Forza Horizon 5 is already in gold, the game arrives in less than two weeks and, most recently, the press had the opportunity to experience what is effectively the first hour of the game, the introductory part, A presentation program, showing a series of races and open world challenges and the player’s arrival at his first home. Ollie Welsh has already shared his first impressions But for Digital Foundry, the preview was an opportunity to get closer to the technology in person, to learn how the new Xbox consoles are put to the test and, above all, how games can be extended to the system.
Scalability is important to Forza Horizon 5 for several reasons. Firstly, it is the most platform supported Horizon game ever. In addition to the PC (with its own scalability challenges) and two different Xbox Series consoles, there’s also the Xbox One, not to mention the Xbox One X. The preview code we have only works on new machines, so it’s still not known how Playground is intended to play the game on Xbox One, but it might have some clues when looking at Xbox Series codes. , mainly because both quality and performance modes are included. Interestingly, whether you’re using the Series X or its junior counterpart, they both operate at the same resolution: 3840×2160 or 1920×1080, respectively, with potential dynamic resolution scaling clues when playing in display mode (the truth is That this is enough (the truth is, it is quite hard to tell).
Based on a recent one-hour preview code, the DF team gathers for a 4K Forza Horizon 5 special.
With the codes available to us, Xbox Series X running in Quality Mode is clearly the high end experience we’ve been able to get. The frame rate is fixed at 30fps (more on this soon), allowing for the densest, richest and most detailed Forza Horizon experience we’ve ever seen. Introduction to Horizon 2021 Ford Bronco (!) Sunlight over an active volcano bisects the view, cutting off smoke rising from the lava. A turn around, and we’re in full sunlight, where the ambient density increases even more, working in combination with more detailed views – a coherent view from the car to the horizon, with no sign of LOD objects. is – meaning “pop”, either in geometry or texture. It’s topped with a pair of high-rise jumps that are simply breathtaking.
A fast-paced race begins in a dust storm, showcasing the playground’s new particle and volumetric systems, before we take a detour into the wilderness – the most detailed yet technically challenging biome, with spectacular amounts of trees and Because of the foliage, those still run at full speed at the desired frame rate, no matter which mode you choose. The final race takes you across the desert for the ultimate high-speed race to the Horizon Fest, which brings a satisfying conclusion to the game’s introduction, but really, it sets the stage for what’s to come.
The question of how this groundbreaking experience fits into the Xbox Series console series and graphics modes may give us some idea of how the game will adapt to the less powerful kit. It starts with the Display mode on the Series X, which doesn’t compromise on resolution (potentially dynamic resolution scaling bars), but is clearly a different experience. First, it must be said that the implementation of 30fps in Quality mode is remarkable: the shutter speed’s motion blur is judged to perfection, the frame rate never falters, while the game still feels highly responsive. Maybe there’s more to it than that, but the combination of implementation and rich visuals will give players an interesting option. It may not be 60fps, but it still looks much better than the 30fps update.
Performance mode still manages to capture a great deal of the game’s richness and density, but a layer of post-processing realism is removed, as well as some effects and, importantly, some detail. Less important environmental elements such as rocks and vegetation are absent, shadow quality appears to be reduced in selected areas while motion blur is significantly reduced. The stunning visuals of Mexico haven’t diminished that much, as the distant detail looks similar to the game in Quality mode. However, perhaps the most notorious compromise is that changing the level of detail transition in Quality mode is less robust in Display mode. What’s curious here is the LOD popping up to resemble Adjust according to the density of the scene – easily noticeable in the woods, not a problem in the desert for example. There’s a feeling here that we’re not adjusting the global presets more or less according to the mode chosen, but perhaps a bit more dynamic. This wouldn’t be too surprising considering that Forza titles on PC offered dynamic setting adjustments (to the point where we had Forza Horizon 3 at 4K30 on a GTX 970 using the dynamic/high setting).
Those looking for more examples of scalability than the Series S may not turn up as evidence from a few hours of playing shows that the only major difference between the Series X and Series S comes down to resolution. Both Quality and Performance modes are included, with similar differences between them: effectively, with 1080p60 mode, you’re trading a pristine 1080p30 experience for a more “game-like” image, with strategic adjustments in levels of detail. With, cinematography quality and, again, consistency in motion due to visible pop-ins during dense scenes. In all modes on both Xbox Series consoles, we had the right frame rates across all the content available for testing.
Ray tracing? Yes, it is also available in preview. As already announced by Playground Games, RT is only available in the Forza Vista region of the game and only with the game set to Quality mode. Basically, you head into the game’s garage where you can get a closer look at the vehicles at their highest level of fidelity. Those who expect control-style reflexes may be disappointed. In fact, you may not fully understand how the RT is deployed until you take a closer look at the image gallery below (and even then, to see how it works). Use the Full Image Switcher for this), but essentially, RT beautifies the existing reflections, which are already quite impressive. Ray tracing occurs in the details of the vehicle itself, as opposed to full reflections of the surrounding environment. So far Self-reflection of the vehicle. The RT is more functional here, adding an extra layer of realism. We’d like to see it in-game for the Quality mode, but the existing reflections still look impressive to the point that many believe they were produced using ray tracing.
Forza Horizon 5’s press preview provided a lot while keeping the vast majority of the game locked – leaving us hungry for more. So far, what we’ve seen suggests that the Xbox Series editions will be something more than excellent, while the quality and performance modes each shine in their own way. Generally speaking, it’s hard to recommend anything other than 60fps or better, but the sense is that Playground Games has pushed the 30fps quality mode to the point where it’s really quite a different choice between the two. We’ll be thrilled to see how players go with this mode – when we put the video together, we really need to have a little discussion to decide what gameplay footage is for. mode (we have opted for quality mode). But beyond that, have we learned much more about how the Xbox One is about to approach the level offered by the Xbox Series console? The truth is that this is still the best information we have on the subject. What Forza Horizon 5 creative director Mike Brown told us during E3:.
“While Forza Horizon 5 was created to showcase the capabilities of the X|S console to deliver the best experience across a wide range of PC as well as Xbox One, we have invested in a number of scalable technologies, such as That’s dynamic resolution scaling (DRS), variable drawing distance, and a robust level of detail (LOD) system,” he said. we have now Some The difference in graphics and modes and performance provides insight into how these systems work, as seen in the Xbox Series code we have to play with – and it will be fascinating to see how far these systems progress. Forza Horizon 5 is released on November 5th, and we’ll do our best to provide the best possible coverage of PC and consoles as we near launch.
