Ace Combat 7: A Classic Returns With Stunning Visuals - Every Version Tested!

[@Jikangire957]

14:03 - Xbox One S: 720p/40 to 50FPS 14:21 - PS4: 972p/~55FPS 14:54 - Xbox One X: 1080p/60FPS 14:54 - PS4 Pro: 1080p/60FPS 15:39 - PC: 2160p with higher than 60 FPS framerate options, however HUD is limited to 1080p.

[@Skeptisis]

god bless them supporting higher frame rates, pc version for me it is

[@samurai641]

I love that they unlocked the framerate on the base consoles. I don't mind the game chugging down to mid-30's when shit's popping off, but I definitely want 60fps wherever I can get it, and it's been pretty consistent so far for me. Excellent compromise, I wish more modern games would do this instead of just locking the framerate at 30.

[@michaelmayers3622]

@@samurai641 nope locking it at a framerate keep it smooth

[@sagaciousassessor6237]

VR

[@labombaromba]

Depends, imo. Everyone has different preferences. Some don't mind 60 fps most of the time with dips to the 30s or 40s, some prefer consistent 60 or 30 fps. It's not that hard to just let people pick their preference, and it's disappointing that more console games don't do this.

[@BalsticMaker12]

27:36 "Project Aces, the developer, resisted the open world craze, dodged the games as a service temptations, and stuck to their guns to produce a brilliant and complete experience!" OOF! You know the situation in the industry is very bad when an analysis channel comments about the greediness of games these days and commends a game for not being greedy.

[@NonsensicalSpudz]

"it just works" if you don't like it dont buy it. Bungie celebrating when seperating from Activision.

[@dark1x]

Yeah, open worlds and GaaS are a huge personal pet peeve of mine. One of the reasons I'm so into retro gaming is that A) they are more focused games that are more enjoyable to play through and B) they don't try to exploit people. So I like to highlight when a modern game is built in an old school way like AC7.

[@RicochetForce]

It needs to be said, things have gotten die. Games are bloating in size, being reduced in complexity, chained to internet connections and sold back to customers at ridiculous markup.

[@drewboys8578]

Nothing wrong with open worlds

[@RicochetForce]

@@drewboys8578 Open Worlds promote the creation of empty, poorly crafted and directed play spaces. If a developer is unable to create compelling and engaging locations, scenarios, and interactions between you, enemies, and the environment they simply create an open world. What do they put on the box? "Create your OWN adventure!" and then in roll in the reviews where people complain about empty open worlds with little meaningful content, boring traversal, poorly paced stories, and broken character progression curves. Open Worlds have a place, but very few developers have proven that they are unequivocally better than traditional games.

[@hope-rose0586]

I never in my life played any Ace Combat game. BUT: the fact that they managed to make a game in 2019 that looks beautiful, plays well, does'nt have ANY of the AAA BS and has a decent PC Port with high framerate support has made me wanna pick this game up just on principle. Good to see that sometimes we can still get actual Games.

[@mr_beezlebub3985]

I feel the same way. It'll be one of the few PC games that I will pay full price for. I usually wait for price drops

[@Kira-qc4qi]

High framerate support? What modern game worth mentioning doesn't have that? Unfortunately for ultrawide owners, this game is a no-go

[@lukasi.v4269]

Go play the AC Zero, 4 and 5 you won't regret anything especially If you're a fan of aircraft games led by story which is very rare!

[@asifmetal666]

U must play this game on PS. If u play just one mission on PSVR. U will know how amazing this game is for PSVR

[@hope-rose0586]

@@asifmetal666 sadly VR just does'nt really work for me. i've tried multiple sets at conventions but due to an Eye condition it just does'nt work they way it's supposed to and makes me feel really sick. This goes for all of them, PSVR to Vive.

[@Zeknif1]

After Assault Horizon and Infinity, I was expecting 7 to play out as an apology from Namco to the fans. What we got instead was a love-letter.

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

Sokolniki it really is a triumphal return to form at a time when there aren’t many aerial combat games anymore, and people are already feeling nostalgic with RE2 coming next week. I suspect this game will sell surprisingly well

[@alexvswrld]

Well said

[@angelite143]

Indeed

[@titanicww2345]

Hah, apology more like.

[@jojiriver627]

Indeed.

[@wacko992]

"It's been 12 years since the last series entry" Assault Horizon and Infinity getting thrown under the bus. Where they belong.

[@cfdeers]

Unfortunately, my first experience with Ace Combat was with Assault Horizon. It was pirated. I don't regret pirating it. It's too easy, the game, considering it was an OG 3ds title, looks amazing, but gameplay revolves around press 'Y' or 'B' at the right time.

[@sephuris5555]

@@cfdeers you poor soul

[@TacticalBaguette]

@@cfdeers the 3DS one wasn't the same one as the console Assault Horizon. The one on 3DS is a remake of Ace Combat 2, and you can turn off the whole Y maneuver aspect of the game.

[@cfdeers]

@@TacticalBaguette I knew that it was a remake, but you could turn off the y-maneuvers? Damn. I wish I knew that before I tried out hard mode and found it just as easy.

[@MJ-For-A-Better-World]

Not only did you guys analyze the new game, you also analyzed (almost) all the numbered AC's!? You John are amazing and so is Digital Foundry in general! Kudos to you guys! Btw the game looks absolutely fantastic!

[@hemangchauhan2864]

Yeah, such a good video!

[@dark1x]

@@Rowjin_Z Alas, some of my physical games still reside at my parents house back in the States and AC6 is one of them. I'd have liked to cover every game but I also kinda ran out of time on production so I was limited. If I had another couple days, this video would have been like 1 hour with a lot more retro.

[@gamerxt333]

Remake AC4 with these graphics, or Project Wingmans graphics

[@HYDRAdude]

@Ioannis Stf Wrong, Zero is easily the best in the series. 6 was the first HD Ace Combat game so it would have been nice to analyze the engine upgrades from the PS2 titles.

[@IronicSonic83]

Retro + Performance analysis. It can't get any better!

[@user-oc2cw9wm4d]

The souljaconsole wasn’t included in this comparison as Sony and Microsoft paid digitalfoundry to exclude it in order to avoid embarrassment.

[@blvk3]

souljaconsole Oh, YEAH, how could they!!!!

[@fajaradi1223]

But lets be honest mate. Soulja console wont crank it up.

[@blvk3]

@@fajaradi1223 you are lying... it had 200k+ unit sold already... it must be a power house!

[@tripandfall2379]

Let it go bro

[@TheFirestriker101]

Doesn’t it have the same processor as the switch lol or is it the k1

[@Allan_Davidson]

Ace Combat 3 is my favorite in the series. It's literally pushing the PS1 to the limits, revolutionary visuals and SOUND, with one of the best OSTs ever launched in video-games. Lots of missions, gorgeous writing and ultimate replayability. Cutscenes, character design, dialog, AI, mechanics, everything is top notch. The hardware differences between PS1 and PS2 were so huge that the AC4 easily shadowed AC3 without too much effort.

[@Atamusk]

I'd love to see the original release remastered for the current generation. AC 7's sales have easily shown there's a market for it.

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

No joke: I sincerely appreciate John's franchise retrospectives. This man love him some tech 14:02 This kind of talk broke a million green hearts over the last five years

[@SaigonBrit]

This is simply superb. Proper games journalism. Focused on objective analysis and experience. They point out the flaws, they point out the highs. Why can't other channels like Kotaku or IGN have this level of objectivity? This is why I trust DF. They are clearly all gamers and tech nerds but totally professional journalists at the same time. Please never become corrupted DF:)

[@bowlofrice1006]

Because they're too busy hiring socialists that push narratives instead of objectively reviewing games.

[@DijaVlogsGames]

Because most others review the game, not the technology behind it. Two completely different approaches.

[@SaigonBrit]

@@DijaVlogsGames Yes I agree they focus on the tech but in this review they talk about level design, audio and general presentation. These guys rock because they refuse to get drawn into politics.

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

This tech review is chock full of subjective opinions, and that's perfectly fine. Tech writers of all kinds are human beings first, tech writers... _nth_

[@conoraq]

"The game is beautiful" and "the soundtrack is phenomenal" are not objective statements. Any sort of review will always contain opinions, which are by definition subjective.

[@palaiologos4441]

All we just need now is a remake of (the Japanese version of) AC3: Electrosphere

[@AhmadEdinHodzic]

EXACTLY !!!

[@sephuris5555]

Why stop there

[@USTankslashercoal]

I played Ace combat 5.. i liked it. I played it again, and I fell in love. That story is phenomenal. I feel like all other Ace combat games have tried to emulate the beauty of that narrative. I'll give this a shot, but its possible nothing will ever beat the emotion I felt with the Razgriz squad.. only thing comparable was beating Halo 3 on normal and thinking Chief died haha

[@zorglubz1606]

Too many people obsessing on pixel count when pixel count is the least important factor in image quality (research it). Problem is when you focus too much on it, you condition your brain to evaluate a game's quality based on pixels rather than on contrast ratio, colors, fidelity, textures, refresh rate... or most importantly the overall game experience. The brain is pretty pliable when it comes to perceived quality and if you focus too much on something you might start seeing pixels everywhere.

[@danieldevilliers3868]

This is a very good point. As a photographer I understand this concept very well, but hadn't ever thought about it in this context. Thank you.

[@Perjoss]

When John says "Every version tested" he doesn't fuck around. I was expecting a graphics and frame rate test between xbox and ps4 but instead we get a beautiful Ace Combat documentary. I think John deserves a nomination for TGAs Content Creator. No offence to streamers but this is actual content creation, not simply sitting in front of a camera and playing a game.

[@Bizargh]

That Ace Combat 5 PS4 port has me so deeply yearning to see past titles return in a collection someday, particularly as someone who never got hands-on with the PlayStation 2's heyday. To play 'The Holy Trinity' with triggers & in 60hz without pursuing old NTSC copies & regional consoles (PAL region resident), Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation at 60fps. A nugget can dream. PCSX2 has become an evermore viable option of course. That said, good grief was Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown a welcome delight! All that hard work & time paid off with one brilliant & characteristic game to honour & succeed it's predecessors.

[@DaScorpionSting]

Not happy they made it temporarily available as a pre order for the PS4. Oh well maybe in future it will get rerelease for ps5

[@GnanaPrakash86AP]

Just get the PC version?

[@pegasusdrive12]

PS VR version is me being Maverick from Top Gun. It's freaking amazing.

[@CaveyMoth]

Dangit, I want Ace Combat VR on PC! I guess I'll have to settle for VTOL VR.

[@doc7000]

@@CaveyMoth you have dcs world in vr which is what I play or are you not looking for a full on SIM.

[@CaveyMoth]

@@doc7000 Ooh, a free combat flight sim?! Sign me up! I wonder how well it works with WMR.

[@carlososa5155]

THEY ARE HECKING LEGENDS TO ME

[@Rationalific]

@@doc7000 DCS World is awesome because it's free, but it is totally simulation and not arcadey, which can cause some trouble. I only have the free SU-25T and it's so hard to turn, and doing just about anything that causes more than 2Gs gets the Russian woman scolding me over and over... :( But for simulation fanatics and those who want a free taste, that is the place to be!

[@GrimRubbish]

DF you can be my wingman any time!

[@craigharris41]

B,S, you can be mine.

[@SaigonBrit]

DF put other 'gaming' sites to shame. A perfect balance of true passion for games and professionalism for journalism.

[@bobcharlotte8724]

then we all have sword fights in the showers lol

[@SakurakoLover]

I don't like you because you're dangerous

[@bobcharlotte8724]

@@SakurakoLover THATS RIGHT!!! Ice.....man... I am dangerous.

[@anthonygamer]

25:55 That song made me cry. HOLY SHIT!! I’m in tears that shit is so good!

[@daniyarsadykov3385]

if you still wondering, this piece of art is called Daredevil

[@chill_will9816]

19:20 When you don't read the mission briefing and realize you brought the wrong special weapons/ plane.

[@egecandir7967]

hate when that happens

[@retropulse03]

My absolute favorite aspect of this channel is the fact that they aren't afraid to talk about emulation, in ALL it's forms - highlighting it's very real and practical uses and applications in the process. It's fantastic.

[@loonydude12345]

I had barely watched 3 minutes of the video before I realized how amazing the quality of the review was. Only then I noticed it was from Digital Foundry and I went 'oh yeah, no wonder'. You guys are one of the best - because of your depth, context, and real interest in the material you are discussing. Keep it up! Good to see some real material on YT once in a while. (btw I am sold on the game, just waiting for a good promo deal ;)

[@se7enupmustang]

my introduction to AC was AC3 Electrosphere, I remember some good times playing that back in the day.

[@victuz]

Me also.

[@victuz]

I hope it gets a deserved remake before the PS2 trilogy. AC3 was way ahead of it's time but it was limited by the technology of the time.

[@rodmunch69]

If a game looks good - I don't care about pixel count (and I'm a PC gamer, XB1X and PS4 Pro owner). The example I always give is ESPN is broadcast at 720p, and 99.9% of people have no idea that is the case, and probably 40% of people think it's 4K. I appreciate the info, but the overall look is what I think is most important, not the resolution.

[@MegaRayland]

Exactly. And with the advances in upscaling nowadays, helping to save on resources that can be utilized somewhere else in the game, it is silly to have an issue with a game being/not being 4k if the game is good. A lot of the people who usually complain about it would not be doing it if they didn't know how the end results were achieved.

[@rocstormmc]

but but i'm a 12 year old kid and i only play games that are 4K and I can't stand any games that don't.....especially *gasp* indie games *shudder*

[@GraveUypo]

i would agree but there's a limit. 720p isn't acceptable anymore. minimum 900p. this game should not even be released at this state for xbox one. the X can power through the lack of care with brute force, but the base console requires EXTRA care and was given none.

[@cMARVEL360]

Rod Munch Your example is flawed by thr people ESPN attract. I don't think I have to try hard to tell you how Ignorant people are of technology, let alone display and audio Technology. I see what you ate thing to say, but use an example that uses the type of people that represents the topic. Gaming being Technology based, Gaming will attract a whole lot of technology heads who are sensitive to the differences in display and sound.

[@matcarfer]

Your analysis is wrong. TV content is 4K and then reduced to 720p. Rendering a game at 4K and then downsampling to 720p is not the same as rendering the game at 720p.

[@thiagovidal6137]

I've never played Ace Combat before Xbox 360 and the evolution of the series blew me away. It's quite impressive the evolution between the first 3 games on PS1... Ace Combat 3 looks amazing for a PS1 game.

[@xxTICxxTOCxx]

At just over 28 minutes I thought I'd just skip to the performance section of the vid. I started watching and before I knew it the video was finished. This was great, thanks.

[@Okanehira]

1:37 That AC4 music man. The soundtrack to that game is perfection.

[@Werberte27]

The king is back "Ace combat 7" 👍👍👍

[@Werberte27]

@Dr. Loomis who cares?

[@joeotis6565]

I just got the Ace Combat 7 my first time ever playing this game. I'm new to it and I love it but when they blame me that I killed the president how do I advance until the next mission or is it only just four levels and I do have a PS4 to. someone please let me know what to do or should I just get rid of the game.

[@flyingplantwhale545]

Came for AC 7. Got a full DF Retro too. Great job guys.

[@Velcrochicken1]

Hey John, just wanted to let you know, you have really reignited my interest in gaming. Like you I have fond memories of the older generation of games and you manage to remind me what good games actually are.

[@DragonSpikeXIII]

4:10 We have a new fan-translation out for Ace Combat 3. Hope you'll all enjoy it!

[@anthonygamer]

25:55 The song is called Daredevil. Found it!

[@thesurge706]

It's nice that this series has returned to 60fps. Console gamers need to really appreciate when they get a 60fps game, despite whatever resolution the game is running at. I'm surprised they've been able to get as many 60fps titles this gen (Which isn't many) on those dogshit Jaguar core based systems.

[@fishclaspers361]

To be fair AMD had nothing else better at the time. Ryzen came out much later. Plus it was on 28 then 16nm.

[@vandammage1747]

The cpu has nothing to do with this game being 1080p on pro and X1X. Xbox one has faster cpu than ps4 and runs significantly worse.

[@WGAPGaming]

@@fishclaspers361 when ryzen was released it would have been to expensive to be put in consoles since. the ryzen 2000 apus that released last year will likely go into the next gen consoles with some beefed up graphics as they run at 3.2-3.4ghz giving the next gen consoles a decent boost and minimums locked 1080p 60fps

[@fishclaspers361]

@@WGAPGaming They will be using 7nm graphics and CPUs. The power and heat budget is a lot more restricted than PCs even for the enhanced consoles. The reason Ryzen was never used was because it was never ready in the first place.

[@Shankovich]

I just only wish they developed the story of your squadron more. Ace Combat 5 nailed that aspect perfectly, plus they also actually fought during missions. I understand they're here for atmosphere in this game, but I'd argue your wingmen fighting as well adds much more to the atmosphere.

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

Shankovich I got the preorder and I’m playing the two campaigns simultaneously. It’s really interesting to see the choices made

[@the_mobius_strip3906]

Would be nice to have actually seen Count in a custcene rather than a profile pic on radio. Would've preferred Tabloid as my wingman since he's actually given screentime. I just wish they focused on the Strider/Cyclops squadrons towards the end.

[@KoPT01]

The pop-in can actually be removed on PC by extending draw distance via config edits. The chromatic aberration and film grain can also be removed, which helps detail.

[@hugozacarias3259]

Wasn't expecting the sound to be so immersive as it is! Definitely the cherry on top of the cake! Great review of the game and AC's history! I used to play HAWX back in the day, and this game reminds me of it. Keep it up DF!

[@darrylt8502]

Hey John, as a huge fan of the series, I just want to say thank you for this amazing, comprehensive insight and review. I've always enjoyed your reviews and I continue to look forward to more content like this. I have yet to watch your coverage on RE:2 remake, but I know I'm gonna enjoy it when I get the chance.

[@fake._]

It felt so good to play a new ace combat. But I feel like the older games had better campaign story and missions. Who could forget the ability to respond to your teammates, pick their aircraft, the cool boss fights in Zero, and other features. Still, I'm so happy I get to fly and play the game.

[@HRZN_YT]

"I think it looks better on a CRT." Bro, tell me something that you don't think looks better on a CRT? ;) You had me looking up CRT's on Ebay like two weeks ago.

[@Snakex59]

100HourSave Only problem is I’ve never seen a CRT that accepts HDMI

[@ardoronro6677]

I LOVE THE FIRST PERSON PERSPECTIVE. It's so immersive you see the ice build up in the glass shielding.

[@ravenvalentine4919]

I WANNA CRY ... i cant tell you how many times i played the last mission in ACE COMBAT ZERO for the boss fight being amazingly cool and fun but the SOUND TRACK is some thing else

[@DeadmanNasser]

Its 60fps, and X players are complaining.. just shows they would rather play at 30fps as long as it is 4K

[@billygunn142]

And remember they couldn't even play at 1080p until late 2017 😂

[@peteg2715]

Is it crazy that some prefer resolution over FPS? I do. I got a One X for multiplats so this is very disappointing.

[@nickmotsarsky4382]

@@billygunn142 What does that even mean? I have the base Xbox and the ps4 Pro and I was playing Forza Horizon 2 at 1080p like 5 years ago..

[@rajvinder89]

All those years of playing the worse versions of games on the base model and S gave them a resolution complex.

[@BDreGaming]

Ps4 pro > xbone x for so many reasons

[@divinitymode9364]

The mid-gens sitting pretty but, man, it’s time the XB1 was put out to pasture. It’s seriously beginning to struggle.

[@drumnbassdan]

The console isn't struggling its the developers being lazy

[@TheAustin007powers]

To be fair was base Xbox One ever really even alive?

[@stuntman3495]

@@drumnbassdan The 'lazy devs' meme again? You don't think it has anything to do with weaker hardware?

[@TheAustin007powers]

Drum n Bass Dan they aren’t lazy the base Xbox is just ass

[@fioredeutchmark]

Drum n Bass Dan no amount of effort will overcome the difference between ddr 3 and ddr 4. It’s awful hardware.

[@alejandrogorgal]

Oh man! I sucks that we don't get VR missions on PC. I'm still getting the game though, it looks awesome. Also, my personal favorite was AC3. The soundtrack alone is magnificent, and the visual design holds up even today, which is impressive.

[@prudentComments]

plays 5 versions of the same game and all predecessors, edits a 30 minute video and writes a complete review, all of this in a single week, that's dedication. Thanks John!

[@ProjectR86]

Two points I'd like to mention. I know everyone has their playstyle, but these games are really suited for the cockpit view. There was no mention of the cockpit view visuals and effects in non VR mode. Flying around the clouds and having the rain and ice building up on the canopy was visually immersive, as well as adding a bit of realism to the gameplay. The second point, on PS4 Pro, the game does run at 60fps for the vast majority of the game. But, the frame rate plummets quite heavily down to what feels like the mid 30's during the very last section of taking down the second Arsenal Bird - it's a shame you didn't get this far to test.

[@BlitzvogelMobius]

No mention of self shadowing in the AC series on PS2? One of the few games on the system to even attempt it. And using the novice control setting REEEEEEEEEEEE

[@CaveyMoth]

What a novice!

[@favscripts7680]

I wish they would remaster the older games and slap them on a modern engine, I wanna play these games but I'm somewhat entitled to good graphics soo, yeah

[@paulwest785]

no mention of ac4's amazing sound? That game has truly impressive audio.

[@darknetwifi2056]

one of the best videos you've guys ever done from top to bottom covered the best of ace combat with awesome detail. A favorite for sure.

[@Carboxylated]

the HD capturing and gameplay footage gathered and time spent doing this in depth analysis is AMAZING!!!! DF you guys are the top dogs when it comes to fully spec'ing out games and graphical analyzing! Keep it up guys.

[@scissortongue5772]

It's beautiful on everything stop arguing kids.

[@yellow13_]

Scissortongue planes’ textures are low res, the game still looks good but sometimes you wanna close up to the planes and you see these pixelated textures on unreal engine 4... ugh

[@DJHeroMasta]

WTF!?!? X1X & PS4 Pro are topping out at 1080p?!?!?

[@LouSassol69er]

Not only that the Pro has better performance than the X lol. The devs obviously didn't care about developing it on X.

[@dushikorsou1]

@@LouSassol69er can't blame them that much since the xbox sales are almost none existing in asia lol and it might get patch. So just wait and see.

[@Morden97]

60 fps was favored over resolution... which is the correct approach in most games imo

[@bruno3030]

lots of japanese developpers apparently design their games for the base PS4 in mind and that's it

[@davemeredith6964]

If you want 60fps yes. Unreal engine is known to be heavy on CPU. Hence 1080p. Nothing wrong with 1080p/60fps.

[@03chrisv]

Would love a PS5 upgrade to get native 4k support.

[@IonoTheFanatics]

Soundtrack for Ace Combat have always been stellar, and though some of us don't exactly play the older titles anymore (they are kinda dated no matter which way we look at it compared to modern games especially flight sim on PC which frankly look insane these days) but the soundtrack remains good listening materials...

[@PSYCLOWN185]

Ace Combat 4 blew my mind back in the day. That game was great on every level.

[@JustLookinkAround]

Damn, this is looking GOOD!

[@allansh828]

why not in 4K? Damn it. I mean the video.

[@GameslordXY]

@@6utS Is it really 4x stronger than the 1 in PS4 Pro? Are we talking 580/1060,1070 or 1080Ti or RTX Titan here? PS4 Pro is the equivalent of RX470 or something. Which means very close to RX570. CPU is the problem with PS4 Pro. Xbox One X has a GPU in line with GTX1060/RX580. Again CPU is the problem with X. I believe it's the factory overclocked version of the one in PS4 Pro.

[@huyatti]

just wait for the ps5 it will run between 1440p-4k 60 fps

[@NonsensicalSpudz]

@@GameslordXY also the CPU in both ps4 and xbox are all the same. the CPU is the bottleneck, but to reduce it obviously would drive cost. but hey xbox one x is a beast rdr2 at 4k. like 4k

[@6utS]

check the video i linked, u can see performance/settings all the time there, difference is huge, and yup, xbone one x has 6tf amd gpu(so about as strong as rx 580/6gb gtx 1060, rtx 2080ti, especially after oc is roughly 3x stronger(its not just raw teraflops performance but also memory bandwith), otherwise it would run this game badly(again 4k 90+ fps on maxed out settings:P) Bonus bit- amd hardware usually isnt as good as nvidia's while running unreal engine 4, devs optimized hella of ps4/pro but not so much on X here so yup, pretty sure if they optimised hard u would get X running at something around 1200p60fps maybe tad higher(but not 1440p 60fps since that is over 70% more demanding and ps4pr0 to xbone is 4,2 vs 6tf gpu, defo not 70% jump but more in line with 40%, think of it that way, xbone x is stronger from ps4pro for 40% kinda same like base ps4 is stronger from base xbox one, also 40%- not counting edram shanenanings:P)

[@fioredeutchmark]

Yunus Eker How do you know?

[@Brown614]

Yall saying 4k 60fps when most modern games have a hard time reaching that with a 2080ti. Asking for too much fam. This is a $300-$500 console we're talking about which is the price of a GPU that can run 1440p 60fps. I have the 1070 and i7-7700k and i still can't run games 4k 60fps and that rig cost me 1.2k building it myself 2 years ago. Mind you these consoles are much older than that.

[@nickmotsarsky4382]

Well, some first party titles do. Forza Horizon 4 looks fantastic at 4k/60. It was obvious this game wasn't optimized for the X1X as well as it could have been, since it's running WORSE than the Pro version..

[@rajvinder89]

Yeah, I've noticed the staff at DF have unrealistic expectations from games. Also they don't seem to mention the fact that most gamers on PC care far more about framerate than they do resolution. You almost never hear them talking about what you need to run a game at 1080p 144 or 1440p 144.

[@nickmotsarsky4382]

@@rajvinder89 It's not unrealistic to expect a 50% more powerful X1X to run this at a higher resolution than the Pro. Not saying native 4K. Dynamic would be fine. 1440p would certainly be expected..

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

You’re coming with logic. Haha. Look: every multiplat game is supposed to reify the fantasy notion that X1X was a vindication of the Xbox brand in the 8th gen (it didn’t vindicate jack nor shit) so when this kind of thing happens, they can’t handle it. That’s at the heart of everything

[@mr_beezlebub3985]

You must not have seen very many modern games. Check 4K benchmarks for the 2080ti, and it can run a fairly good amount of games at 80fps or more

[@metanumia]

Wow, what an amazing review, you went in-depth and I can tell you're a true fan of the series! I'm so glad Project ACES delivered a triumphant return to the glory days of Ace Combat 3, 4, and 5. I have such fond memories of those games, and believe Ace Combat 4 was the best experience (with the most replayability) I had in a game on either the PS1 or PS2 consoles' throughout their active lifespan. It's so exciting to now have access to Ace Combat 7 in Steam and on a gaming PC with the ability to render it in high native resolution at >60 FPS!

[@knowur10sand18s]

My first AC since Shattered Skies on PS2. Long overdue too play AC again! The VR (PSVR) missions are absolutely phenomenal!

[@Dzeath1]

No other AC game can beat AC2 coudtrack, ever!

[@lostmontanelas4236]

Ok, i can belive the results in base consoles (even with much better graphics, res and FPS games on these base models) but 1080p on Pro and X? Now this is just lazy work

[@joethehitman4479]

I agree, they could atleast make higher res 30fps mode and Xbox One X literally is the most powerful console. Zero excuse and I mean Zero excuses a platform with the same architecture but better hardware plays worst than the other? Unacceptable I almost feel screwed over but the game is so good. I'm enjoying it but damn I hope they patch this.

[@TheStaticUnit]

Yeah it's strange. Also interesting that there are some dips on the X that aren't present on the Pro. Seems like a little Laziness is afoot

[@mimimimeow]

1: SimulSky clouds are extremely demanding. getting 60fps from that is a miracle. I mean take a look at ARMA3.. 2: Microsoft dev support in Japan is probably non-existant because they never cared about JP market

[@erikakurosaka3734]

"Lazy work" It's funny that Microsoft dev never cared about Japanese market, and Xbox isn't even a huge thing in Japan. You XBOX fanboys got Ace combat 6 in the past 2007 with stunning graphich (and shitty storyline) where playstation fanboy have to wait for another ace combat franchise to be released in playstation platform for 13 years. In the span of 13 years, there was only one Playstation game after PS2 for the Ace combat fanbase, Ace combat Infinity; a free to play multiplayer online game for PS3 that only lasted for 4 years before the server were shut down last year.

[@haveiszalfaroqie1628]

I love it when someone worked their ass hard for 10 years, making quality art and product, and then some rando tells them "lazy work."

[@hunexlie4634]

Still 10/10 game

[@EnigmaGameMaster]

So surprised to see you cover Ace Combat 3! So many people just literally act like it never existed or mention it as a side note.

[@maximaldinotrap]

The version released in the U.S should have been the same as the Japanese version.

[@Dknightxs]

I got it from a friend few weeks ago for ps4 pro but started playing tlou2, after finishing it i started acvii and i am loving it.. last ace combat i played was ace combat 2 back on og ps one

[@markus9641]

PC>PS4Pro>X1X>PS4>X1S Your welcome.

[@oxidizer-8640]

yep

[@thenakaza8199]

You're*

[@KenMathis1]

There isn't a single model for the PC, and the average PC was not reviewed in this video. In fact a highly above average PC was reviewed (GPU in upper 2% of owned cards) so not much can be said about how a typical PC will run this game. Just to drive this point home, if the review had used a GPU in the lower 2% of owned video cards, like a GTX 950, instead of the upper 2%, there is a good chance the PC would have placed lower than the PS4.

[@M0i100]

@Ioannis Stf VR is only exclusive for a limited time. It has already been reported that it will eventually be coming to PC, PlayStation just paid to have it as an exclusive for a while.

[@mr_beezlebub3985]

@@KenMathis1 Who reviews a new game released in 2019 with a GTX 950? That would be stupid

[@pocketfox743]

There is no X1X enhanced version because Microsoft is an American company, not Japanese and that is how many Japanese developers roll. Like when they port the PS3 version of a game to PC, but not the PS4 version of the same game. So they can say it looks and plays best on PS4. Devs from other countries make it look the best it can, on whatever system it is on because they respect the art. Japanese developers deliberately gimp the PC/X1X versions but still put their hands out for the sales.

[@billygunn142]

lol if it's not X enhanced then why does it not run the same as the base version then? 🤦‍♂️

[@andyt5199]

Pocket Fox sounds about right

[@Jack_Sparrow131]

Oh really? than we must be blind for not seeing that I played a lot of Japanese games on PC and most of them run great Your claim is wrong, generalizing is language of ignorant people only xD

[@sabmu757]

You're spreading nothing but lies, this game has Xbox one X enhancements. Most Ps4 exclusives like Yakuza 0 and Nioh were ported without any compromises to PC. Many upcoming Japanese games are going to look better on X than pro (Sekiro, RE2, DMC5, etc.....). I don't get it why people have such mentality concerning Japanese developers???

[@kevinstyle1107]

daniel Shah Then explain why AC7 on X runs worse than Pro despite of "enhancement"?

[@GURken]

why not mentioned backwards compatibility of AC6 on Xbox One X?

[@adamdavis1737]

I can't download it!

[@prince-mj8tt]

@@adamdavis1737 have you put the codes in? If yes check your ready to start

[@adamdavis1737]

@@prince-mj8tt I never got any codes :(

[@prince-mj8tt]

@@adamdavis1737 check the email you bought it on it should be there

[@adamdavis1737]

@@prince-mj8tt bought it on xbox marketplace I'll double check but I think maybe I just cut it too close with the pre order to get it 🤷‍♂️

[@finanzberater8669]

Thank you Digital Foundry for making this video, the Ace Combat Franchise appreciate your viewers.

[@edukee]

holy shit, this counts as the best and most complete review for this game I've seen, you should consider making none technical reviews because you clearly do a way better job than other major reviewers with these tech analysis videos.

[@dannyhid]

1:43 that textures

[@maxmanmanus]

any reason he says "MSAA is off the table" at 16:27?

[@MrFreeman626]

Probably excessive performance cost. With modern shader effects and stuff hardware anti aliasing at a stable performance is very difficult to implement. On PC Nvidia users will probably find a way to force SGSSAA though.

[@MichaOstrowski]

@@MrFreeman626 More like UE4 doing deferred rendering, I guess

[@guybrushthreepwood8174]

I see this review is almost a year old. Does anyone know if the Xbox x performance issues have been fixed? Trying to decide if I want to pick this up for $20

[@megalith]

AC4 is my personal favorite. The narrative was just amazing. The way the story was delivered through that calm voice was just brilliant.

[@sev2300]

The flight sim genre was made popular primarily by Top Gun. The movie not only inspired the development of Top Gun games for the NES but also a whole host of flight sim games for years.

[@ataksnajpera]

I hope you can hack that pathetic drawing distance on PC.

[@pegasusdrive12]

It's UE4 someone eventually will but don't hold your breath on it being an official patch.

[@japzone]

I'm more excited about people modding in VR support for the campaign on PC. That'll make up a lot for the fact the VR missions are exclusive to PSVR.

[@PandaTheGFX]

pathetic

[@Duhya]

@@japzone In theory it should be pretty easy and seamless with something like Vorpx, assuming the cockpits are modelled all around you.

[@danl9621]

I would be far more worried about the lack of VR support on PC If I were you,the PS4 seems to be the better choice right now,even above the PC version.

[@angelvalentinmojica6967]

1080p 60fps lock on ps4 pro? Not bad.

[@MrSuperVikingo]

Brilliant analysis as usual, bud. I’m not surprised the Lbox One is still producing last generation’s resolution and visual fidelity. LOL

[@Narium413]

A lot of XB1 ges are actually running below 720p...

[@bruno3030]

@@Narium413 XB1 games running below 720p ? name some

[@nickmotsarsky4382]

@@Narium413 Name all these numerous games.

[@JustSomeGuy900]

@@nickmotsarsky4382 i dont think they exist

[@rajvinder89]

@@Narium413 Untrue, there might be couple but there are nowhere near enough to be considered "a lot".

[@Coletanm]

leave it to John to turn a "simple" performance analysis into a full fledged DF Retro style overview of the series. Great work as always.

[@boredstudent]

I first played Air Combat and this was years ago. Then I played Ace Combat 04 and it was awesome. I had a great experience played AC7 and I think I want to play it again. Try out the other planes. I hope AC5 can be played some day too.

[@ROBSILVERGUN]

Didn't mention 6, huh?

[@cactusmanbwl1990]

For real.... Skipped over the only real ace combat game of that Gen.

[@RicochetForce]

He mentioned that Zero and 6 were great immediately after finishing up the AC5 section and before mentioning the titles that followed Zero and 6 were middling.

[@anngo4140]

i liked that game but now in retrospect, that game was a bit cringe. Also its setting doesnt relate too much with 4-5-Z and 7

[@plo617]

Ace Combat X was the one that didn't get mentioned.

[@adamdavis1737]

6 had great gameplay and looked amazing. But the story was awful. Really awful.

[@rocketpunchgo1]

AC4 is the best (outside the Japanese version of Electrosphere)

[@DrGreenThumbNZL]

No

[@TeslaHaxz]

So far, zero is my favorite

[@Dacho_Shaki]

It's debatable. Though my personal favorite is 4.

[@Atamusk]

I definitely loved the storytelling in 4. "And so, I write to you..." is a line that will stick with me forever.

[@humblegrind8]

Tbh they should just stop reviewing the Xbox One S as it is exactly the same as the original Xbox One and it struggles the most out of every AAA game.

[@shaundavidssd]

no it's not you clown ..over clocked GPU ....memory bandwidth boost

[@rinaa6865]

VjOnItGood81 They should just stop reviewing the standard PS4 and Xbox One S altogether as both are miles behind the more powerful console's and PC.

[@SkemeKOS]

Xbox One S is slightly more powerful than the original Xbox One.

[@maxsettingsnocompromises5724]

They won't as that's the console most Xbox and ps4 players still play on

[@Charles-hy6gp]

@@rinaa6865 Why? the Pro hardly look better than the standard PS4, runs at 1080p and not checkboarding 4K with only 5 FPS more

[@kraithaywire]

The amount of work that goes into these sort of videos is astounding. Great job, DF.

[@SakurakoLover]

The soundtrack was really good and most important aspect on the series. Also He did compose some Idolm@ster songs as well which its an Namco idol game with many Namco Veteran composers working on it

[@SkemeKOS]

The VR mode is fucking amazing, but I'm pissed that its only about 3 hours long. I've been waiting for this game for years ever since I found it was going to be in VR. I remember the devs saying the VR mode would be over 10 hours long, spread over many missions. And now it's only 3 missions, about 1 hour long for each one. Such a wasted opportunity, just like Gran Turismo VR mode.

[@plo617]

VR was the way this game was meant to be played. I'm having trouble getting into the campaign, because the VR mode was so great. It was like going from the d-pad to analog back in Ace Combat 2. Very hard to go back. The game's campaign absolutely should have had optional VR, like Resident Evil 7.

[@ark14700]

Really hope they can make an AC8, and make it fully VR. Possibly on the PS5

[@MegaRayland]

Still 3hrs as a 'bonus', when most VR games were about that length back in 2016-17, is nothing to underestimate. It is certainly much, much better than any other VR mode Namco has put in their games thus far. Remember Tekken's?

[@kraenk12]

SkemeKOS GT Sport is the same...PS4 is too weak. Simple as that. Wait for next gen.

[@SkemeKOS]

@@plo617 100% agreed. I cant touch the non-VR mode. I played about 2 minutes, and it just feels like crap compared to playing in VR. That's why it sucks so much that the VR mode isnt for the full game. I will only play this game in VR.

[@00shmee]

No mention of the fact Ace Combat 6 is a pre-order bonus for Xbox One owners and being backwards compatible?

[@advancedguard8868]

Easy to tell where the console bias sits

[@heretotroll.9703]

Who cares have you swallowed yet.

[@kaikiske7436]

"To me this doesn't make sense. It's baffling" Japanese developers, Namco in particular (Tekken 7, SC6, now AC), have been gimping Xbox 1 X versions of games compared to the Pro since Day 1. So, the results make perfect sense, when viewed from this perspective.

[@rajvinder89]

Especially when you take into consideration how abysmally poor the Xbox has done in terms of sales in their home market and Asia in general.

[@kaikiske7436]

@@rajvinder89 the game is sold worldwide.

[@rajvinder89]

@@kaikiske7436 Yes, but Japanese devs tend to focus on optimizing/making games for whatever the more popular platform is. That's why last gen most Japanese games ran better on the 360 even though the PS3 was more powerful.

[@JayJapanB]

@@kaikiske7436 Nintendo is the only Japanese media company that gives two shits about America. Japanese companies make a lot of money from the Japanese market. It's been like that for ages.

[@Narium413]

@@rajvinder89 Also because Cell CPU is nearly impossible to develop for.

[@cooldudept]

I absolutely LOVED the Danger zone reference with the F14 and the Mig onscreen. Ultra like!

[@BDreGaming]

Hitoshi Sakamoto did one of the Ace Combat soundtracks I believe, he's my favorite video game composer

[@94tegLSatMSC]

Well I was gonna pick this up on my X1X... guess I'll wait till they put out a patch or I'll just never pick it up. 🙄

[@blakeanthony4039]

Considering Namco’s past optimizations on X1X, I wouldn’t hold my breath...

[@94tegLSatMSC]

@@blakeanthony4039 pretty much what I'll expect. Maybe I'll pick it up on my Pro if they fix the sleep framerate issue.

[@vandammage1747]

@@94tegLSatMSC , I'm not gonna support sloppy ports like this. Have too many games anyway not that it matters

[@94tegLSatMSC]

@@vandammage1747 agree, lots of great games available right now.

[@svr_armani]

Bought it for my One X. I would have preferred enhancements of course but with so many lackluster unfinished games constantly coming to market this is a breath of fresh air and you're missing out. This game is simply brilliant. I have never encountered a bug ,game crash or been bombarded with options for microtransactions.

[@GIJOE573]

I will pay $60 all day long for each of the big three if the remaster them on the new engine

[@gilroypro1010]

Will sell best on PS4, means most important port.

[@shaundavidssd]

RDR2 sell more on ps4 oh wait ...who gets 4k ......oh ... your comment is stupid

[@gilroypro1010]

@@shaundavidssd See how I didn't say "Best" port. Now who seems stupid? Oh wait they guy that got triggered lol. Sure the X and PC get 4k but at the end of the day the PS4 version supports Rockstar's bank more.

[@jayg339]

I wasn't familiar with this series, but wow, Ace Combat 2+3 must've blown minds back in the 90s with how good it looks for PS1 games. Same with Ace Combat 4 for the PS2 - they were really creating some before it's time visuals. And at 60 FPS no less? Very impressive.

[@iau]

Ace Combat on PSP was some of the greatest fun I've had on a portable. I really hope this comes to the Switch.

[@ZeroB4NG]

You kinda glossed over Ace Combat 6, did you not play that one? I only had a Xbox 360 (besides being a PC gamer all my life) and i played the hell out of AC6, can't wait for AC7 to drop on PC. That Pop-in with the trees there really should be fixed though, that is just too obvious. It is good knowing that it will do 144FPS, no ultrawide is a bummer but can surely be patched post launch, no VR pisses me off a lot and 1 year PSVR exclusivity is just lame, this is exactly the kind of game why i bought that damn Oculus Rift that is only collecting dust. I wonder if that HOTAS i got sitting in the shelf will work with it... and if that will be better or worse than just playing with the gamepad.

[@dark1x]

Well...if I had my way, I'd have covered Zero and AC6 while touching on the spin-offs as well but A) I ran out of time and B) my copy of AC6 is still in the states with a good 20-30 other games I haven't yet brought with me to Europe. I may just buy another copy.

[@marcoivancic1187]

​@@dark1x It deserves some form of analysis and comparison with 7 like the others had, especially considering how gorgeous it is to this day. The speculars bouncing off your jet, volumetric looking clouds, texture detail etc. (I'd even say the texture detail is basically equivalent to 7's).

[@dark1x]

Marco Ivancic Sure but I don’t have it here. It’s really that simple.

[@ryansmith-gu5yp]

Can I say it? Can i say it? Ummm... P.C. MASTER RACE!!! 🤣😍😎

[@waroftheworlds3173]

Unfortunately, master race for at least 8x the price of a xbox one x. the guy has an i9 with 32gb ddr4 and a titan v. you can buy at least 8 xbox one x with this.

[@ryansmith-gu5yp]

@@waroftheworlds3173 P.C. Master Race still. A $500.00 RIG pre crypto craze with a GTX 1060 or higher can out perform the X.

[@waroftheworlds3173]

ryan smith yes it does. Isn’t much necessary to outperform the x. But You won’t get the same as the pc used in this video. Do you agree?

[@ryansmith-gu5yp]

@@waroftheworlds3173 Yeah, I do agree there. I'm very disappointed they DEVS didn't use the X's full potential to get the higher res, nor the PS4 Pro. In all honesty, it is the dev's who probably wanted to make sure 60FPS was possible and stabilized with the higher-end consoles and had to use a lower res, BUT 1080P?! I didn't buy the X because it was $500.00, I had an 2014 XBox One, there we were no new exclusives and I had a great year in business in 2017, this I built my RIG.

[@ryansmith-gu5yp]

@@waroftheworlds3173 BTW, you can build my RIG for about $1,500.00 now.

[@icy1007]

Namco better fix those performance issues on the Xbox One X. There is no reason for those framerate dips.

[@Wanderlauch]

PSVR makes it a default win for me. Seriously I never thought that VR would be this amazing.

[@owacs_ender]

One thing I noticed during my playthrough that I don't think was mentioned here: I was playing on Easy for my first time with the Ace Combat franchise _and I forgot I was playing on easy._ The game does an absolutely fantastic job of making you feel like you've just come out of the hardest dogfights of your life when in reality there are still another 4 levels of difficulty above what you're playing at.