Tomb Raider comparison video pits PS4 against PC

Both next-gen consoles received a "Definitive Edition" of Tomb Raider featuring fancy new effects that PC players can't get right now. However,...

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Both next-gen consoles received a "Definitive Edition" of Tomb Raider featuring fancy new effects that PC players can't get right now. However, does the PS4 version of the game (proven to be more definitive than the Xbox One version) really trump PC? A comparison between the two reveals that both platforms have trade-offs.

For example, the console version is missing tessellation on characters and environments, "with some of these elements appearing more blocky on the PS4 and Xbox One as a result," according to a new Digital Foundry face-off. In addition, motion blur is used more sparingly, and texture resolution is lower. "On the flip side, all the Definitive Edition graphical extras--such as the dynamic foliage and the impressive sub-surface scattering--are absent from the PC."

So both versions have their strengths and weaknesses, making the "Definitive Edition" claim a bit incorrect. In fact, the PC version can ramp up the resolution to 4K and enable SSAA, something neither console can do.

Here's a video for you to pore over:

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    January 29, 2014 1:55 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Tomb Raider comparison video pits PS4 against PC.

    Both next-gen consoles received a "Definitive Edition" of Tomb Raider featuring fancy new effects that PC players can't get right now. However,...

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      January 29, 2014 2:04 PM

      Looks like they need to upgrade their PC.

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        January 29, 2014 3:05 PM

        Ya the FPS on the PC side was atrocious for a comparison video. It appears, as I had thought, that while they enabled TressFX hair on the PS4, it had nowhere near the amount of strands and physics being applied. Better than none, which I'd hoped would be enabled on the PC for those with less than mid-high range cards but whatever. I can turn it on at 1440p, and while I don't get constant 60fps if I do, it's good enough for me.

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      January 29, 2014 2:06 PM

      If anything on a console trumps PC, it's because the developers willingly, consciously made it do so. That's all I have to say there.

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      January 29, 2014 3:05 PM

      They sure are getting a lot of media coverage because of all this 'controversy'... I guess it was a smart move.

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      January 29, 2014 3:12 PM

      I see what they mean about re-modelling her head. Her head/face looks almost like a different person. Her eyes and nose and lips all look pretty different.

      You can definitely see the tessellation difference on her boobs... around the edges the shape looks somewhat angular and you can see the corners where the polygons meet. On the PC the edges are smooth. But I'd say the lighting and skin effects for the most part look nicer on the PS4 version.

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        January 29, 2014 3:35 PM

        I like the PC face a whole lot more. Something about the eyes on the PS4 version appears incredible off.

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          January 29, 2014 5:39 PM

          They're iconic Laura eyes from past games.

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            January 29, 2014 6:08 PM

            Never really noticed it in the older games. Her eyes make it look like her face is frozen in absolute terror on the PS4 version.

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              January 30, 2014 6:22 AM

              Given her condition for most of the game, that makes sense.

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            January 30, 2014 1:58 AM

            [deleted]

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          January 30, 2014 6:30 AM

          18 years and there are people that still call her Laura.

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        January 29, 2014 3:40 PM

        The skin effects look really good. I like subsurface scattering.

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        January 29, 2014 4:00 PM

        hmm tesselated boobs.

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        January 29, 2014 5:04 PM

        Those new eyes never fully close, and seem mostly.... dead. With the PC version there's expression lines and everything.

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          January 29, 2014 5:52 PM

          Yeah, there is something weird about those eyes. The PC version look more realistic but almost make her look Asian. In the PS4 version they look more like classic Lara eyes, but they look a bit more cartoony and less realistic. I think somewhere in between the two would be best.

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      January 29, 2014 3:34 PM

      Damn. PS4 looks really good. I wish they'd bring all that stuff to the PC version.

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        January 29, 2014 4:09 PM

        [deleted]

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          January 29, 2014 11:25 PM

          Best hair, best plants, whatever. She has way too many clothes amirite guys? Unless she really is a grad student - then it's sweatsuit with dynamically mapped food stains down the front.

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          January 30, 2014 6:09 AM

          I also bought it, on the 4, after buying it at launch for the PC. It is a pretty game and a nice break from FPS, which seems to be all I have for PS4 at the moment.

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      January 29, 2014 5:33 PM

      I don't get it. Everything looked better on the right side to me. Is that not supposed to be the case?

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        January 29, 2014 5:46 PM

        I agree, though Lara's skin looks better on the ps4.

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          January 29, 2014 5:46 PM

          Also, some better lighting on the ps4 version, though it looks a bit less subtle in places

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      January 29, 2014 5:36 PM

      Be nice if they would stop making console games blurry as hell. I can tell they didn't bother adding anisotropic filtering.

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      January 29, 2014 5:38 PM

      I like the video game look they put on her eyes in the ps4 version. It reminds me of the original Tomb Raider. The colors are way better on ps4 also.

      It seemed to look better on my PC, going to have to fire it up and finish it.

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      January 29, 2014 5:56 PM

      And today on "well-duh" news PC looks better than consoles of any generation.

      I'd say the PC they used was a little lacking as well, the game can look far better than that video shows.

      Still would be nice to bring the new things to PC but even without them it looks better.

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      January 29, 2014 10:54 PM

      Hair looks a lot better on the PC version for sure.

      Foliage and skin look better on PS4.

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        January 30, 2014 1:01 AM

        I don't know if there's a difference between video cards with tressfx, but I think they did a better job with toning it down on the ps4 version. You notice it when you aim down the sites with the bow... on the pc, it looks a bit out of control and glitched out... it also occasionally casts ugly shadows.

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          January 30, 2014 2:08 AM

          the consoles have tressfx2, it's supposed to be less prone to floaty wierdness and to react more quickly

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      January 29, 2014 11:56 PM

      I don't get it. Looks like the PC ver. with altered model/textures.

      Also looks like the PS4 is missing effects here and there.

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      January 30, 2014 12:30 AM

      PC the master race.

      Hopefully they won't be dummies and forget PC. PC should get the additional stuff as an update to the game.

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        January 30, 2014 12:38 AM

        I think they'll do it after the DE prices drop closer to what PC versions sell for.

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      January 30, 2014 6:47 AM

      The pc version looks better to me.

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      January 30, 2014 7:07 AM

      100 fps @ 120hz is what I care about.

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      January 30, 2014 8:11 AM

      THIS VIDEO IS HURTING MY STRICT PC SENSIBILITIES!

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      February 2, 2014 7:48 AM

      Her hair is very well animated, yet she runs full speed and her breasts don't move?!? Make it look "real" everywhere!

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