Hogwarts Legacy - DF Tech Review - PS5 vs Xbox Series X/S - 21 Mode Variations Tested

Fully taking into account the latest patch, the DF Hogwarts Legacy report accommodates testing from a gargantuan total of 21 different performance modes across three different consoles, along with an overview and critique of Avalanche's technological achievements.
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00:00 Overview
01:37 Graphics and visual features
08:10 Image quality and performance
17:48 Analysis and conclusion

[@marufhasan60]

Amazing to see Rich once again reviewing. His way with words are just amazing. We need more analysis from him.

[@carlosdonizetti9573]

We need more of his reviews, as someone said here, he s the David Attenborough of games.

[@10whiten99]

@@carlosdonizetti9573 I could probably watch 40 more years of videos from him

[@liaminwales]

Such a relaxing voice.

[@FoRmaTiTo]

He had to, because John and Alex were facing hate on REEEEEEEEEE had they reviewed the game.

[@superstew79]

He’s just so genuine in how he talks unlike John or Oliver

[@mannyc056369]

Don't think I've seen a DF game review from Rich in a while, this is a nice surprise indeed. Keep up the good work guys.

[@worsel555]

Well that's because someone had a meltdown on Twitter over this game and deleted his tweet, so Rich stepped up.

[@ZAYFLX]

@@worsel555 precisely lol

[@LN.2233]

@@HykCraft rich isn't John

[@TheCanadian0495]

@@worsel555 I was so disappointed to see that, and I’ve come to expect a lot more from John. He doesn’t have to like HP, that’s fine - but his tweets were filled with so much hate and condescension. It was disappointing, especially because in all of his videos and interviews he’s always so professional and polite

[@dadsteps]

100% because of the toxicity around it, as the head and most mature guy there I think it’s a good choice

[@TheAbsol7448]

This is super impressive stuff for a studio that hasn't made a AAA game before. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what they'll do in the future.

[@CriPPleR_HD]

Man, I forgot how much I love Rich’s analysis. So thorough! Is it possible to get a rare Rich PC analysis of Hogwarts Legacy?! 🤩

[@micsunday14]

Yes please rich!

[@KnightMD]

Isn't PC Alex Battaglia's domain? I just wish he were into the Steam Deck a little more...

[@XvitruvX]

Steam Deck: No Nvidia Hardware 😉

[@originalityisdead.9513]

He's the only one who would do it.

[@robertspoor84]

Rich is a top notch reviewer. It’s a shame we don’t get more from him. I trust his editorial viewpoint is maintained in all of the other channel content, but it’s still nice to hear him in his own voice.

[@notsyzagts7967]

What do you mean by "his own voice"? He sounds the same as always; what you probably meant to say is that "it's nice to hear him on his own/alone".

[@phattiger1506]

@@notsyzagts7967 They mean hear it directly from him, not just through his editorial oversight for the other Digital Foundry journalists.

[@jaspelino1963]

@@notsyzagts7967 get a load of this guy, going around correcting people while he doesn’t even understand basic English.

[@SaigonBrit]

Rich is decidedly unwoke or does not let it influence his work at all. The same cannot be said for a couple of the others in the team.

[@Clay3613]

@@SaigonBrit You speak words you don't even understand.

[@MrSTVR]

I am so fascinated to see how the Switch version will end up because that's an "impossible port" if I've ever heard one

[@Drilbit]

Hopefully it turns out well since I got it ordered with a discount lol.

[@colemin2]

Hopefully it's 720p most of the time when docked...

[@Lukas12220]

Releases right after the Outer Wilds Switch Version

[@Cyberdyne12]

I predict that it will be streamed...

[@MrSTVR]

@@Cyberdyne12 I would too usually, but if it was they would have called it a Cloud version or let it be known at this point. Also I believe it's getting a boxed release.

[@MDmechanix]

Glad we got this guy to do this video, he literally is digital foundry

[@Szydelski]

Question is, why we still not have any commrnts on Hogwarts Legacy PC topics. This definately should be covered more, considering how much impact this title has.

[@bm______]

@@Szydelski they don’t make pc videos anymore they only care about consoles despite the fact that the PC market is the biggest market and has never been as big as it is. Dumb move on their part

[@Szydelski]

@@bm______ I think it is more related to fact Alex is willingly not covering PC port due to his personal attitude to the Hogwarts Legacy. Apparently nobody else in DF was able or wanted to go into PC issues. A bit sad, since Rich is also a PC gamer, right? He could cover it as well.

[@Normalbarn]

​@@bm______correction: the mobile gaming market is the biggest, bigger than pc and console combined.

[@timmy3822]

Fantastic analysis and very useful for many of us. I dabbled with a variety of modes on my PS5 and wasn’t sure which was best. It’s good to have a firmer picture of how each mode presents.

[@teddyholiday8038]

PC version definitely needs analysis

[@TheKapushon]

Not going to happen until Nvidia fixes their drivers, since DF will never publish analysis where AMD is beating their favourite company

[@Not_Lewis]

They usually do PC after console

[@R17759]

@@TheKapushon Big if true

[@ther0n1nnamed47]

When it works I bet

[@Bramagon]

@@TheKapushon I think they tend to wait for drivers from both AMD and Nvidia to be out so their analysis won't be outdated after said driver updates. Don't think it's a preference thing..

[@0000ffcube]

Rich doesn't often review games anymore, but in the here and now I'm really enjoying the odd analysis done by him. Clearly still the master at it.

[@armchairracer4900]

Notionally the best reviewer. Clearly a gen on gen improvement on anyone else 😆

[@bbbazzinga]

Well, let's just say that John reviewing this was an unlikely scenario.

[@vgnvideogameninja2930]

@@bbbazzinga John wouldn't have done as good of a job anyway. Rich has more video game technical prowess and knowledge than John.

[@TheSterlingArcher16]

I’ll take a bespoke Rich review in the here and now anytime.

[@bbbazzinga]

@@vgnvideogameninja2930 That's not the point

[@WhooFlungPoo]

Finding myself loving these technical analysis video reviews more and more. These always help in deciding which modes to go with. DF always delivering the content gamers care about. 👏 With that said, anyone else still spend way to long switching between modes to spot the subtle differences? I stay going to random scenic areas in games and will spend exorbitant amounts of time in each mode just to see how the grass looks different in the distance. 🤓🤓

[@KissMyAssassin]

I was happy to see this post and see I wasn't the only weirdo who did that with the modes. 😄

[@WhooFlungPoo]

@@KissMyAssassin bro, its definitely a thing 😆 🤣

[@google_was_my_idea_first]

Glad you did a review, Rich. It's been a while, good to hear from you again. 🙂

[@MusicmanUY]

Very important! Make sure to turn Camera Acceleration and Aim Acceleration OFF. This will eliminate the artificial Input Lag the game has by Default for some reason…

[@ULTIMBANGA]

interesting

[@JeffZ1028]

That has to be a glitch right? Turning both of those up usually makes a game feel MORE responsive.

[@fups1]

@@JeffZ1028 He said ACCELERATION not SENSITIVITY.

[@viktorjgf]

Thank you, makes difference!

[@jedimindtrickonyou3692]

Thanks for this.

[@BoomerBends]

Richard Leadbetter needs to be heard from with more regularity. Awesome review!

[@vgnvideogameninja2930]

Indeed. He's so much better at it than (know nothing) John or Alex - imo.

[@zeus1117]

@@vgnvideogameninja2930 I mean decades of experience, so yeah.

[@mustang750r]

I wouldn't be surprised if this was brought about by the controversy around John and not liking kids games.

[@phelype211]

He's my favorite !! I love Alex and John too, but Rich is the BEST !!

[@BBWahoo]

John needs more tantrums in order for that to happen

[@andrewvenditelli152]

Loving the amount of choice and options making their way to console games. As always, great video comparing all these options to help us decide.

[@Pyro71666]

Another thing to mention is that uncapping the framerate on ps5 seems to lower the color bit rate and significantly makes shadows much greyer and ambient occlusion appears much flatter.

[@_obex]

Do you have LG C9?

[@ken_thatswild]

Super nostalgic getting an analysis from Rich. 😌 Just like the old day

[@DoctorHades]

Very nice to see a game performance and visual tech review from Richard. Hopefully we will see more.

[@KarlRock]

13:41 interesting point about the uncapped frame rate option! The game visuals look pretty impressive. I’m watching the Potter movies now because I missed them over the years, then I’ll give the game a go.

[@WhooFlungPoo]

Hope to see a Potter movie franchise review video on your channel. All about your travels in the Wizarding world! 😆

[@PetervDam]

Expect lower graphics in the first movie compared to the game 😅

[@KarlRock]

@@PetervDam haha yes I did notice that just from watching the second movie. Apparently it gets better and better as the movies progress. I’m only up to the third movie.

[@joshuaperle8736]

Hello Pewdiepie, can't wait for you to try the game :)

[@turrican4d599]

Bonnie Wright yummy

[@Noe2iq]

Really great review, exposing the highlights and lowlights of the rendering decisions. Performance options are actually understandable for a console, given the variety of monitors capable of high FR and VRR. I really hope DF do PC review, with any extra PC options, and Alex's optimised settings.

[@Szydelski]

Yeah, lack of any comment regarding PC Hogwarts Legacy for so much time seems annoying.

[@sreeshnelp]

Been a long time since a Rich tech breakdown, such a clear and well-spoken review!

[@PrayTellGaming]

Thanks Rich! From the different performance profiles, to just how slow this game progresses to get to a point where you can do your tests, I appreciate the time you put into this. I hope you get a chance to analyze the game for Steam Deck and PC

[@sirgeeky]

How can you run past all those cats wthout petting them? I personally find that impossible.

[@weatherfox1]

A Raging Rich Review! Great job! You should do more of these in the future. Btw, I'm enjoying this game so far at level 23. Looking forward to the last gen breakdown.

[@callumohare]

Yay a Rich video! Video was amazingly indepth. Years later watching every video and this channel still blows my mind with the fascinating analysis of games. Cheers guys

[@jedimindtrickonyou3692]

Great job on the video Rich, nice to see you back on a performance analysis review. Thanks for all the hard work you do! We really appreciate it.

[@Kschreck]

I noticed a lot of light flickering in the castle in Fidelity Raytracing mode on PS5. Had to turn it off. Any idea what would cause that and if there is a way to fix it?

[@xboxrules8472]

Don't have that problem on Series X , been running in RT mode since Feb 6th

[@tom_123]

Rich is so far above the others in journalistic and editorial ability. I’d forgotten how good his writing style and analysis are. More from Rich, pease!

[@mustang750r]

And so professional by keeping away from the drama instead of feeding into it like others.

[@TheAzonnali]

I was playing on PS5's Fidelity RT mode and have not experienced the character dialogue lighting to be this odd. Maybe the 3-point lighting for them is disabled with RT enabled?

[@Ultizer]

PS5's RT doesn't have lighting anyway. It's just reflections.

[@fabolousjada5070]

Na they just get paid by MS to throw shades look how disappointed he sounds when he talks negatively about Xbox

[@swoosh26]

That has to be the worst mode to play the game

[@forrandomsites3336]

@@fabolousjada5070 🤦‍♂

[@IlSevenlI]

You get broom speed upgrades later through side quests. And a hippogriff mount that is also faster

[@undertone8367]

He also wasn't boosting during that footage which makes it look a lot slower

[@rooo1o]

@@undertone8367 yep. seems like he spent more time analysing the graphics than progressing the story these past 12 days

[@YOUNGHEBREW]

& a Thestral that’s even faster than the Hippogriff. If you have the Deluxe Edition.

[@Squiesh]

With the 3rd upgrade ($7500 yikes) you are zooming hard.

[@sonnieslim5973]

@@rooo1ono shit it’s a tech review

[@Sergeofsocal]

Thanks Rich!! You’re an absolute wizard when it comes to reviews!!

[@SamuraiMerrick]

I see what you did there.

[@user-rd5wj2mm8n]

Extremely noble of Richard to step up to the plate on this one, shielding his colleagues from the inevitable onslaught. Much respect.

[@sellingacoerwa8318]

Don't give a very vocal online mob of bullies and people caught up in the wake of their witch hunt of the month any power.

[@georgedanielsbiz]

@@sellingacoerwa8318 so true ❤

[@SaigonBrit]

Of course Rich is loyal to his team but some of the cringe wokerati he employs don't really deserve to be shielded. They made their bed, now they can lie in it. Tom and Rich are the only ones I will listen to now.

[@RetroRaconteur]

Appreciate this review, Rich! I'm curious if you have any analysis on HDR here? I've heard from a few people that it's best to leave it off for this game.

[@mikesalami7]

I’ve thought the HDR looks pretty great in my experience

[@Kenshin0011]

If someone says to leave it off, then they just don't know what they're doing while configuring. It works great on PS5 with HGIG on an OLED

[@originalityisdead.9513]

The Boss steps up and gets the job done. Thanks, i appreciate this. Handled like a pro, not an excuse in sight. This gives me hope, you should handle more performance reviews, your professionalism shines through the sea of bs, no moaing on, pure unbiased reviewing. The way it should be.

[@megacurlerer]

What are you talking about? Gets the job done? They're reviews are always spot on. Nothing new here. Don't be such a suck-up.

[@trevmizer9784]

@@megacurlerer the others refused to cover the game because of tranny brain rot

[@pferreira1983]

@@megacurlerer He means no one else wanted to do the review.

[@MatticusFinch1820]

FINALLY! Great video and analysis. You guys always nail it. I was very anticipating this video because of all the various options settings for visuals and the fact that it doesn't really tell you the FPS in the game..

[@DrBrovahkiin]

Nice to see someone remembered they have a job to do instead of just calling this game "kids bullshit" and throwing a tantrum on twitter

[@Linkman247]

Thank you for covering this Richard!

[@ChrisThePlayer777]

Witchard*

[@Linkman247]

@@ChrisThePlayer777 i like it!

[@AstralFrost]

Gotta love Richard Leadbetter's work. Always excellent.

[@nookie077]

Yeah, and he actually has true journalistic integrity - Unlike some....

[@Brunn0121]

John: Nah, I hate open world games all of the sudden. Alex: 🗿 Richard: Fine I'll do it myself, then.

[@mimamo]

John suddenly hates open world games, right... Not too long ago he was still gushing about Horizon Forbidden West.

[@vgnvideogameninja2930]

@@mimamo John's a redneck hack.

[@dante19890]

@@mimamo he did like elden ring. I think he just dislike the ubi soft open world formula with busywork icons filling the maps killing the exploration aspect. Ur not really exploring the world u just running corridor style to the next icon

[@jamalabdr]

@@dante19890 He's obviously terrified of blowback from woke idiots on Twitter (people like Alex)

[@Alcatraz760]

I think Alex isn't touching this game because he doesn't want to be banned from Resetera.

[@Darksjeik]

Covering all these modes across 3 consoles in 20 minutes is basically a speed run accomplishment 😃. Seriously though...thanks for this Richard. Thanks for staying true to your reporter's integrity amidst the controversy. Much respect and I'm looking forward to the PC version analysis because that one should be very interesting indeed!

[@rocstarang5747]

"stand aside, I'll handle this" -Rich to the DF staff 💪

[@supergoat94]

Played it on regular Fidelity mode on my series x and really enjoyed it.

[@aipilot6795]

There are broom upgrades that let you go much faster at a higher altitude. Also I can tell the person playing isn’t holding the left trigger which also lets you go much faster.

[@fffrrraannkk]

I thought is was the right trigger, or can you hold both? Looks like they were going fast though because that blurring effect was being shown.

[@xboxrules8472]

It just appears faster with the left trigger, but the distance travelled is the same

[@SKLLZTHATKILLZ]

It would be nice to know what your "preferred" mode is

[@meh23p]

14:14-15:25 How come there is such a large difference in performance between PS5 and XSX? Is it the hardware or just poor optimization?

[@xepacagueta2009]

Journalists, just bring the news, i don't want to know your personal opinions. Thanks Richard for being a professional!!!!

[@duesestmortuus]

I have been patiently awaiting this review since Hogwarts Legacy dropped! Thank you guys so much for posting this! I really needed to see this, especially considering all the different graphics options that the game offers. Cheers!

[@captain9204]

Nice to have Richard back doing tech reviews on games.

[@dark_winter8238]

Probably a one time think since others would not cover this

[@kaikiske7436]

One off. Too many clicks not to cover it, had to be done. Unfortunately, seems like the rest of the staff is more worried about Twitter cred. Leadbetter can’t be bothered, he has a business to grow!

[@fourlights]

@@kaikiske7436 How do you know the other staff didn't want to cover it?

[@kaikiske7436]

@@fourlights I only know John didn't. But Lead better talked about it in the weekly DF Direct and his tone made it seem like that was the case.

[@notnoodle2196]

Awesome to hear a game analysis fro Rich! It's been a while but this was great.

[@mmert138]

Rich showing why he is the "Mr Digital Foundry Himself"

[@AA_dagr8t]

Great analysis, I currently play Hogwarts legacy on Series S in balanced mode and I haven't noticed any of these performance issues mentioned, however I do play on a VRR display.

[@TheGivenSoul]

What's the common resolution?

[@Qwahchees]

Such a well put together video. Can't wait for PC analysis

[@DaHesus]

don`t hold your breath, looking on steam forums and reviews it runs like shit on PC right now, and as Richard kindly explained in the beginning of this video - until it's fixed , they are not allowed (or rather being paid by WB) to show anything

[@PrayTellGaming]

Thanks guys! Any chance you'll talk about PC and Steam Deck?

[@shredenvain7]

Does this Analysis take the latest update for Series X/S? I have seen a big improvement in performance mode with a few loading stutters in the school.

[@oi118]

I'm still going to watch the analysis, but I saw in El Analista de Bits that in resolution and performance mode the consoles have unlocked modes (in Series S the 60 fps mode can be above 60 fps). Is this still the case? Other point. Are these results already with the patch that was released for the Xbox Series?

[@mohamad-abdo]

The uncapped fps modes goes only 5 fps up because dynamic resolution increases whenever there is performance overhead above this target

[@zengamer21]

I wonder if those animated paintings are causing some of these issues. Practically every wall has them and the engine has to essentially play multiple (sometimes like 10 or more) video files on top of everything else. Performance seems much better in areas away from buildings that contain these paintings like caves and the forest.

[@QErikNL]

It is an engine problem. Unreal under-utilises modern CPUs, and bottlenecks because of it. This can be improved somewhat by the developer in some ways, for example just better and more efficient code (especially when they’re using many blueprints), but eventually the engine needs a fundamental update to address this behaviour.

[@zengamer21]

@Erik Does unreal 5 do better with balancing across multiple cores? I'd be surprised if it doesn't.

[@grantlawrence4600]

@@zengamer21 Unreal 5 is fantastic. It runs like a dream across many configurations much more smoothly. I'd be surprised if not.

[@Skylancer727]

I disagree, the broomstick is incredibly fast. You weren't using the charge speed in that clip and the broom speed can even be upgraded 3 times.

[@Arcona]

Yeah, and instead he said it was a cpu limitation lol.

[@SilverInterpolFire]

Surprised he never knew he could speed boost. I couldve sworn the broom stick tutorial tells you this pretty clearly.

[@Skylancer727]

@@SilverInterpolFire it does state it, but it's not required for you to actually use it. It's more glazed over while you skip class.

[@ramengod5768]

​@@Arconahe assumed it was CPU limitations by the developers, by slowing down the speed it gives time to the CPU to catch up. Yes he didn't use the boost but he gives a great explanation on why it might be the case

[@Healcraft]

Well he had to rush this probably since nobody else at df had the balls to touch this game:)

[@Jaylou88]

I liked Fidelity with RT at first on the Series X but after trying it on High Performance Mode, I couldn’t go back. I noticed a lot of the reflections were still present on HPM and navigating through Hogwarts felt sooooo smooth. Omg it’s such a difference. I also noticed that this game has a lot of “haze” in the environments. Even on my OLED tv, I can see it. Can only imagine how bad it is on a LED

[@hogman3543]

Don't worry your teraflops will help you 😂

[@Jaylou88]

@@hogman3543 I’ve got something floppy for you 😉

[@VC777]

I turned down the HDR brightness to 18 and that negates the haziness

[@Jaylou88]

@@VC777 I turned it down to 22 but I’ll try 18. Thanks! 🙏

[@jayg339]

Always a pleasure to hear Rich do these videos 👍

[@kiwiklogg]

I'm running this game on a PS5 on a C2 42 LG OLED in balanced mode. Most of the time it is an absolute stunner! Clearly there were a lot of Harry Potter nerds amongst the development team :)

[@Cyberdyne12]

I'm doing the exact same. Make sure you keep fps lock on.

[@thelargenugget3458]

@@Cyberdyne12 uncapped FPS mode is awful on my TV. I’m using an OLED so I don’t know if that matters?

[@SEMARPE]

@@thelargenugget3458 Doesn't your OLED have GSync?

[@TrySai]

@@Cyberdyne12 Why?

[@marcs4088]

I’m using Sony A90j with Ps5 still not sure which one is the best mode.

[@geojimz]

Thanks Rich for taking the time and giving us an awesome review.

[@Ri_Shin_Marco]

I wonder how long those door opening loading circles are on last gen and the Switch :D While they never take that long they can sometimes be annoying in Hogwarts.

[@jimmy2483]

It's clear that Rich did the review to protect his staff from harassment.

[@joross8]

Awesome DF review/analysis. Looking forward to the analysis of the PC version.

[@symptomaticblackout]

won't happen, alex is too woke.

[@kodemasterx]

​@@symptomaticblackout too bad... DF should consider stop reviewing Nintendo's games as well, cause J.K. Rowling owns a bunch of Nintendo stocks... Just sayin'😏

[@fourlights]

@@symptomaticblackout How do you know?

[@Wicked_Sushi]

I have definitely noticed the shadow issues generated by the Ambient Occlusion. Once I noticed it, I can't un-notice it.

[@budthecyborg4575]

Screen Space Ambient Occlusion is really an ill conceived effect to start with, I turn it off in every PC game and removing the effect only improves the visual presentation. The way SSAO has been applied to games for the last decade is one of the big reasons I can get behind the use of Ray Trace Global Illumination, which usually replaces any other ambient occlusion systems and stops horrible effects like this from happening.

[@shebeski]

@@budthecyborg4575 Brutal. Many games look fantastic with it. Turning it off is ridiculous.

[@budthecyborg4575]

@@shebeski In every game where SSAO is used they just darken all the corners of every room. Look around the room you're in right now, how many corners have a wide black shadow? None, in practice light doesn't work like that, your games always look more realistic with SSAO turned off.

[@shebeski]

@@budthecyborg4575 no, they don't lmao. Some Xbox 360 games have terrible SSAO, I'll give you that. Maybe your monitor has terrible picture or is set up wrong. Most modern AO looks better than nothing. Don't tell me spider man or the last of us looks "more realistic" with no AO. There's tons of titles that do a reasonable job. You played some shitty games years ago that had it badly implemented and now incorrectly turn it off all the time. I've seen what games look like with it off, most of the time the effect is desired and realistic.

[@budthecyborg4575]

@@shebeski You can make an argument that some people want their games to look more like a comic book, which is basically the only case where rooms are represented with dark lines in the corners, but "realistic"? No, that's objectively false.

[@monty916]

Wholeheartedly disagree with the "too many visual modes for a console experience" statement. As a PC player who struggles with the overabundance of capped @ 30fps games when going to the console, the option to uncap the framerate is a very welcome change. Having 9 visual modes seems much more freeing for someone like me who would prefer to squeeze a few more frames out in order to make game more responsive. I get that not all console players will know what to do with these options, but who really cares? All PC players have always had to learn what their settings do, so why call it an inconvenience when console players are given the option to do the same?

[@simonrockstream]

Incredible work Rich!

[@altramen7045]

very glad you guys covered this.

[@DeeDeeCHAUNCEY]

Now we know how mid it is

[@altramen7045]

@Dee Dee atleast its selling extremely well. I'm glad Joanne is getting an insane influx of cash from this, she deserves it.

[@scar7786]

The most powerful console.Phil🤡spencer

[@EddiXP]

Thank you for having a spine, Rich. Analysis was done well

[@kclink1579]

And didn't pointlessly mention something like you are a hero doing good for mentioning it.

[@jdtoledo]

It's nice to hear Rich doing a current gen game review again.

[@Imprisoned1995]

I guess the game runs better on PS5? I have both systems, debating buying this game, and for which system. Sounds the PlayStation is the way to go this time.

[@krigshammaren]

Thank you Rich for this, much appreciated.

[@tel7625]

I must of missed it but what was DF favoured mode to use then on the consoles, particularly the PS5?

[@anxiousnation3820]

Glad you guys covered this!

[@dodgykebaab]

Expertly crafted video by Rich. Great Job

[@unknownbytes2874]

Df: Consoles need more options Dev gives options DF: its too much

[@plume...]

16:02 what is happening with those rainbow road textures?? Is that an effect from a spell or something? Or is that artifacting from GPU RAM being overloaded?

[@j.a.weishaupt1748]

I have it on PS5 and its performance mode is very stable. Only two things I noticed: 1. Small loading times when opening certain doors. 2. In one tower in Hogwarts, not sure anymore in which quest, the frame rate dropped to clearly BELOW 30fps. Yes: below 30fps with 60fps performance mode on…

[@Bramagon]

You can upgrade your broom twice and use the left trigger for a temporary speed boost

[@Cyberdyne12]

*3 times

[@Bramagon]

@@Cyberdyne12 right, whoops

[@benoakes01]

Shame there aren’t different types of broom, like the Firebolt. I wonder why they didn’t do this? A missed opportunity

[@Dorraj]

I don't care how you spin it, more settings on consoles games is an ABSOLUTE POSITIVE. Give users control over what they find important. The more settings the better. It doesn't matter how "confusing" it might seem, it's 100% a move in the correct direction.

[@turrican4d599]

Now if they only would have gotten the performance right...

[@Machariel00]

Only thing that makes them confusing to me is the name. They should just have morr technical names like target 4k 30fp, target 1440 60fps or whatever the targets are.

[@XZ-III]

No i disagree it should be settings that one should have not to have to think about at a quality one's comfortable with. i guess granted ngl my mind can be changed i say that because theres a higher variety of screen types and sizes being used more than ever today. But i kinda liked it when its one set of settings because well it says the game is consistent across systems. Idk someone call me a dumbass idc

[@Dorraj]

@@Machariel00 I think the perfect thing is if the game starts, and it asks which 2 out of 3 things you care about: Graphics, Framerate, and Resolution. And then it can determine from that. I think that keeps it simple and allows lots of customization.

[@Real_ETruth]

So what graphics mode do y'all prefer? I've been playing fidelity + RT uncapped framerate and I think it mostly looks good besides the few frame drops when outside. Anybody got better suggestions?

[@MMoer]

Play fidelity mode. Have no 120hz screen and it's a stable 30fps

[@etatsu4520]

I play fidelity + RT as well. I just can’t live with non-reflective mirrors. The game just feels more immersive with RT.

[@Amhoj1]

I play Performance. The smoothness is just better for me. And I still think it looks good. Specially if you have reality creation option on ur tv.

[@Real_ETruth]

@@Amhoj1 well when frame rate cap is turned off, it is smooth when indoors. My frame counter reached 70+ frames when inside classrooms. It's when I go outside that it jumps back down to 30-40

[@Amhoj1]

@@Real_ETruth when i play on fidelity or Rt, it just lags and stutters on my tv. Might have something to do with tv. I use an Xh90. 🤷

[@DariusPL]

Anyone else a bit… disappointed? I’ve been waiting so patiently for this but now the video leaves me a bit wanting. I’m spoiled by extremely thorough, in-depth DF analysis videos but this one IMHO doesn’t really live up to the usual DF standards. Don’t get me wrong, I do like it on the whole but it just barely scratches the surface of all the graphics modes available in the game. Sure, there’s a ton of them but still, I’d love to see comparisons of lighting, shadows, foliage density, drawing distance, NPC count and so on… Thank you anyway, Rich but I hope you will soon cover the modes in more detail, e.g. based on the PS5 version 🤓 BTW, I don’t need a mode recommendation, I’ve settled for Balanced (available on my LG G7 with HDMI 2.0b so 2.1 is not necessary to have access to all five modes, in case someone is still wondering), and Performance is the only other mode I would even consider. Both Fidelity modes are just unacceptable in terms of blur and judder IMHO, while Performance HFR just butchers the graphics and image sharpness without providing any worthwhile benefits (and for owners of non-VRR TVs it’s just basically useless).

[@Kryptix0III]

seems like it runs much better on PS5... so glad I got a PS5

[@dante19890]

the most interesting mode runs worse on ps5. Uncapped balance mode

[@itsjusterthought7941]

Richard once said that he could not see any benefit for the 2x faster SSD on the PS5, other than faster load screens. Even now he is blind to the reason behind the glaringly obvious PS5 performance advantage. Does he really not know or is he simply hiding it to place Xbox in a better light. Forget GPU upgrades, CPU bottlenecks and dormant cores. This is not a tflops or porting issue. This is a data throughput issue. The game assets are on the SSD. The game is rapidly streaming the assets from SSD to RAM in real time, so the GPU can render them into frames on the fly. The speed of the SSD transfer is crucial. No tinkering on the XBSX will ever make the performance match the PS5, because you cannot plant the 5,500 MBps PS5 SSD into the 2,500 MBps XBSX.

[@Whatthetrash]

Excellent review, Rich! Great to hear from you! :D

[@aleh3627]

Great review, thanks!

[@MadMexism]

Crazy how hardware wise, when Ps5 and series X first launched, everyone thought the Xbox was gonna mop the floor with the Ps5. Sony knows how to build a damn good console.

[@BBWahoo]

Sony knows clock speed is king

[@TheDeeboy717]

This is still very early in the generation as time goes on the games will get more demanding and Xbox will be ready for the long haul. Their exclusives when released will show the performance difference between the two first.

[@zeroseph3717]

@@TheDeeboy717 there is zero reason to own an xbox. Every single game can be played on pc.

[@TheDeeboy717]

@@zeroseph3717 you’re still giving MS your money so have at it

[@frazzl]

I have noticed a significant improvement in frame rate (performance mode on the XSX) after the recent patch. Not perfect but definitely better than at launch.

[@davidpliskin3330]

Which patch?

[@b3at2]

This is Sonys “marketing deal” doing its magic in making sure xbox ports perform worse.

[@Arranc49]

​@@b3at2 🤣 keep telling yourself that! Wah wah wah!

[@b3at2]

@@Arranc49 class action lawsuit incoming.

[@frazzl]

@@davidpliskin3330 Patch 1120320 which was released last week. The PS5 received a similar patch a few days later.

[@Residentevilfan1]

Awesome review Rich! Good to see you back!

[@DH-rt3fk]

I was looking for DF to do their analysis since the game launched. Thanks DF

[@chaoticPERFECTl0N]

I've been waiting for this one, thanks for the coverage Rich!

[@bartsic85]

Aren't M$ fanboys pointing out less TFLOPS in PS5? As you can see, that's not the point.

[@Pieteros21]

@Digital Foundry So whitch mode do you recommend on series S with VRR and 120hz compatible 1440p 32inch monitor ?

[@gonaye1]

19:56 he said “allegedly instant” notifications, lol. I love this channel 😊

[@E_Sunbro]

Happy to see an analysis from Richard. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

[@garyb7193]

Rich graces us with an editorial connoisseur which is quite refreshing and strikingly different from the usual Digital Foundry's technical focused graphic and game element dissection and analysis. Amazing Review! Thank you!!!

[@michalszukalski]

So What graphics options u played most? Fidelity? Performance? Balanced? Cap or uncaped? Cheers

[@benparcellmusic]

Series S balance mode targets 40fps on 120hz displays but what dynamic resolution do we get? I don't think it was mentioned.