After giving their frame-rate analysis last week, Digital Foundry took a look at the graphics of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, comparing the PlayStation 4 version to Xbox One (above) and PC (below).
Running at 1.01 on consoles and 1.03 on PC, their analysis says the PS4 and Xbox One “miss out on PC’s ultra-grade settings in several areas, but the game still looks complete on each.” Compared to a mainstream gaming PC though, the PS4 version is able to compete in terms of pixel count, rendering at a native 1920×1080, offering up a crisper looking image.
However, the PC version sets itself apart in many areas, with foliage visibility range set to ultra and shadows rendered past anything possible on consoles. As for the PS4 and Xbox One compared to PC, trees use an equivalent to its medium setting, foliage is on high, and shadow draw distance is low.
Switching to water quality, it’s set to high on PS4 and Xbox One, enabling boats to rock with oncoming waves. Noting that the water quality is much higher on PC, Digital Foundry adds, “Nevertheless, console users still get a good return here; anything less than the high setting looks very strange indeed, with boats and characters entirely unaffected by the tide.”
Although the PC version is the clear overall winner in terms of graphics and quality, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is still “very approachable on consoles,” featuring a “visuals-over-performance setup that means both PS4 and Xbox One get a density to world detail that’s rarely seen on console.”
If you’re interested, IGN also did their own graphics comparison between the PS4, Xbox One, and PC versions:
If you’re waiting for the new PS4 and Xbox One The Witcher 3 patch that was announced last week, CD Projekt Red’s Marcin Momot said, “The console patches are in certification right now. As soon as they are approved, they will be released.” This means the timing of release is now up to Sony and Microsoft as they test out each patch.
