over Canon’s bow, as EOS R5 continuous shooting times are more constrained by overheating.
Much like the A7S III, it also includes dual SD UHS II and dual CFexpress card slots, so you’ll be able to backup your work on the fly and choose between cheaper SD UHS II or faster CFexpress formats. Other features include a full HDMI port, mic and headphone ports, 10 Gbps USB 3.2, an optional multi interface shoe with digital audio and, yes, a gigabit ethernet port. As for battery life, you’ll get up to 530 shots on a charge.
It also offers the “industry’s fastest” 802.11ac WiFi speeds, according to Sony. Professional photographers or video shooters will be able to use that feature in conjunction with the new $2,500 Xperia Pro smartphone, which will double as an HDR monitor and 5G transmitter.
You’ll pay for all this power. Pre-orders start tomorrow at $6,498 for the body only, which is $3,000 more than the Canon EOS R5. However, the A1 is now Sony’s flagship aimed at professional photographers and videographers, who won’t balk at that price for a second. Shipping is expected to start around February 25th, with consumer availability sometime in March.
