Fortnite's Unreal Engine 5 Upgrade Reviewed - Lumen/Nanite at 60FPS - PS5 vs Xbox Series X/S + PC!

Satoru

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Notes:
  • Current gen consoles have a target resolution of 4k using Temporal Super Resolution
  • XSS renders at an average of 73% of 1080p
  • PS5 renders at an average of 55% of target resolution, XSX renders at an average of 59% target resolution
 
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ethomaz

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It confirms what I said the previous thread…
Consoles are using software Lumen/RT while hardware Lumen/RT is only available in PC.

It is in-line with UE 2.1 docs too.
60fps is only available with Lumen software on console (High settling) while Lumen hardware only works in 30fps (Epic setting).

It is low quality RT with imperfections and visible shimmering… you can see all the place in the video or playing the game (it is free btw).

Nanite is only available in Chapter 4… it works but there are a lot of pop in and it only works in close area/view… long distances it is replaced but standard LOD.

DF thinks the pop in is something Epic needs to work better in UE 5.x.

540p in Series S shows the system won’t catch with next-gen games/features.

Edit - PC continues with the usual shader compilation issues.
 

Old Gamer

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PS5 renders at an average of 55% of target resolution, XSX renders at an average of 59% target resolution
4% more, let's try to explain how that difference somehow correlates to memory bandwidth (for the first 10GB) or teraflops!

/s (in case it wasn't clear)
 
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We need more games using RT ambient occlusion. It's such a HUGE difference in the quality of the render that it should be required to at least implement that. I'm tired of seeing objects not properly "planted" to the ground due to lack of AO.
 

ethomaz

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How about a summary rather than just dumping a link and running?
ILikeFeet@ERA has you covered.

  • Fortnite already ran in UE5, but chapter 4 introduces lumen, nanite, TSR, and virtual shadowmaps
  • lumen adds RT reflections and global illumination
  • the consoles are using software lumen, which is based on distance field meshes
    • the matrix uses hardware lumen for triangle meshes and better reflections
  • 60fps more uses lumen and nanite, 120fps does not
  • massive difference in visuals comparing the 60fps and 120fps mode
  • the rays per pixel is1/16th resolution to achieve 60fps
    • this causes boiling as light temporally converges to a final frame
  • nanite enables very high resolution meshes
  • UE5.1 supports alpha masked textures
    • but Fortnite does not use this, the leaves and grass are all triangles
  • meshes had to be remodeled to take advantage of nanite
  • lod transitions are practically not visible
  • due to the high quality meshes, the rendering distance for the full meshes is finite, despite nanite's promises
  • there's a pop-in line in the distance where low res meshes transitions to nanite meshes
  • temporal super resolution replaced taau, is akin to fsr2
  • tsr produces a very clean image
  • virtual shadow maps produces high quality shadows in near field and far field shadows
  • blades of grass and pebbles cast shadows
  • vsm isn't cheap and has a visible noise up close
    • Series S has reduced fidelity because of it
  • premium systems
    • no difference in visual settings
    • 4K output, 864p - 1836p internally
    • average ps5: 55% of 4k, sx: 59% of 4k
    • reflections are lumen + ssr
  • series s
    • 540p - 1080p
    • average 73% of 1080p
    • glossy reflections are gone, SSR instead
    • small objects are excluded from the virtual shadow maps
    • lighting fidelity is reduced
      • more light leakages, less bounced lighting coverage
  • pc
    • has hardware accelerated ray tracing option
      • reflections are more accurate, character models are in reflections
      • more accurate shadows
      • distant objects have better GI
      • moving objects contribute to GI
      • less light leaking
      • some weirdness like some areas has light leaking that SWRT doesn't have
    • no translucent reflections like the matrix, due to performance
    • surface cache issues, moving objects are black in reflections
  • performance
    • practically locked 60fps on all consoles
    • pc
      • shader compilation stutter
      • is using async shader compilation with shader comp in the menu
      • not good for a competitive
      • still better than before, if you can believe that
      • VP of engineering says the system is still imperfect
        • characters are streamed in differently
        • you can outpace world streaming with a vehicle, which can cause stutter
        • solutions are being looked at for future update
  • fortnite shows that lumen can be leveraged for more stylistic games without a significant increase in work
 

Sircaw

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How about a summary rather than just dumping a link and running?

Moving Tea Time GIF by Travis
 

KiryuRealty

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Where it’s at.
Thanks for adding the summary!

Boy, a whole 4% edge for Series X, that's AWESOME! LOL

Any word on frame tearing? DF tends to gloss over it a lot these days...
 

ethomaz

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Just to point.

DF says there is a massive visual difference between 60 and 120fps mode.

I found it interesting because it is all expected after all you have twice raw power available in 60fps than 120fps.

The same for 30fps… I should love to see the visuals with hardware accelerated Lumen.
 

Shmunter

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PC is simply an unviable platform for next Gen. Epic with their own engine are still struggling, what hope is there for others. As games get more dynamic with their worlds and aesthetic it will only become more difficult. Compiling shaders upfront is a pipe dream on non fixed platforms.
 

KiryuRealty

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Where it’s at.
PC is simply an unviable platform for next Gen. Epic with their own engine are still struggling, what hope is there for others. As games get more dynamic with their worlds and aesthetic it will only become more difficult. Compiling shaders upfront is a pipe dream on non fixed platforms.
Honestly, the only hope for PC to keep up is if DirectStorage delivers, and even then, it only benefits the few who have compatible hardware for it.

Even then, the cost for the performance is simply not worth it, unless you have a micropenis.
 

thelastword

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I think this comparison lacks alot. No 120fps framerate testing, the resolution testing was what Epic told them was an average ballpark for the different versions, not their own testing. Even their 60fps testing was ho-hum. When John said it's a locked 60, but "I have a feeling the framerate may fall lower" we pushed this game but could not break it, as soon as he said it, the framerate fell to 59 fps on the Series X, but he says nothing about that. Granted there are these 1 off framerate dips on PS5 too, but this is what I've found a bit dishonest with DF over the years, they tend to say things which are not typical of what they show in their videos.

I think we need a better tech test on this game tbh, even the spectating method they use does not seem to stretch the engine in any way and may not even be as accurate as you think. Tbf, I don't think Epic is lying on resolution, but the entire purpose of doing your own testing is to find out the real deal outside of Epic and present a factual and unbiased assessment based on that.

Also, John saying "Series S is impressive" is so strange to me, it has no next gen reflections, the graphics are dialed back even then, it's averaging around 720p, perhaps even less because DF likes to sugarcoat things for Series S, X and the Switch....An example, If PS dipped when John was talking about framerate, he would have talked about it. Yet in typical form, he made sure to make the "power divide joke on the rez differences" :sneaky:, but wanted to shit the bed when Callisto dropped........I just find for a 30+ minute video, too much was missing.
 
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KiryuRealty

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Where it’s at.
I think this comparison lacks alot. No 120fps framerate testing, the resolution testing was what Epic told them was an average ballpark for the different versions, not their own testing. Even their 60fps testing was ho-hum. When John said it's a locked 60, but "I have a feeling the framerate may fall lower" we pushed this game but could not break it, as soon as he said it, the framerate fell to 59 fps on the Series X, but he says nothing about that. Granted there are these 1 off framerate dips on PS5 too, but this is what I've found a bit dishonest with DF over the years, they tend to say things which are not typical of what they show in their videos.

I think we need a better tech test on this game tbh, even the spectating method they use does not seem to stretch the engine in any way and may not even be as accurate as you think. Tbf, I don't think Epic is lying on resolution, but the entire purpose of doing your own testing is to find out the real deal outside of Epic and present a factual and unbiased assessment based on that.

Also, John saying "Series S is impressive" is so strange to me, it has no next gen reflections, the graphics are dialed back even then, it's averaging around 720p, perhaps even less because DF likes to sugarcoat things for Series S, X and the Switch....An example, If PS dipped when John was talking about framerate, he would have talked about it. Yet in typical form, he made sure to make the "power divide joke on the rez differences" :sneaky:, but wanted to shit the bed when Callisto dropped........I just find for a 30+ minute video, too much was missing.
it's Digital Fuckery, not an impartial, expert technical analysis!
 
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