http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-sniper-elite-3-face-off
The PS4 game matches up closely to the PC release, aside from featuring a lower level of anisotropic filtering (we reckon it's 8x against 16x on the PC) that mildly impacts distant texture sharpness. On the other hand, things appear a little more ropey on Xbox One, with Rebellion making a number of graphical sacrifices, perhaps in order to achieve native 1080p while targeting 60fps. These mainly come down to a reduction in texture filtering and use of lower-resolution artwork deployed upon surfaces on the ground. Indirect shadowing is also limited to screen-space ambient occlusion, while the PS4 and PC appear to utilise a more advanced implementation known as obscurance fields.
In terms of console performance, achieving a similar level of stability is out of the question - both versions feature fluctuating frame-rates that impact upon the overall experience. However, it is the PS4 that comes closest to delivering a 60fps experience, although frame-rate varies wildly from scene to scene.
Here we see similar frame-rates across both consoles, with the PS4 version edging out an occasional 5-10fps lead while remaining solidly v-synced. In comparison, the Xbox One game tears constantly and this generates additional judder and a distinct screen wobble that proves distracting when shooting targets from far away. As we move further into the stage, the differences become more pronounced despite the action shifting into slightly quieter territory, with the PS4 hitting a near-solid 60fps while the Xbox One game trails behind in the mid-40s. [Update: Thanks for the comments, yes, the Xbox One launch day patch adds a v-sync option. It's actually an adaptive v-sync that appears to lock gameplay to 30fps, with occasional tearing when the engine dips below that target. We'll have an updated comparison video later.]
Plants, bushes and a light coating of mist populate the area with alpha-based effects, while draw distances are kept suitably long to allow spotting potential targets and vantage points from far away. In these scenes we see the Xbox One demonstrate frame-rates frequently hovering around the 30fps mark complete with tearing, while the PS4 game manages to maintain a solid lead. At other timesboth consoles stabilise at around 50fps, delivering a smooth experience, although the PS4 does so without any impact to image consistency.
The performance analysis suggests that Rebellion wanted to target 60fps on both platforms but simply wasn't able to closely achieve anywhere near that on the Xbox One without compromising image quality. In which case a choice was made to disable v-sync in order to get the fastest controller response possible and to allow for the higher frame-rate, albeit at the expense of some horrible screen tearing. Consistency metrics are revealing here because we actually see more latency during frame drops on the PS4 due to the strict adherence to v-sync - frames are either rendered at 16.67ms or 33.3ms when frames are dropped - but the poor frame-rate and judder caused by the tearing means that Xbox One never 'feels' more responsive in practice, even though frame-time hovers a lot more closely around the desired 16.67ms mark.
There's also the issue that the analogue sticks on the Xbox One controller simply don't feel as quick to respond as those on the PS4's DualShock 4. It seems like the overall range is spread across more travel - how far the sticks physically move - resulting in a heavier feel that lacks the twitch sensation available on the PS4.
Rebellion's in-house Asura engine proves that it has the potential to bring a 60fps experience to consoles, although the technology doesn't appear to be fully optimised for the task in hand given the large gap between PC, PS4 and Xbox One performance. The PS4 game holds up rather well in approaching a 60fps set-up while featuring almost identical graphical quality to the PC game running with ultra settings enabled. The frame-rate drops are still distracting, but aren't really severe enough to heavily impact upon the gameplay. It's clearly the most dependable console version and easily the one to go for given the choice.
In comparison, the Xbox One version feels like it could have used a little more time in development to better optimise around Microsoft's more complicated hardware set-up. The graphical compromises rob scenes of some fine detail, while performance fails to deliver anywhere near a perceptual 60fps. An obvious solution for achieving closer parity may have been to drop resolution, but in a game so reliant on picking out small detail from a distance, that probably isn't the best idea. There's the sense that Rebellion simply made the best compromises available. By and large, it works. There's still much to enjoy here - it's just that the experience isn't as solid as it is on competing platforms.
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