60fps not ruled out for next-gen Battlefield 4

DICE hasn't ruled out the idea of a Battlefield title running at 60 frames per second on console, telling VideoGamer.com that it is still exploring options offered by its new Frostbite 3 engine.

[Az1mov]

Well done DICE!! you guys are all over it. big BF fan, now just show us some MP footage around E3. A shame they always start w/ SP though.

[Gazondaily]

Yeah its good that they're on it but I understand how they don't know whether they can push 60fps this late in the game?

I'm oblivious to the development side of things however, but I don't see any reason why next-gen consoles (or the PS4 at least) can't run this effortlessly at 60fps.

[reynod]

"why next-gen consoles (or the PS4 at least) can't run this effortlessly at 60fps"

Just get a PC and be done with it lol. Despite how equipped consoles get, devs will want to push graphics and when that happens consoles will be back to 720p 30fps. This is because most people dont even know about 1080p and most are used to 30fps gameplay anyways.

Graphics people can visually see, hence devs will prefer to push for 720p 30fps again on most games sooner or later, since that allows them to notch the graphics up. If you really want 1080p 60fps PC is your only real option. On console you will just be hoping an praying they do 60fps but really they will just cater to the masses. Since screenshots show graphics and FPS doesnt count in screen shots.

[Gazondaily]

I have a PC. In fact, I play BF3 on it but I would prefer this on consoles.

A great game is what I want; if the game doesn't run 1080p and 60fps but still looks impressive visually with all the destruction and player count then I'm going to go for the no-hassle console version.

[Az1mov]

I really don't usually buy my game on all platforms, but I shamefully did for BF3 graphics=PC community=x360 best friends=PS3. I got the best of both worlds player count on PC and relaxing on the couch w/ my consoles. I hope I won't have to do it again for BF4 though.

[MikeMyers]

It's a little troubling how this early they are already questioning if the next gen consoles can even handle 1080p and 60fps. PC games will continue to raise the bar. I guess if I had to pick one or the other I'd probably go with games being in 1080p.

[Ju]

At this time experience with next gen consoles is limited. Even if the whole game is done, a lot of time is spent in the last weeks and month to optimize the game (e.g. GOW got reached almost extra 10fps compared to the demo due to polishing the code). Final metal of consoles is available now, whatever runs on it so far is built for an performance envelope but sure hasn't been optimized yet. It took devs 5 years to find creative ways to push current gen consoles; I would not expect next gen consoles to reach there full potential at launch.

[DeadlyFire]

Console 720@60 seems possible for this. I am doubtful 1080 will hit 60 fps.

There are lots of decisions about trade offs. Optimizations and scaling when it comes to reaching 60 fps on a console.

If it can stay fluid at a solid 30+ fps then I will be happy.

Noone really knows just yet how far and how fast GPGPU/OpenCL extentions in OpenGL/DirectX11 APIs will push frames. Its a new world of development really. Give it some time we might see 1080 at 60 fps.

1080 at solid 30+ fps isn't bad. For 720 screens we could see 60 fps even so.

[solar]

SUPERCHARGED PC. that cant run games at 1080p at 60 fps.

[hakis86]

It's still too early to know how games will run most of the time on the PS4/XB720, but I have a suggestion:

Why not have some "presets" in the games (in BF4 for example)..: Choose between:
1080p @ 30 FPS with a set amount of details+effets
720p 60FPS with more FPS, perhaps more details thanks to the lower resolution.

Would that be cool, or lame?

Of course, I would want every game to run at 60FPS 1080p :) But it seems like Killzone is capped at 1080p 30FPS, if it were to run at 60FPS, would they have to lower the graphics?

Exciting times!

[DwightOwen]

But, but... 8GBGDDR5RAMFTW!!!!

[M-M]

Why wouldn't it be? If it isn't able to for current generation consoles, I understand. For next generation it should be no problem.

[Roccetarius]

It wouldn't surprise me if they sacrificed it for shiny graphics tbh.

[RememberThe357]

Well it will be if we make it that way. I'm just gonna say this now; if your making a shooter for next gen and you don't make that shit at least 45 fps, you're a shit developer and I hate you.

[Gazondaily]

Lol what? Are you being serious?

[M-M]

That's not very nice.

[Danniel1]

I'm gonna take a stab in the dark and say you don't really know anything about development.

[Tundra]

This guy takes his games too seriously.

[RememberThe357]

HAHA You guys took that seriously? I'd love to hear the way you read that then, you clearly took that the opposite way I intended.

[ExitToExisT]

I assumed 1080p and 60 fps would be standart for all games on next gen consoles , after the 'amazing' 8gb ram announcement...

[Apocwhen]

It's the power of the Graphics chip that will decide if it can run at 1080p/60, and according to the gfx chip that will come in the PS4, it won't be able to do that for this game based on the same components for PC.

That's not to say the engine won't be further optimized for the PS4 hardware though and then be able to do 1080p/60.

But based on equivalent hardware and graphics card on the PC, it doesn't do this.

[SAE]

I don't mind 30fps if the graphics or gameplay evolve and give us wow factor again. If you port battlefield 3 pc version to the ps4 you will get the 60fps/1080p because the game doesn't need the power of battlefield 4. So 60fps/1080p depend on the game. I bet most of the games gonna get them but AAA titles won't be able to do it and that's fine because they are giving us something else..

[Anonagrog]

Keep in mind that Sony's next-gen libgcm api for the PS4 and Microsoft's dx11 variant api for the next Xbox will both be designed for those specific architectures in mind. The current generation of consoles are known to pull 2-3 times the draw call count of a PC with similar spec graphics chip - there's quite a high abstraction penalty on the PC versus the 'coding to the metal' possible with consoles apis.

Comparing hardware specs of a console to a PC counterpart only works on paper, but seldom applies to reality.

[DeadlyFire]

Well technically even so the developers haven't had much time since that announcement for PS4. So we could see something more at a later point. For them to say they haven't ruled it out might mean they are pretty close to it without optimizing much. By E3 they will confirm its number of frames they say. :)

[ExitToExisT]

You seriously think developers saw ps4 specifications at the announcement? They have the dev-kits with the announced hardware for more than a year.

[Chard]

edit - thought 60fps was already confirmed but apparently that was just speculation

[isarai]

Ah i thought the same, i thought it was said by an actual representative of DICE?

[Jek_Porkins]

Hmmmm, next gen Battlefield running at 60fps would be a must if I were going to buy it. I can already play a good looking Battlefield game at 30fps.

I was kind of worried about next gen, figured everything would be native 1080p and 60fps. Hopefully they get it up to snuff, action FPS games seem to do a blur effect when I play and it can give me a headache.

[Arcanine]

Just bCuz a game is on PC doesn't mean everything is solved

[FAT MAN GO BOOM]

Agree PC has some pitfalls of its own when it comes to gaming....

The One thing it does better than every one else is graphics... with that you trade a lot of other things off that consoles do better...

every platform has its pros and cons... it all comes down to gamer tastes... Not that one is better than the other.. just one is better for that gamer than the other...

[titansfan]

consoles turn to digital downloads why are they needed when most PCs can perform better graphics wise etc and there would be no used games anymore. so the whole idea of a console is pointless as well as you can have joypad capability on most games with the PC.

Easy choice for me.Might be because I'm an old fool but it has and will always be the PC for me.I can play games on my PC with amazing graphics but when I feel I need a break I can do somethings els like being on webprofile sending pics and messages to friends.I can scan and work on pictures and write letters that I store on my PC.Have had gameconsoles before . . even bought one of the first ATARI 2600 when that came out along with all the Playstation consoles which was played by my kids.So for me the choice is simple.PC all day,every day.

at 60, you have 60 frames a second, things should move smoothly. At 30, its 30 frames, giving things a little more jerkyness to them.

[FAT MAN GO BOOM]

60fps is over rated...

If a game is offered in 1080p @ 30fps it is better than a game with 720p @ 60fps...

I want this for the ps4 but I sure hope they offer 1080p...

I will be very disappointed if it is 720p

[JeffGUNZ]

I don't know man, I think with the tech they should be able to do 1080 @ 60FPS, if not, why are we calling this next gen? 60FPS is such more more smooth then 30FPS. I am not saying games with 30FPS are bad, it's just lacks the smoothness 60FPS delivers. I really think the 60FPS is what makes COD so addicting and fun. If BF4 has 60FPS, you'll see more people playing it.

[TitanUp]

im a pc guy but i wouldn't mind playing console exclusives at 1080p 30fps the sweet spot would be 60 but i don't really think thats going to happen. i know some people can't tell between 60fps and 30fps but i can and 60fps feels smoother. 30fps imo looks kinda jerky but i would still be ok with playing 1080p 30fps console games.1080p 30fps for all console games would be awesome and it would be better than the sub hd games we had last gen.

[JeffGUNZ]

With next gen. tech, there should really no be reason 60FPS shouldn't be the standard. If it isn't, then how is this really considered next gen?

[lovegames718]

Plz ppl you guys kill me. !080p 30 fps technically can be done with no problems on ps4. Kz is confirmed to be 1080p 30fps and thats a launch title.

[ATiElite]

Anyone and everyone who says 60fps is no big deal compared to 30fps your just lying to yourself.

60 fps is BUTTER SMOOTH gameplay.
1080p is higher fidelity and more detail than 720p

Many ps4/x720 games will be 1080p 30 or 60 fps but right now the Frostbite 3 is so jam packed with goodies that maybe the ps4/x720 can't handle it.

remember no serious GPU specs have been given so we don't fully know what's under the hood.

Sony holding back on the GPU specs was done for a reason

[Coach_McGuirk]

it won't be 60fps on consoles if it's rendered at actual 1080p