Thief PS4′s Low Framerate is Proof that 1080p isn’t Always the Answer

A lot of gamers are caught up in what has been dubbed 'Resolution-Gate'. The PS4 is a monster machine for $399, and the Xbox One is toast. Yadda yadda. But are gamers getting too caught up in numbers? After playing Thief I'd argue the answer is a resounding 'YES
Jonathan Leack - CraveOnline

[Neonridr]

I knew this would be an issue. Is 1080p better than 900p if it comes with a worse framerate?

"The PS4 version struggles needlessly to try to maintain a 30 frames per second presentation, regularly dipping into the 15-20 range during gameplay"

15-20? That's borderline unplayable.. for a next gen game

[MrSwankSinatra]

To be fair this game was hemmoraging money for years, that they probably just pushed it out without optimizing it. Because we can all tell that this game is not very demanding graphically.

[Neonridr]

Yep, but in the end, was it worth going for the extra visual fidelity. I mean PS4 fanboys were adding more fuel to the resolutiongate fire, and now it seems like they made the right choice for the Xbox One. Had they only used 900p on the PS4, then the framerate would have been like butter.

BF4 looked great on the PS4 at only 900p, as did Ryse on the XB1.

[PLASTICA-MAN]

Is this article looking for hits or what ? How come a console can't run a very aging old-gen engine with almost narrow corridors gamepplay covered in darkness and allost no details and 2 characters max at screen at solid framerates while it can run a better looking game from the same publisher with TressFX which kills most of high-end pcs with extra effects and physics at solid 50-60 FPS and and another better looking OPEN WORLD game at 60 FPS with dynamic weather and sky condition with more room to even get better if it is ubderpowered like the author tries to state. Even Ubisoft confirmed that Watch Dogs will run on both consoles at 30 FPS to maitain parity between both consoles and not because the PS4 can't do it which this author is implicitely trying to downplay the PS4 as if it has the same bottelnecks like the opposition thus making excuses to the other console for lacking the power to reach the expectations (as it did run the game at 60 FPS at a lower res -_-). Expect to see 1080p/60 FPS games on PS4 with UNREAL ENGINE 4 and then you can no longer complain about this problem in this game.

[Eonjay]

its not the resolution, its the inefficient code. And old engines.

[pyramidshead]

lol I knew truefan1 one would be on this like a fly to poop. Craves for any bad news for PS4.

edit: From scrolling down further it seems that this is another BF4 situation where the game runs ass on pretty much all platforms, last and current gen. Bad times for the Thief devs I guess :/

Get those patches in the works people :p

[VENOMACR1227]

I've been saying it for a while now, gameplay is more important than graphics. What's the point of a beautiful game if its unplayable or plays like crap? Yes, graphics are important and nice to look at but at the end of the day, the gameplay has to be smooth and tight or it's not going to be much fun.

[lsujester]

Oddly enough, for both versions the framerate usually dips on the cutscenes, which you'd think would run the best. And it has constant loading screens (I thought we were largely done with those?).

Just sounds like garbage optimization to me, or total lack thereof.

:EDIT: Just read a few more reviews saying BOTH versions dip framerates quite often. Definite garbage work from Eidos, and this article is now seems decidedly pro-X1.

[alexkoepp]

First evidence of a x1 multiplatform being the superior version, great news for x1 owners, and a very sad day for ps4 fanboys.

[Highlife]

@truefan
This doesn't change anything. Ps4 is the more powerful console. Every other game runs better on ps4. Everyone has come to the conclusion that ps4 is the stronger console. So how does a poor choice made by this dev change that. So go back to you bone and enjoy it.

Can you do me a favor? Stop commenting until you grow a brain.

[KingDadXVI]

Ah, so it is OK because it is a PS4 game? No time to optimize? Pure BS. Sony has placed all its bets as I have said on the 1080p train sacrificing in polygons, lighting, particle effects, frame rate, etc.

Sure it looks a tiny bit better in some cases if you freeze the frame and sit 2 feet from your HDTV. How many gamers do that? Wait a minute almost dropping to single digit frame rate is so close to freezing the frame that I guess 5.4 million gamers are potentially doing that right now.

Pixels are important but polygons, lighting, particle effects, frame rate come before pixel count. The sooner people realize this the sooner Sony will let the developers decide to make a playable game.

They should have made the game 900p and it would be fine. It would probably even have a slightly better frame rate than the Xbox One.

[GarrusVakarian]

Wth.....why has the headline not mentioned the other platforms bad performance? This game is a mess on all platforms, not just PS4.

And before people think im "making excuses" for the PS4, know this.....the PS4 has MANY games at 1080p and 30fps locked or ABOVE that look better than this game visually.....so how can anyone sit here and say this is a problem with the PS4? Read any review, this game is buggy, messy, rushed and just plain bad....

Killzone SF runs at locked 30fps 1080p (post patch gave the option for locked 30fps, otherwise it runs from 30-60fps), Tomb Raider runs at 1080p and 60fps (majority of the time), Lego Marvel, NFS Rivals, AC4, all run at 1080p locked 30fps....yet Thief can't hold 30fps at 1080p on PS4? That sound right to you?

Instead of just jumping on this news and saying "ZOMG PS4 OBVIOUSLY ISN'T AS POWERFUL AS YOU THOUGHT!"....actually look at the facts and see why people are "making excuses".

And to prove im not just sticking up the PS4 here....the X1 ALSO has many games that run and look better than Thief does...Tomb Raider, BF4, NFS Rivals, Lego Marvel, AC4 all run and look better than thief on X1....yet, again, thief has FPS dips too.....

This is clearly a development issue on all platforms (less so on PC because of superior hardware).

[Ashlen]

Well, according to IGN both games drop frame rate.

"If you’re a stickler for frame rate, the PC version is the only place you can play Thief at 60 frames per second, as BOTH the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions are limited to 30 and occasionally stutter below that - usually during cutscenes, oddly enough. (The Xbox One version is limited to 900p resolution)."

[JackVagina]

I'll wait for DF analysis, X1 version might be just as bad

[ABizzel1]

@Neoneridr

If it's true this game is running in single digits or in the teens, then this has nothing to do with resolution and everything to do with poor porting and optimization from the PC version.

Dropping resolution from 1080p -> 900p isn't going to move a game from the single digits and teens to a soild 30fps, even if it was dropped to 720p it would still have drops down to the low 20's.

It seems like they just took the PC code and dropped it on the consoles and called it a day, because budget was tight, and time was low. According to developers you can drop PC code directly on the PS4 / XBO and have framerates around 10 - 20 fps, after that it's all about optimizing to the hardware to get performance up.

Thief fits right into the framerates, which goes to show little optimization has been done. The XBO SDK's more resemble PC tools now, and so it makes sense that if the code was dropped to it, it would run a tad better.

Every other open world game runs better on both consoles than Thief is, and no Thief isn't "next-gen", because it's coming to PS360 as well. It's just a bad port, no matter how you try to spin it, and there's always a few of them early in every consoles lifecycle.

[KingDadXVI]

@MysticStrummer No, LOL at you. I did not say that the Xbox One did not drop the frame rate and neither did the above article. Apparently you did not read it so here I will take the pertinent section out for you.

"What makes this particularly controversial is the Xbox One version does a much better job of maintaining a steady framerate. I'd go as far as to say because of this, the Xbox One version is a lot better."

It does not say the Xbox One doesn't drop frames it say that it maintains its frame rate much better than the PS4.

Go ahead and play a game that plays like you are freezing frames. It will give you time to count the pixels.

"smh" You really should not slap your head so much as it is affecting your ability to read.

[DragonKnight]

This article is stupid.

A game like Thief doesn't need to be at anything higher than 30FPS. It doesn't require the response times and smoothness of a fast paced racer, fighting game, or shooter. It's a stealth based game meant to be played methodically.

1080p has nothing to do with that.

[SilentNegotiator]

I've seen several ps4 gameplay videos and never once had the framerate dropped anywhere near 15fps, let alone near single digits. I call BS until Digital Foundry gives it a look.

[scott182]

lol both versions dip, one dips in 1080p, one dips at lower res. Both should be optimized better, but the fact remains the PS4 version stands ahead again in one way or another.

Multiplats play better, look better, are in higher res and the ps4 has more powerful hardware... What is the debate over in here?

[DatNJDom81]

Here we go...... Specific media outlets and xbox fans grasping at straws. Go ahead and hold on to thief guys/gals. When the next batch of PS4 games come out and show what the system is capable of, the same people/media outlets running their mouth will have a nice cup of STFU.

Bad programming does not equal weak console. Hasn't anyone learned anything from last gen?

[QuickdrawMcgraw]

Look how happy the masses are here on N4Xbox..

[NewMonday]

For those interested about facts the developer said many months ago that he will not push for high frame rates, so let's call out those actually responsible

Anyway I'll just be getting this on my PC

[MysticStrummer]

Strange that other reviews either don't mention frame rate problems at all or say that both console versions have the same issue.

[Ju]

This can be answered in one word: UE3. Explains it all (see Blacklight Retribution).

[thehitman]

@ Neonridr you know that Ryse dips to 15-20 FPS at 900p too. So if you thought Ryse was good this shouldnt be an issue for you. With that said I am pretty sure this is not optimized so this wont be the regular. If KZ and BF4 can reach high resolutions at 60fps with really great textures/lighting/animations and everything going on then Thief a slower paced game shouldnt be having fps problems.

[Saigon]

@MysticStrummer

Why are you getting trolling for stating a fact.

This article is strictly FUD. The issue is on both the PS4 and XBO. Look around the internet at all of the posted reviews or go on metacritic.com and look at the bulk reviews there. They all say the consoles not one in particular have frame rate problems. It looks like PC won this round.

[fr0sty]

*Port of last gen Tomb Raider dips into the teens in framerate on XO*

Xbox Fanboys: "It's poor ESRAM optimization. That ESRAM sure is hard to code for! This developer said it presented a challenge! That means they'll unlock 90% more power over the next year!"

*Port of PC game has framerate dips on both systems, despite PS4 running at higher resolution*

Xbox Fanboys: "You can't claim bad optimization! See! Your cheaper, superior system is a little less superior than you thought! Bwahahahahahaha!"

[maniacmayhem]

Lots of damage control and lots of MS Too™ in this article.

This is exactly what happens when "certain" gamers argue or debate their focus only on framerate and resolutions and not actual gameplay or if the game is even fun.

Now some of the same posters who claim victory whenever their multiplatform game is 1080p/60fps are now in full PR, damage mode.

Did we not learn our lessons from BF4??

[redwin]

This resolutiongate thing is sickening. It's a distraction from the real conversation wich is games with smooth and immersive stories. I see Sony working with this title for a patch and fixing this thing but remember, they had to come out early with Thief because of TitanFall and Infamos . If Sony lowers the resolution to bring up the frame rate then so be it. I do hate when a game is not immersive because the res or frame rate. I hate to watch a movie when it has a high resolution and high frame rate and it make it look like a soup opera. But a high resolution with lower fps is a lot better in my opinion.

[Sleepless]

They wanted bloody 1080p….they got bloody 1080p. Enjoy it!

[Nine_Thousaaandd]

Yup...looks like dog poop too. I had high hopes for Thief...not gonna bother getting it on PC either. Slow paced game like Thief, and these graphics, both Xbox One and PS4 should have been 900p/60fps. And still doesn't change the fact that PS4 is more powerful.

Half ass job on all platforms...next gen and PC should never be treated like this. So fanboys stop crying and fighting, and wipe away the tears PS owners...the devs suck at this game. If Tomb Raider, which I think is more impressive graphically, can run @1080p/60fps, this sh*t storm of a game can run it @30fps no problem.

[maniacmayhem]

As I linked below, we have some of the same front page warriors in full retraction and damage control.

Funny how they are trying to throw this game under the rug or pass off blame when not too long ago:

http://n4g.com/news/1443973...

The focus on this site is way off the marker and then we get discussions like these that are unnecessary.

It should have never been about framreate or resolutions to begin with it should have been about how good or fun is this game.

[scott182]

^
nah, I think it is ok to have good resolution and good fps, it adds to a game, and the ps4 is more than capable of that as we have seen from many other multiplats and it's hardware advantage. This article is a SonyToo damage control article.

You also realize Ryse dips to the same FPS and it is only 900p? Is it still enjoyable to play? Should they have made it 720p?

[tommygunzII]

I like how everyone is like "it's all about the games, not how good they look".
PlayStation has ALWAYS had the games, now we have the power. We didn't choose PS4 because of the power, we chose it for the games. It just happens to be the most powerful.

[Boody-Bandit]

Thief has an overall rating in the 60's. It looks mediocre and has performance issues on all formats.

There are already much better looking and higher rated games running in 1080p and 60fps on the PS4. Are some going to pretend this isn't just an exception and not the norm?

Thief is running on a tired old engine. It's not the fault of the PS4 that this game has serious design flaws. Blame the developer and not the hardware because we ALL know the PS4 has the hardware capable to run much better looking games than thief running @ 1080p and stable frame rates.

[morganfell]

Look at this:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum...

There is a reason the guy that wrote this article was banned at Gaf. You've been busted craveonline.com

The worst part were the tweets he made. One of the worst cases of bias I have ever seen. he has since deleted the tweets but it is too late. He has been exposed.

[TheGreatAndPowerful]

@morganfell

Busted! lol

[Kryptix]

Update: "...Yes, the framerate on both versions drops below 30. However, everything I experienced showed that the Xbox One version was more consistent, although not by a significant margin. I found the framerate on both next-gen console versions to be unbearable at times, and that was projected in my review."

Both versions run like shit, not sure why the Xbox fanboys are celebrating over nothing. lmao

And the logic is flawed, as Battlefield 4 on the Xbox One was at 720p resolution and dropped at lower frame rates than the PS4 version running at 900p. This is most likely unoptimized code since Thief isn't as graphically and CPU intensive as BF4 is. We'll know in future patches if this is something fixable for *both* consoles.

And we have seen with other games that the PS4 is capable to run at higher resolutions than the Xbox One and keep a steady fps. It's funny, there's too much proof it's unoptimized code.

[starchild]

I saw the suttering in videos and I mentioned it in comments but nobody wanted to hear it.

I've said it time and time again that 1080p and 60fps together on graphically demanding games on consoles this generation is a pipe dream. There currently isn't even one graphically demanding game on the PS4 or Xb1 that is both 1080p and 60fps. As we can see even 1080p and a solid 30fps isn't assured.

Most games this generation will be 30fps on consoles. Developers shouldn't feel pressured to meet any certain resolution demands. They should do what is best for their game. Sometimes rendering at a slightly lower resolution but with better graphics in other areas is the better trade-off.

@ Lukas_Japanicus

You're talking nonsense again, as always.

This game is not a mess on the PC. It runs extremely well on the PC and it looks fantastic.

Well-known youtuber TotalBiscuit has a video playing the PC version and here are some of the comments he made:

"can I note, by the way, how damn beautiful the lighting effects are in this game...the shadows and lighting in this game, along with the mist and fog and particle effects are absolutely phenomenal...REALLY good.

And what surprises me about the whole thing is, cranked up to max this game runs buttery smooth...really, really well...shockingly enough...I'm ridiculously surprised that it does. If you are throwing in things like...just..kind of new effects in general...especially with DirectX11...it's not really expected that a game is going to run as well as this one does."

This comment starts at 29:41 in the following video. You can also see how good the game looks and how well it runs on PC.
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

So please quit trying to drag down the PC version just to make excuses for the PS4 version and make it seem like all versions are that bad.

[jackanderson1985]

surely the more damning line is that it edges towards single digits... mid teens i can get over but single digits is completely unacceptable

[Tempest317]

I honestly think thats an over exaggeration of the problem...20 hours in so far, near the end of chapter 5 and ive done quite most the avaiable side missions...the game I would say maintains low-mid 20s, more annoying is the fact that early on it had a tendency to micro stutter, but after the first few levels that hasnt happened much. At the point I am in the game, its never gotten close to single digits. Definitely not running a consistent framerate, but it plays well enough, being that its a stealth game, it doesnt rely on a lot of high speed action, so it can get away with a lpwer fps. NOT saying it shouldnt be better, im just saying these reports of single digit framerates and such are grossly over exaggerated.

[Thantalas]

Many great looking multiplatform games on PS4 have 1080p and 30fps plus frame rate, including Assassin's Creed IV, Tomb Raider and Call of Duty.

If Thief has a frame rate in the single digits (I haven't played it yet for myself) then it is a indictment of the quality of the programming job that has been done. As other released games clearly demonstrate you can have 1080p with 30fps.

[andibandit]

So if someone made Pong in 1080 running 120 fps, all games should be able to?

[mcarsehat]

they are games that were ported from old gen consoles. this is a current gen game.

[ramiuk1]

xactly,the game isnt even great looking,when u compare it to others things that are 1080p,look twice as good.

if devs worked harder i would expect more from xbone too,a few games now been half done when it comes to coding.
i would defo put this down to devs and not console for the issue

[Neonridr]

I never thought I would see the day when someone was using CoD in an excuse of something looking good.

[Volkama]

The point isn't "the PS4 can't do it!".

The point is "the game is worse off for trying to do it".

[Mr Pumblechook]

@mcarsehat. "[Thief] is a current gen game." Actually your mistaken in thinking Thief is a next-gen only game. AC IV, Tomb Raider and Thief are ALL cross-gen games.

As for next-gen only games Killzone: Shadow Fall is 1080p 30fps in single player. Ignoring gameplay discussion the graphics are fantastic. This is a next-gen game that runs fine with a ton of graphical effects.

[Debaitable]

If you want 1080p gaming with consistent frame rates get a pc. As powerful as the ps4 is compared to the Xbox one, it still has its limitations. People need to accept that.

[Smootherkuzz]

Same can said about the X1.

[Volkama]

No not really Smootherkuzz. The article is saying that the game would be better to play if the devs did not target 1080p. The One version is not 1080p, so you can't really say the same thing about it.

This isn't "PS4 vs One", this is "1080p wasn't a good decision for Thief".

It poses a more general question, is "resolution gate" and the current trend for demanding 1080p actually detrimental?

It's hard to give an answer really as we can only ever speculate on what any game might look like in a parallel universe where different decisions were made.

Of course as with any interesting topic here, this quickly became a fanboy bickerfest.

[Ju]

This game has nothing "next gen" going on. It is simply the failure of the ancient UE3 engine which simply doesn't scale well on multi cores and does not support GPGPU at all. Eidos went UE3 because there whole production pipeline (tools) is/was built around that engine. Unfortunately it shows. Not just in framerate but in the color palette and lack of dynamic (HDR) lighting. It's a shame really. And no, TR beats this engine by a country mile. TressFx alone is something which - currently - no other engine offers. Last gen game, lol. Quite the opposite. TR was made for last gen with next gen in mind. Thief is a game on next gen build on last gen tech.

[starchild]

My Steam copy unlocked an hour or so ago and I have been playing it since then. I have to say that most of you are dead wrong. This game looks AMAZING. The lighting and shadows are among the best I have ever seen in a game. The shaders, particles and other effects are also all top notch. The parallax occlusion on most of the textures also looks fantastic.

What blows me away even more is how extremely well it runs. I have it absolutely maxed out--tessellation, screen space reflections, contact hardening shadows, everything--and I am getting a solid 60fps.

This game offers the best visuals relative to performance that I have ever seen, period. It looks as good as Assassin's Creed 4 on the PC, yet it runs WAY better.

I understand why the Sony fans are attacking this game and trying to minimize it, but be fair. It sucks that it doesn't run well on the consoles, but you don't need to make up nonsense about the game just because of that.

[MrSwankSinatra]

Yeah but do you know whether the xbox one version maintains a steady frame rate, we have yet to get that info. Don't jump the gun on the whole resolutiongate thing just yet.

[ABizzel1]

@MrSwankSinatra

Both versions have frame dips according to pretty much every review.

Although it would have been nice to actually see the benchmarks, and not just what the writer think is occurring.

This is just another case of poor optimization, because if you go back to the what developers were saying, you can take the PC code of a game and drop it on the PS4 and XBO, and for the most part the game will run around 10 - 20 fps.

[Muerte2494]

@Neonridr...

Killzone ShadowFall say hi.....Rock solid 30fps @ 1080p

Tomb Raider 1080p/60fps

Infamous Second Son 1080p/30fps

With so many other games performing solid on the platform, are you seriously trying to play this card?
Looks like an xbox fan not looking before he leaps.

[Neonridr]

I own a PS4, gamertag is my name. I don't own an Xbox One. I am only saying this because my only option is to either get the PS4 or PC version. But why can I get a nice fluid experience (at a slightly lower resolution) on the Xbox One but have to suffer through framedips just so I can have 1080p? BF4 was only 900p and looked fantastic, so why is there such an obsession with 1080p?

I own KZ and Tomb Raider, so I am aware of what they can do.

[Visiblemarc]

Um yeah, I agree, that is ridiculous. Yet..this article is insane.

Yeah it's 1080p's fault, that's it! It's not a poorly optimized, badly made game...no. Like what is going on here?

Every other instance where ps4 runs 1080p it's because the machine/code can handle it. To use this rushed, 3rd party game as reason why resolution-gate is overblown, is actually literally pathetic.

1080p *is* preferable. Hands down. If you can hit it at smooth framerates, that should be the goal. So far that is happening on PS4. This article's tone implies that all along devs have been dishing out 1080p on PS4 @ 15fps meanwhile scaling back to 900p and smooth playability on Xb1...that isn't the case.

I despise how "journalism" now consists of taking one isolated example and through false premises, extrapolating grand, absurd conclusions to support their pre-existing biases.

I still don't care about fanboy wars and all that crap, but *stop* trying to trick idiots into undervaluing full HD/native resolutions! I can't stand it on principle.

[AnthonyJrWTF]

How come when a game is "poorly optimized" on the Xbox One, everyone claims the console is a heap of trash... but when a game is "poorly optimized" on the Playstation 4 - the game is a heap of trash?

[CernaML]

^What game is poorly optimized on the X1 exactly?

[medman]

This article makes absolutely no sense since there are many games, most in fact, running 1080p with stable framerates up to 60fps already on ps4. That list includes Cod Ghosts, Diablo III, Dying Light, Fifa, Flower, Resogun, Tomb Raider, Outlast, etc. etc. etc. So that would seem to point to the fact this isn't an issue with the system, but rather an issue with this particular developer. Kojima stated The Phantom Pain runs 1080p 60fps on ps4 with "room to spare". And that's a huge open world game. This author also seems to conveniently forget that Ryse, the game people point to for xbone graphical fidelity, was running 900p and had framerate dips into the teens as well. Case opened, case closed.

[aquamala]

PC version it is then

[aquamala]

Doesn't seem like a demanding game on the PC side,

http://www.pcgameshardware....

[SteamPowered]

PC version everytime. Its like the movie vs the book. You already know which one is the better version...

[Salooh]

You think ps4 can't handle 1080p and 60fp on this game ?. It's the developers who didn't optimise it. This is a last gen port.

Ps4 will always be better in multiplatform until they find a solution for X1 and if that happen developers will get used to the ps4 too so it's still gonna get better multiplatform. That's a fact..

But i for one never cared about this stuff so whatever.

[brich233]

There is games on Xbox One at 1080p @ 60fps. But the other games no at 1080p is because the developers arent optimizing them too 1080p though so they went with 720p or 900p. So the Solution for the X1 is Optimization.

[frelyler]

This article fails to mention the XBOX One also has frame rate issues for thief,which is mentioned in a lot of the reviews I read. So at 900p the game still has trouble with frame rate, sounds like a coding problem to me.

[gazgriff2k12]

a steady framerate should be and usually is the priority when making games i smell a rushed product and bad optimizing

[Lior]

I only got my ps4 for sports games really, I had battlefield 4 for pc and played it maxed out, i decided to get it on ps4 as well and was very dissapointed, the amount of motion blur is off the scale and you cant turn it off, theres a lot of pixelation as well due to the resolution and low anti aliasing

[avengers1978]

I have not seen any actual proof that the XB1 version runs any better at a lower resolution, than the PS4 version, other than this article insinuating it, but not actually showing it.
Where's a side by side comparison.

[frostypants]

Framerate, resolution, and effects are a balance. Always has been, always will be. Focus too much on one and the other two suffer.

That said this engine is older than dirt.

[3-4-5]

Art Style > Realistic graphics

Smooth Framerate > 1080p

[Evilsnuggle]

There is a reason this article is a labeled RUMOR This post is from kotaku review of thief
It a little sad how desperate the xbonefanyboys have become

Both next-gen console versions run at around 30fps, though both feel a touch inconsistent. The PS4 version runs at a slightly higher resolution than the Xbox One version—1080p to the Xbox One's 900p—but neither looks or runs as well as the PC version. While I could spot the resolution difference when comparing the two next-gen versions, both are a bit crusty and don't feel like they show off the full potential of their respective consoles

http://kotaku.com/thief-the...

Version Check: Thief is coming out on five platforms: The PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360. I played the game all the way through on PC and also tested the PS4 and Xbox One versions. The PC version is easily the superior option; it looks quite nice, and I was able to run at very high settings at 1080p and maintain a mostly solid 60fps frame rate. Both next-gen console versions run at around 30fps, though both feel a touch inconsistent. The PS4 version runs at a slightly higher resolution than the Xbox One version—1080p to the Xbox One's 900p—but neither looks or runs as well as the PC version. While I could spot the resolution difference when comparing the two next-gen versions, both are a bit crusty and don't feel like they show off the full potential of their respective consoles. As for unique console features, the PS4 version needlessly ties the inventory to the DualShock 4's touchpad, which is less intuitive than the radial menu in the other versions. The Xbox One has some typically useless voice functionality and uses trigger-rumble while lockpicking in a nifty way. I was unable to get either a PS3 or Xbox 360 version of the game to review before release, so I can't yet speak to their quality.

Xbonefanyboys will continue to dream that xbone low resolution as asset not a liability

[miyamoto]

Thief PS4′s Low Framerate is Proof that @ 1080p the Coders Did a Half Ass Job with Game

its the developer's fault not the hardware. troll better next time

what's worse is, that the xbone version at 900p dips to 15 - 20 fps

[Edsword]

It's not an issue so far with any game but this one. The game is not coded efficiently for either console. Please do not imagine this somehow means that games cannot run at 1080p on PS4. KZSF looks tons better than this and runs over 30 fps in SP. There are tons of games on PS3 and Xbox 360 that have similar problems, but are less technically impressive that UC and Gears games. What we do as consumers to prevent this is, not buy the game.

[DragonPs4]

X1 also has frame issues with this game.

[MehmetAlperTR]

It's not PS4's fault. It's fault of the developers. Look at other games which is 60FPS at 1080P. They couldnt do it well.

[reaperofsouls]

both ps4 and xb1 are having the occasional frame rate stutter and probably be resolved with software updates in the future

[TalonJH]

Where is he getting that the PS4 version has a lower Framerate than the XB1. Every review that I've read says they both have framerate problems.

[MikeGdaGod]

seems to me that ALL versions have frame-rate issues….ps4 just has frame-rate issues at 1080p

[geddesmond]

I'll wait for digital foundry results before I believe one guy on the internet. Facts vs one persons experience = reserved. Why is thief the only game out of a dozen so far to so call under perform. It's either an article fishing for hits or the developers didn't put enough time into the game.

I'll put it like this. If Kojima can get an amazing looking game like MGS 5 running at 1080p and 60fps with room to spare which are his words then this article is BS or the developers didn't do their job properly.

[Saithraphim]

All in all its the Dev's fault. If there engine could not be optimized to run properly on the PS4 @1080p then they should have lowered the resolution to 900. its as simple as that. Its just carelessness because every game shop run tests on the frame rates, how could anyone see 15-20 and think its acceptable

[rafaman]

And so PlayStation 4 begins to fall

[BallsEye]

I rather take 900p with great AA. Ryse looks mindblowing in 900p and AA, you won't spot a jaggie. I hope sony didn't force 1080p on devs because if they didn't it's a bad design choice. 30 FPS for SP adventure games is fine if it doesn't struggle to keep it up. 60 fps for shooters is a must.

[DragonPs4]

Thief outputs at a native 1080p resolution on PlayStation 4 and a native 900p resolution on Xbox One, Square Enix has confirmed to Eurogamer.

[BoriboyShoGUN]

damn i was actually considering buying this game. Now all this news about how it runs like crap. I'll just wait until it hits the bargain bin.

[IRNMUNKEY]

Digital Foundry face-off will be interesting.

[IRNMUNKEY]

Digital Foundry faceoff will be interesting.

Sorry double post bloody touchpad

[MysticStrummer]

"bloody touchpad"

Maybe if you cleaned it…

; )

[knifefight]

First thing I thought of as well.
"Why so much blood?" XD

Stop killing people and posting at the same time!

[TheOmniGamer]

Wow... How can the PS4 not run this at a steady frame rate? Oh well, wasn't planning on buying this game anyway, getting dat Cranky Kong instead.

[curtis92]

Has to do with the engine optimization than the hardware. Look at KZ running at 45fps at 1080p and compare it with this game...

[TheOmniGamer]

Clearly that's the issue, but still, disappointing that games are being shipped like this, 15 - 20 FPS is virtually unplayable.

[LKHGFDSA]

it only dips to 15-20, it's average 30 fps.
the article didn't even say how the X1 performs, they just said it's "better", implying it also has framerate drops just less oftern.

[MrSwankSinatra]

Me neither, I'm getting Castlevania los2 instead

[DryBoneKoopa85]

@TheOmnigamer: Donkey Kong TF is an AMAZING game! You will not regret it.

I'm picking up Thief tomorrow. I pretty much NEED this game to justify spending the $430. So at this point I will take what I can get.

[DragonPs4]

Thief outputs at a native 1080p resolution on PlayStation 4 and a native 900p resolution on Xbox One, Square Enix has confirmed to Eurogamer.

X1 also has Frame issues.

[AnteCash]

Considering what scores the game is getting, choppy framerate is expected, guess they didnt do anything right reading from the reviews

[Detoxx]

I'd choose 900P and 60/solid 30FPS over 1080P with frames dropping under the 30.

Edit: Judging from my 3 disagrees. I guess people enjoy 20FPS with 1080P

[DanielGearSolid]

This is one game, lets not act like its the norm now

[lesrima88]

and i'd choose 2160p and 60+fps on the pc ;D

[Detoxx]

But you also choose to spend €1000 then :D

[razrye]

Then don't mention it on this article.

[lesrima88]

you get what you pay for :D

[csreynolds]

I'm with @MrSwankSinatra. The chances are it wasn't optimised properly before launch.

EDIT: just been reading reviews across all formats (past and current gen). Recurring point is it falls apart from a technical and game-design standpoint. One XB1 site slams it for bad performance, so this isn't a console/resolution problem. This is Square Enix's problem.

[MasterCornholio]

"One XB1 site slams it for bad performance, so this isn't a console/resolution problem."

Yep if its running badly on the PS4 then its running badly on the XB1 as well. We all know the PS4 is more powerful but its up to developers to achieve a smooth experience on both systems.

[pyramidshead]

I guess that solves it but you know full well when people are desperate for bad news of a competing platform they will explode this sort of news.

Expecting some patches for this Thief game to be released pronto if it's suffering on all ports.
Almost like Battlefield 4 all over again.

[skoorydook]

IGN commented on the frame rate saying that both X1 and PS4 stuttered a little below 30fps mainly in cutscenes but this guy claims it dips into almost single digit fps in game play.

Both can't be correct

http://uk.ign.com/articles/...

[curtis92]

So this article title implies Xb1 runs faster at 900p... is that true?

[JonnyBigBoss]

The Xbox One version maintains its FPS better.

Source: I've played both versions.

[Qwagy UK]

It's a really poor game, who cares? no one!

[LordMaim]

I care. I was hoping that the game would be better.

[infectedaztec]

The reaction was kick xbox while its down when 900p was announced.....Now it must be poor coders.

This is N4G afterall

[csreynolds]

Review of the Xbox One version, slamming the game for technical performance and frame rate issues:

http://www.egmnow.com/artic...

Don't pretend N4G is protecting Sony here. The game is clearly poor.

[MasterCornholio]

"Of course, anything this clunky and half-finished wouldn’t be complete without bugs, and Thief offered me plenty. Civilians cheered about the death of a major character before it actually happened. On several occasions, Garrett decided to stop lockpicking and instead shot away from the door for no apparent reason. Once, a guard loaded into the game with no functioning AI whatsoever. He just stood there in the default animation pose, arms outstretched at his sides, looking like he was about to be raptured up to NPC Heaven. To finish off the show, the game crashed out and permanently corrupted my save file after I’d put in 15 hours, forcing me to start over again from the beginning."

This games a mess.

:I

P.S Both versions of this game have issues. BF4 all over again.

[hankmoody]

If this is indicative of things to come, the most vocal of the 1080p/60fps zealots can only blame themselves. Basically, be careful what you ask for. You just might get it.

[No_Limit]

"Basically, be careful what you ask for. You just might get it."

You said have said, "You just might NOT get 1080p/60FPS,"

Other than some smaller arcade titles and Forza 5, are there ant titles on any of the 2 new systems that run at 1080/60?

[hankmoody]

I don't really care either way. Not really taking stock in what game is outputting at whatever resolution. Gameplay will always > graphics/resolution to me. Only reason I even bothered posting that previous comment was because of the "importance" that so many on here have on games being 1080p/60fps. If I was clueless and chose to listen to these people, then I probably would have missed out on Titanfall.

[Paulie_gualtieri]

MLB the show
Warframe
FFXIV (Beta)
Killzone MP
Outlast
Blacklight Retribution
COD Ghosts (60 fps i think right?)
Injustice Gods among us

There's tons of 1080p/60fps on PS4 at least.One poorly coded game doesn't set some new standard.

[DragonPs4]

Thief outputs at a native 1080p resolution on PlayStation 4 and a native 900p resolution on Xbox One, Square Enix has confirmed to Eurogamer.

X1 also has frame issues.

http://www.ign.com/wikis/xb...

[Hicken]

I don't think anybody was asking for games to be poorly optimized, just for the sake of 1080p, 60fps, or both. But that's what we're getting with this game.

Funny how many Xbox faithful are crowing over this, oblivious to the fact that the same damn thing is happening on XB1.

[hankmoody]

The double standard over resolution/performance on here is ridiculous. Personally, I don't care about any of this stuff but it's interesting to see the reactions over this, mainly from the Sony side. Hopefully this will show people that it's not the numbers you should be looking at but how much fun and general entertainment and replay value you're getting.

[Hicken]

There has yet to be a double standard.

There's been lots of Xbox fans trying to twist what PS fans have said INTO hypocrisy, but so far it hasn't worked. That's honestly all there is to it. Xbox people trying to make it sound like PS people have said and meant things they didn't say or mean.

Edit: And even then, that'd be irrelevant in this case, because this game is sucking it up across all platforms.

[maniacmayhem]

http://n4g.com/news/1443973...

This is just one article I found quickly and as you can read there are some of the same front page warriors claiming the PS4 vastly superior to the X1 when this game was "rumored" to be 1080p for PS4 and not X1.

Now we can see quite a few of the same people in full damage control as they pass off the blame to everything else including the old excuse of "lazy devs".

I agree with Hank and have said before that there needs to be more of a focus on actual gameplay and design from gamers on this site because now we are getting nothing but excuses as to why the PS4 version is not performing as well.

And it's now kind of hard to argue which version of the game to get when both versions play like crap.

[Psychotica]

I watched people play it on Twitch.tv for the past week and it looked fine on the PS4 to me.

[AceBlazer13]

Thief > Every other game so far apparently.

When every other game handles it and you have 1 odd apple, common sense would tell you which to judge.

[AnteCash]

From ign

And I hate the way The City’s map is broken up with frequent loading screens, which can last upwards of 20 seconds on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It makes Thief feel like an old game.

LOL read this intro

A lot of gamers are caught up in what has been dubbed 'Resolution-Gate'. The PS4 is a monster machine for $399, and the Xbox One is toast. Yadda yadda. But are gamers getting too caught up in numbers? After playing Thief I'd argue the answer is a resounding YES

[MasterCornholio]

If the PS4 version runs this badly just imagine the XB1 version?

Developers did a poor job with this game since a game with this level of visuals should run at a solid 30 on both systems.

[sgtGanGreen]

This game is going to suck anyway 720p 900p or 1080p

[SixtyNine]

There we go. Why do I have feeling that devs will use the gamers/fanboys obsession with "full HD"(1080P) as a marketing tool? If Thief were running at 720P the framerates would definitely improve. That's a trade-off that actually makes sense. PC gamers will run this game with ease. "full HD" and at stable framerates too.

[InTheLab]

So Thief is the new standard of quality that all other games will be judged by.

And the author says Ryse is the best looking game on consoles....so there's your reason this bit of waste exists. Wtf does Ryse have to do with anything?

[mcarsehat]

900p on purpose to give it a cinematic look with a solid 30fps?

[InTheLab]

The author should have said that but the comparison of Thief at 900p and steady fps does not hold as Ryse does not have a steady framerate.

Or he could have simply said that if a dev isn't comfortable with launching a game in full HD they should never compromise something that directly affects gameplay in favor of visuals.

Instead, dude says "see...see...PS4 can't do 1080p either".

[XabiDaChosenOne]

The frame rate in Ruse is anything but stable.

[windblowsagain]

Sorry guys.

Never heard of the site and the author is arguing in the comment section. Sounds like bull to me.

Not that i'm buying the game. But i'd wait on a few more reviews,examples before judging.

Per pixel. PS4 is more or less twice as powerful. FACT.

So if they do have a problem with UE3, then it's either UE3 on nextgen hardware, or the programming is poor.

UE3 was never good from 2cores to 4cores. Let alone more.

edit.

The game is getting slated.lol.

I wouldn't worry too much and that's the PC version.

Has massive technical issues on PC, so i'm not surprised if it runs like a$$.

[imt558]

Who is that author of the article anyway?

PS4 and Xbone version of the game has framedrops.

[linkenski]

GTA IV. One of my most beloved PS3 games ran in 640p at occasionally veeery choppy framerates. It speaks volumes of how little I should care about resolutionsgate on PS4 or 30fps or 60fps. Why do so many have the misconception that this generation would be any different than the previous?

[windblowsagain]

Well most of us are not like that.

I was never and will never be into GTA games.

That said the only open world game I've ever enjoyed was Infamous.

I did try out GTA4 on PS3/360 and it was not too bad graphically in some area's. But the framerate was a sluggish mess. I even tried online and that was worse. It did not deserve the scores it received imo.

When you review a game, it has to be the whole package. For me GTA is 5/10.

Framerate does matter. It needs to be 30fps or 60fps. the odd drop isn't too bad. But lots of them spoils the game.

[linkenski]

It's not like it's meaningless either, but we're making it out as if a next-gen game that isn't 1080p 60fps is completely bonkers. Generally when I think of PS3 games, framerates were rarely stable, but I still enjoyed the heck out of such games.

[Lboogieskells]

Or it could be the lack of optimization or bad coding.

[mochachino]

Really they should just give gamers the option of resolution/framerate.

[XiSasukeUchiha]

@Above
Best Idea ever for gamers who care about this on console

So Thumbs up to You

[Jodicus6645]

You do realize that X1 version at the 900p resolution vs PS4 1080p suffers the same framerate issues correct?

[Saleem101]

Wtf I call bs on this article lol Xbox fanboys at it again no surprise at all...

[Mr_Luke]

So the ps4 version is 1080p with 30 (and lower) fps, while the Xbone version is 900p with 30 (and lower) fps. This game is made by a monkey with slippery hands?
I see it's being smashed in about every site. I've read the IGN review too and... good, they're not gonna get my money.

[jhoward585]

Thief is boring anyways, who cares. all you do is run around and take stuff.

The whole idea behind Thief is lazy, not much thought was put in to its storyline,play mechanic, AI, etc. In Other words, this game SUCKS!

I can clearly see why this game isn't maintaining locked 30fps/1080p on the ps4. The coder was lazy.

[LKHGFDSA]

Yeah maybe it was made with the other consoles in mind and they simply did a half assed job at porting it.
(I agree with the game being boring btw. would not recommend.)

[worldwidegaming]

Just hit 720p/60fps and call it a day!
Stupid no matter how you spin it! They should just give gamers resolution options!
No idea why they do not. We can decide how we want to game..higher Rez or better frame rate..

[shotime97]

it's nice to hear something good coming out of the Microsoft camp for a change

[D3athc3ll]

I WONT EVEN GET THIS GAME IF IT WAS FREE ON PS PLUS!!

FAIL DEVELOPERS!

[YoungPlex]

Yea, I'll wait for digitalfoundry to do their usual head to head that is informative rather than some clown starting a flame bait article with zero proof other than him saying that he's played both!

[cyclindk]

With so many examples to the contrary, I think it's safe to chalk this one up to developer issues, not hardware...

It is evident simply due to the fact they seemingly don't have the presence of mind to adjust the resolution in order to meet the frame rate "requirements."

[LKHGFDSA]

I sincerely doubt the framerate is due to the resolution.
Either way it's a bad framerate and I expect it to be fixed with a patch.
It's too early to call this a justifiable reason for games being made in low resolutions.

[kingPoS]

Hmmm this is interesting. What could be the reason... an underpowered feeble next gen console or an overworked staff on it's last line.

Whatevers!

Gateway MT6706 2008

[Gamer666]

I will take frame rate over resolution every time...

A smooth running 720p (In Thief's case 900p) at a solid 30 fps will kick the ass of gameplay on a 1080p game dropping to 15-20 fps every time.

There is nothing I hate more than stuttering frame rate in a game.

I don't care what the name of the console is. I have said this before... 720p is the minimal resolution and 30 fps is the minimal frame rate. Every thing else is gravy.

[GW212]

I totally disagree with your last statement. These are next-gen consoles. 720p and 30fps is completely unacceptable. 900p/60fps is minimal for me. Everything on top of that is gravy. Anything less and I just don't want it.

Don't give me the "gameplay is the most important thing" crap. If that's the case, why did I just spend money on a next-gen console?

[Gamer666]

I won't say gameplay is the most important thing. Gameplay, graphics, sound, and story all make a great game.

But, there will be times going forward where good and great games will be something like 720p and 30fps.

Minecraft is always the game that comes to mind for me. Block graphics that look like crap but addictive as hell. They could put it at 480p and you would not notice a graphical difference. Yet 10's of millions of people play Minecraft constantly.

[edqe]

1920x1200@60 on my PC. Unfortunately the game looks typical modern game - simplified "press 'Y' to make a trick".

[MAULxx]

I blame the developer. There's no reason the PS4 should have trouble with the frame rate even at 1080p. The game doesn't look that impressive. Killzone Shadowfall and AC4 had no problem with 1080p at 30 FPS.
This is no reason to start lowering resolutions on PS4 no matter what this article says.

[jspillen]

I would have said this game looks like a turd. So it probably plays like a turd. I certainly would not have used un-optimized garbage like this to try and further my belief that the Xbone is similarly powerful to the PS4.

Lastly, please do not let developers off the hook here just because that's the easy route out for the Xbone. This is the next gen and so last gen resolutions and frame rates should be frowned upon.

[Saleem101]

I wouldn't trust this website its obvious he is looking for hits...

[jspillen]

Almost every game has run at a higher resolution and at the same or better frame rate on the PS4.

Personally, I this it's B.S. that the PS4 and Sony think they have the right to have built a machine that is noticeably more powerful right out of the gate.

How dare they? I think Sony should have to dummy down it's games to keep up with Microsoft's 'half last gen - half next gen' machine. Can't we just lower our next gen expectations to match up with Microsofts vision instead of what our TV's, PC's, and portable phones dictate?

Can't we just go back to last gen?

[S2Killinit]

I don't get this article, isn't the xbone the same frame rate with even lower lower resolution? how does this reflect badly on PS4? or positively on xbone exactly?

[jimbobbeers]

Nope, better/steady framerate, where as PS4 dips into single digits.

[S2Killinit]

i see. but still, it seems more like a miss calculation on the part of the developer in regard to their own ability than the consoles incapacity to produce 1080P with good frame rates.

[kingdom18]

Damnit, what idiot would gimp a game for a higher resolution? I really wanted to get this day one. I guess I'll have to wait and see. Is it running any better on last gen systems?

[RVanner_]

Next Gen should have meant 1080p at a steady 30fps not a problem, even 60fps for a lot of titles. Especially given all the hype of how powerful these machines are. I know it is early days but still.

but I agree that 1080 to 900 is minimal and the frame rate and graphical effects, level of detail and how a game plays are far far more important. I would opt for the one which plays better, in this case XB1. Still getting a PS4 at this point though

[Neonridr]

I do find it a little ironic that when the Wii U was getting ports from other systems and the game ran poorly it was down to the Wii U having bad hardware and it sucks. But now when the PS4 has trouble with a game, it's bad optimization or poor coding. EXACTLY the same reasons the Wii U fans were giving and were laughed at as a result.

Interesting how the double standards take into effect here at N4G..

[mii-gamer]

I know right.

[jimbobbeers]

Ouch, guess 1080p doesn't always work out the best.

Amusing because the game is getting average reviews "it doesn't matter". Oh you Sony chaps are hilarious.

[TheTrooper]

Eh, I'll believe it when I play the game myself.

[arugula]

And thats exactly why I'll be sticking with my PC this generation. No need to play a game that wont run smoothly and just proof that these consoles were both rushed.

I can play any game at 1080 with sustained 60 FPS on at least high to ultra settings all day on any game with my PC. Steam is just so convienent.

[MoveTheGlow]

Seriously, who uses this bugged-out game as a benchmark for any theoretical decision? "After playing Thief, I -" No. Stop. This game is hardly finished. I'd hardly blame the resolution as opposed to a lack of proper optimization for the hardware in this case - if they can't fix the myriad bugs, I'm sure that was lost in the mix.

It's like if I said "I wasn't sure if prioritizing 3D graphics was a good idea or not, but after playing Bubsy 3D, I can firmly say 'no.'"

[SonyROXitoohya]

Lol at ps4 fanboys blaming the coders for ps4s poor frame rate and yet xbox one supposedly has much harder to use code and still they made it run better on xbox one. It's funny watching fanboys rage because the ps4 has a multi platform game that's worse than xbox ones, insecure as always. Just play games on ps4 like me if u own one or play games on xbox one if u own one, all the insecurity shows how worried and threatened you are by xbox one no matter how much u deny it.

Me, I'll just play my ps4 and laugh at the insecure teens bursting with angst.

[GW212]

We all know you don't have a PS4. Just stop.

[Npugz7]

I call bullshit! Everyone I talked to that played it says it's buttery smooth on the PS4!

[OldDude]

Framerate Awaits!

[Bonkerz]

The contradiction in this article from PS4 guys is out of control.

[MuhammadJA]

They can always patch it to 900p or 720p. It's just a text document with a true/false value.

[GW212]

Sorry but, as long as it's 900p or above, hitting 60fps is crucial to me. I am disappointed that more games on the PS4 aren't hitting 60fps. I don't want to hear that "for XYZ game, 30fps is fine."

No it isn't. It's frankly unacceptable. I don't care if it's not a fast-twitch or whatever, these games should be hitting 60fps regardless of genre. If 30fps was "fine," I wouldn't have bought a PS4. If they need to decrease resolution to 900p to get there, do it. BF4 looked amazing in 900p on the PS4. The 60fps had a lot to do with that in my opinion.

30 fps being fine... ugh... yeah, that's totally next-gen. I love my PS4, I love what it can do, but damn, bring on the true next-gen stuff. The immersion factor at 60fps is, again in my opinion, night and day versus 30fps.

[Ps4marksthespotnotX]

Lol at truefan1 is that all you have to cheer about is this? Then that is very sad, this is not a victory but you treat it as one, i'd say enjoy it while you can you petty creep you wont see to many more stories like this because the ps4 is way superior and the gap will get huge leaving xbone in the dust.

[Sokol]

Horrible and uneducated article. Please explain to me how Metal Gear Solid 5 is able to keep up 1080p 60fps with the room to spare, has a wide open world and it puts new Thief game visually alone in the old generation to space?

Thief is an old generation game, unoptimized and rush to cover five platforms to the release date deadline. Even Assassin's Creed 4 puts it to shame.

You need to really spend time and research before trying to write articles you have lite knowledge of.

The reason Thief is running with low frame rate isn't because new generation consoles can't run it, it's because the development of the game was spread out with five different platforms and developers didn't had the time to properly work on the next generation hardware.

I sometimes wonder how this article get approved..

[Neonridr]

didn't seem to stop games like BF4, Ghosts and ACIV from running with good framerates.

[GundalfDeGrej]

Thief uses effects like tessellation, parallax occlusion mapping and more. I don't think the games you mentioned do (admittedly I haven't looked it up). They are usually pretty costly on performance so it could very well be the reason why it runs bad.

[Tzuno]

Hahahahahhhhh!!!! finally PS4 in his knees, i always wondered when the truth will come out,spare me the bullshit with optimization and etc. here it is people PS4 can't do 1080p and 60 fps on all games,needless to say on exclusives.Enjoy your Laptop.

[Sokol]

There is a difference between facts, knowledge and simple common sense and your 'bullshit' statement that you simply choose to ignore and prefer to express your fan boyish attitude.

Great job, you must be proud.

[DarkZane]

From what I heard, the X1 version is even worst and it's at 900p.

[Batnut00]

Riiight, I'm going to wait for a digital foundry verdict on this one. From what I've gathered framerates on both consoles get judders, specifically around cutscenes.

[Bdub2000]

No one will read this comment because it is on the third page.

[nominal266]

best comment ever. lol

[Gr1mmyshadows]

People love making excuses for these consoles

[theXtReMe1]

I'm tired of all the Fanboy, flame bait crap around here. I think some of you spend more time on these boards bitching about the competition system or talking up your own, then you actually do playing games. I own a PS4 this gen, owned an Xbox 360 last and I love playing games on both of them. This game was not properly optimized for next gen systems. Hasnt this game has been in development for more than 10 years, in one form or the other?

There are games that look 50 times better than Thief, that are pushing the system a lot harder, like Killzone… That have no issues running 1080p and 60 frames per second. So stop all of this BS and just go play some ******* games for once... Instead of bitching about them and systems on message boards.

[TalonJH]

I don't get it. Where is he getting that the PS4 version has a lower Framerate than the XB1. Every review that I've read says they both have framerate problems.

[McScroggz]

I agree with the premise that a stable framerate is always better than a higher resolution. But, to be fair, Thief's developmental struggles has been well documented. I'm not even slightly surprised at its technical issues.

[saber00005]

So you take ONE game that runs like crap, and say 1080P isn't good. Cry me a river Xbone Fanboys. Why is it that almost ALL games on the PS4 runs on 1080p without any issue? Don't you think it could POSSIBLY be the game itself?

And as a matter of fact... This game suffers on BOTH Xbone and PS4. What does that tell you?

[alti]

It only proves just how much better some other devs are at optimizing. Thief is a 3/5 waiting to happen.

[heisenberguk]

PC version has slowdown too

[KontryBoy706]

being the "recommended" PC requirements includes an i7 quad core processor and at least a GTX 660 I'm not surprised it runs like this. It's poorly optimized. Even Crysis 3 and Battlefield requires much less

[sebzhd]

Pro M$ site. OMFG it is first page in N4G...

[Golden_Mud]

well from what I can say , I'm gonna be waiting for the PS5 and the new Xbox , this generation looks like to be a fail /: when will the N64 and PS2 days return /: , for now the only studio who really optimized both consoles in a great way is 2K Sports , they actually made both versions look amazing and both version run at 60 fps and 1080p .

[Humanbean74]

They're running at the same fps and Xbox One is still the weaker version so how is this a loss for PS4 again bcuz it's it's got a cold on the PS4 then it has the Flu on Xbone!

[Mister_G]

Based on other titles which have managed 1080p (or close to it) and 60fps it sounds like the developer and/or engine are to blame, not the PS4.

[GundalfDeGrej]

Is the ps4 and xbone versions using tessellation like the PC version? That coupled with parallax occlusion mapping (gives bricks n' stuff fake geometry or "bumpyness")could be demanding for the systems. The game LOOKS GOOD despite some not-so-awesome textures. I highly doubt the frame rate is a result of "bad optimization". Hell, Total Biscuit even says the game runs surprisingly well all things considered.

Personally I'd choose frame rate over resolution. Thankfully I have a decent enough PC to get both!

[ChristianTheAtheist]

Good thing that I don't have the slightest interest in this game, I can be sure that most of the games I care about will come in the best possible quality to my PS4.

[cruzngta]

The 900p resolution helps x1 a bit with the framerate but I will take 1080p anyday for that crisp clean image all PS4 games have. This game is running off of a very poor unoptimized engine on both consoles so lets not get carried away with worrying too much about them. The game looks cool but is now MGS5 and that is 1080p/60 on PS4 and 720p/60 on XB1. I blame the devs for a lacking game engine - that is basically the problem here.

[e-p-ayeaH]

The first PS4 disapointment.

[T3mpr1x]

"Are gamers getting too caught up in numbers?"

No.

"Are FANBOYS/FANGIRLS getting too caught up in numbers?"

Absolutely. Ask any gamer if they care about framerate or resolution, and it's likely a passive interest. The only people who give a damn about this kind of stuff are hardcore fans.

[mysteryraz11]

game looks boring, anyways all that matters is the ps4 is running it in 1080p lol fps dont matter I have played all these games that run in 30fps and experienced no problems, just pc gamers complaining about shit that doesnt matter as usual

[CertifiedGamer]

Framerate is always more important than resolution

[FrigidDARKNESS]

Hey guys isn't awesome to see that 1080p not the best.

[tommygunzII]

I can now see how someone would get duped into buying an Xbox. With the Xbot logic in this comment section it's obvious that they are clueless.

PlayStation has ALWAYS had the games, now we have the power to go with it. Keep trying to make us look like the naive fools.

[FrigidDARKNESS]

Do some tech research ps4 isn't as powerful as Sony wants you to believe. It's called stealth marketing saying your product is the best ever created without showing facts.

[larrysdirtydrawss]

retards coding this,theres many other games with 1080p and more demanding in every-way possible with higher steady framerate,yet these monkeys couldnt figure it out? apparently the xone is also suffering framerate dips with the more reviews I read and lower res... these guys just suck the big one... xbots cut it out,,theres many multiplat games(like all of em,literally) that look better,runs better,feels better in everyway.....from multi plat to exclusives that couldn't be done on the one... again, apparently thief suks on both platforms

unoptimized at its finest,,,theres no way a open world game that looks as sexy as infamous and has a super solid stable framerate to boot with so much going on at once, all of a sudden that same console struggles to run a bland looking/slow paced game like thief... unoptimized at its worse.

[sander9702]

It has the exact same FPS as the XBONE version has and at least PS4 has low FPS and 1080p instead of low fps and 900p!
This is just an article written by an xbox fanboy who rephrased it to make it look like PS4 is worse and this is not the first time it has happened!
Don't believe everything you read.

[Yahdaree]

This whole article is bull, a lot of games are running 1080p with 30-60 FPS on the PS4. Just becasue one developer sucks.. it's not Sonys fault.

[hkgamer]

well devs havfe a decision to make most of the time. hihg res, high poly count, texture quality, lighting and shadow effects, AA, particle effects, enemy AI amount of enemy on screen. etc... linear games will obviously be easier to control or balance things.

in this case with the devs. its definitely the devs that are to blame. PS4 version dipping lower than 30fps constantly whilt the xbone only keeps a steadier fps. Is the xbone upscaler that much better/effiecnt on the xbone than the PS4? why not use that on the PS4 version?
Anyways, going below 30 is a little unacceptable. especially in cutscenes. Also a little sad knowing that TR with all those added effects runs smoothly.

[TheRedButterfly]

Why isn't this #1 on the front page? Just hasn't updated or???

[urwifeminder]

Yeah new consoles can run last gen engines well but as new game engines release it will be back to lower rez for all.

[donnieboy]

lol!!!!

[thexmanone]

This is kind of funny. So Sony fans think that the devs are to blame.

[llMurcielagoll]

Honestly, at first, running games at 1080p won't be a problem. Sony brags about how games run at full HD on the PS4; What is the point when either 1st or 3rd party titles don't have good graphics fidelity?

Eventually games will become more demanding and we will start seeing lower resolutions to have smooth gameplay on the PS4. I, for one, would rather sacrifice 1080p for highly detailed graphics in return than going full HD and looking at mediocrely renedered models.

That rant about Cod: Ghosts about being 720p on Xbox one and 1080p on PS4, the game doesn't look good to begin with. So it wouldn't matter much. It is just a resoultion setting.

[N4GJD]

This article speaks the truth. We should all be more focused on 60 frames per-second, and less on 1080p resolution. It should be understood that a higher frame rate is more important, and produces a smooth and clearer moving picture, and reduces judder substantially. And you can negate a lower resolution just by sitting further back from the television.

[NeloAnjelo]

Clearly not optimised for the PS4. Games that require much more run at 1080p on PS4

[waltyftm]

Been watching a PS4 walkthrough,looks smooth as fook to me.

[ziggurcat]

i call BS on the 15-20, and single digit FPS claim...

[purp13m0nk3y]

Lols.

I knew the Xbox bois would be all over this. The first (and only) game so far to have performance issues and it starts a shit storm.

Oh no the PS4 can't maintain a solid frame rate. It must be inferior! Lets just forget every other game that runs perfectly and at a much higher res than it's competitor.

Sad. But whatever. If it makes the fan bois feel better then leave them to it. I'm just gunna sit back and have a quiet giggle at their desperation.

[Hozi89]

This game is a joke. If what all the reviews are saying is true then the blame is only on the developers...I mean if other Devs can release PS4 games that's running smooth with 1080p/60fps then there is no reason Thief couldn't have been like that as well.

Now I know this is really the only thing Xbox fans have right now to bash PS4 with so if it makes you feel better you can keep this game as it's mediocre to todays standards anyways.

[ziggurcat]

"Now I know this is really the only thing Xbox fans have right now to bash PS4"

not really since the game has similar/identical frame rate issues than the PS4 version...

[Azzanation]

PC is the way to go. 1080p 60 FRAMES with a Key/Mouse setup for a FPS. Plus the game is cheaper.

[Qdog]

Ask yourself what a PC with a second gen Core i5 CPU (@ 2ghz) and an HD7870 can run with max settings at 1080p/60fps, and thats roughly what the PS4 can achieve right now with a mostly under developed SDK, seeing as how it has almost theoretical parity with the example I gave. No need to go PC if you have a PS4 you already have one (disguised as a console). Its funny because we PC guys gripe and level our complaints towards consoles and unceremoniously inject our proud choice of off the shelf pay as you go gaming in an attempt to sate our hardware inferiority complexes, but the truth is that consoles model the future of PC gaming. The Mantle bare metal API, game oriented SteamOS, future PC hardware becoming more efficient like consoles, instead of using brute force specs to overcome bandwidth bottlenecks, API deficiencies, and overhead associated with an OS designed for productivity, not gaming. If only you other PC guys could imagine a PC with 176GB/s system ram bandwidth, no PCIe bridge latency, and greater cpu to gpu bandwidth than even PCIe 4.0. Yet there are still the few who will keep their eyes closed as progress is made which in truth benefits the industry as a whole.

As for this game, its more than likely just been directly cross compiled sloppily and perhaps even uses the same assets as the native Dev environment. Using the shotgun method, you can get the game's code to run, but it won't run well without arch specific and api (bare metal or more exposed hardware) dependent enhancements.

[moujahed]

I don't mean to hurt or throw salt on people's taste in games but... Who was actually looking forward to this game? Saw this in PSN and was like, meh.

[marcofdeath]

Over time XB1 will be more powerful than PS4.
With new SDKs going out XB1 has the architecture to pass the PS4 in the long run. Yes the Esram and DDR3 will be faster than your GDDR 5 of PS4.

[N4GJD]

You are joking, right?

[Shakengandulf]

Yeah.. He forgot to put "sarcasm" at the end.

[NeoTribe]

This is more than likely the devs fault. This game is not graphically impressive in the slightest. Also, why is it this game runs like trash on every other format including xbox 1. Should xbox have went 480p?

[_FantasmA_]

So if its bad on the PS4, it must be a nightmare on the Not the One. Kind of like Tomb Raider.

[kranker]

The game is complete shit. How come everything turns into a flame war, crackers.

[Chucky2003]

The game works like shit on every hardware,even on stronger PCs

[Azzanation]

Its sad to be a company developing games for the PS4. If they don't reach that 1080p target everyone will jump on them, instead they will lose something that's more important just to keep the fanboys happy. In this case where the XB1 runs at a steady fps the PS4 struggles because PS fanboys don't understand what makes a game good. They only see 1080p and if it isn't then its not a good game and they wont buy it.

While on XB1 you have games like Titanfall and Plants vs Zombies running at 720p but at a nice steady fps. Gameplay>Graphics.

[Qdog]

Listen man, it has nothing to do with resolution. There are more demanding games running 1080p/60FPS without a hitch. Its not the capability of the system that's in question unless you just want to be ignorant and divisive, it is the capability of the development team that is in question. I personally don't care if XBox One game resolutions are lowered, because I think that resolution should match capabilities of the system, and I'm personally happy when xbox one owners have a fluid, fun, and beautiful experience with games that are matched and optimized for the system.

[Azzanation]

No dude, the resolution drains the power out of the system. This developer didn't do a good enough job for the PS4 version to run it at 1080p, yet they went with it probably thinking if they didn't go with 1080p it will have every form of media jump on them.

While XB1 it seems company's feel more relax to just release there version at a 720p or 900p thinking no one really cares that much for the extra work.

[Qdog]

Nah man, from a hardware perspective at least, the PS4 has the pixel fill rate and bandwidth to handle 1080p 60fps (25.6 gpixels per second), a fixed 1920x1080 render is 2.07 mpixels. So like I said, the PS4 has the potential to more than handle 1080p. Another point is that this is not the previous gen where 720p is the norm, so far only one game doesn't output 1080p on PS4 and it was also a very unoptimized mess as well. The fact that the game stutters on every platform including mid-range PCs and Xbox One, should tell you that it didn't get that second coat of butter that it so desperately needed. The Devs themselves came out and admitted that they were aware of it's performance issues on all platforms. I'm playing the game now and honestly after the first chapter it stopped dipping below 30fps outside of cutscenes.

[Asasdian]

But the game runs like crap on both platforms. And who would attack the developers for not reaching 1080puoutside of the fan boys? Do you really think these developers go "oh boy we better hit 1080p because the forums said so even if it means breaking our game!!"

No Bro it doesn't work like that. Developers optimize for a certain platform and go from there. It's 1080p on the ps4 because the ps4 could easily run this game that's not even graphically impressive at that resolution. It's poorly optimized code simple as that. Wait for patches and eat your words.

[killaarmy]

Excuses Excuses Excuses life the xbone had these same issues it would have been told you so the xbox1 just isn't powerful enough lol ps4 fanboys are pissed it will be just like the 360 and ps3 trust and believe nothing will sell like halo and all the big 3rd party games will run smoother and play better on xbone

[Asasdian]

Imagine xbone performed @1080p and a higher framerate in every cross-platform title, but suddenly performed terribly in a single game the conclusion you would come to is....

A) XBONE sux and can't do 1080p while maintaining a playable framer ate.
B) XBONE is suddenly losing power and the console with weaker hardware is pulling ahead or.....

C) since this is the only game so far having trouble on the xbone AND the game runs like trash on every other platform the game is obviously terribly coded.

It's just common sense man this has nothing to do with the power of the ps4 and everything to do with a cramps rushed game.

[JasonKCK]

Considering 720P TV's are still the majority most can't see a difference in rez anyway, FPS on the other hand...

[legendaryaxe]

Regarding the Xbone vs PS4 debate, it's simple: PS4 has a superior graphics card and has a larger pool of faster memory. That's a fact. Certainly not all games take advantage of that difference; they either don't have the resources or time, are lazy, or simply don't have the knowledge. Over time, however, the PS4 will generally outperform the Xbone. As for PC's, it's no surprise that they outperform both consoles, but it's not relevant to the PS4/Xbone debate.

[Asasdian]

I don't get the people attempting to paint the Sony fan boys as crying foul over a terribly coded game. Fan boys The fan boys and they all suck but let's look at the reality here fellas just for a second. Shall we?

The "lazy devs" excuse is not an excuse at this point if Every version of the game is having massive issues. This looks like a literal case of lazy porting of a cross Gen title rushed out to the masses. The game is a mess on every platform so fat I've read reviews for.

Reality is the PS is the more powerful console. This is not an opinion it's a cold hard fact. Hardware is what it is and no magic sauce will bring the bone on equal footing graphically with the ps4 when both platform are optimized for. We've seen virtually every multi platform title perform better at a higher resolution on the ps4. We've also seen MUCH more graphically demanding games run on the PS4 @1080pwirh and a better framerate.

After examining the facts I would say it's a pretty solid conclusion this is a game problem not a system problem. Why do xbots refuse to see this? I would think it's pretty obvious.