Skyrim on PS4 Pro runs at native 4K — but there’s a catch
Skyrim Special Edition is one of the first games to support PlayStation 4 Pro, with the code already included on the game disc., and unlike the majority of Pro enhanced titles, Bethesda’s popular RPG runs natively at 4K resolution — that’s a 3840×2160 framebuffer without utilising checkerboard rendering or upscaling from a lower resolution. We can also confirm that resolution appears to be locked at that number with no dynamic scaling or any other similar technique. It’s fair to say that the boost in pixel count provides an immediate leap over the native 1080p base PS4 game, resolving more detail and definition across the game’s rugged environments.
Running on a standard PS4 at 1080p, Skyrim features a distinctly soft appearance that lacks the sharpness you’d expect to see when running 1:1 pixel-mapped on a full HD screen, caused by the game’s temporal AA solution blurring the image to a noticeable degree. The upside is that jaggies and other edge artefacts are practically eliminated, which creates a very clean presentation. This is an area where the quadrupling in resolution on PS4 Pro using the 4K mode yields a welcome upgrade. The presentation may still appear on the softer side, but there’s a nice uptick in visible fine details across distant scenery and textures, which are smoothed over to a greater degree at lower resolutions.
Bethesda also employs the same temporal AA solution with the game running in PS4 Pro’s 4K mode, and when combined with the increase in pixel count, we get a highly refined image where edge artefacts are a non-issue. Arguably, there’s less of a need to use strong levels of anti-aliasing at ultra-high resolutions owing to the tight pixel density helping to conceal jaggies to a better degree than on a 1080p screen — the stair steps are much smaller and thus stand out less obviously.
However, combining both temporal AA and UHD resolution produces a very smooth image, though sharpness is sacrificed as a result.
Even so the resolution boost is a worthwhile upgrade for owners of 4K TVs, where avoiding a 1080p upscale is preferable. And in terms of image quality alone the Pro’s 4K mode matches up nicely to the PC version running at the same resolution.
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The PS4 Pro delivers a visual upgrade over the game running on the base PS4. Resolution and draw distances are improved, but performance is worse compared to running on a regular PS4 — not exactly ideal.
Outside of the boost in pixel count, the PS4 Pro mode features little else in terms of visual enhancements. Shadow quality and general effects work is identical to the experience running on a standard PS4, and the core artwork remains untouched. That said, we do get a boost to foliage draw distance, bringing this element into line with the PC version’s ultra preset. This leads to plants and tufts of grass getting steamed in more quickly than on the standard PS4, with these objects visible at longer range. It’s a subtle difference that doesn’t immediately stand out during gameplay, but does add an extra layer of refinement to the presentation that’s nice to see.
However, improved streaming doesn’t extend to other aspects of the visuals, and draw distances for geometric objects and other elements appear identical to the base PS4 game. As such, the PC version still features additional details at range, from rocks scattered across the ground to sign posts that have yet to materialize on consoles.
In fact, the increase in resolution is by far the biggest upgrade for PS4 Pro owners, but what does the game offer for those using a full HD screen? Well, as we’re likely to see on many titles going forward, Skyrim’s 1080p mode provides a super-sampled image, where the image is rendered natively at 4K before downsampling to 1080p. Given that Skyrim Special Edition already has very clean image quality when displayed on a stock PS4 the upgrade here isn’t as dramatic as we’d see in titles using a less aggressive anti-aliasing solution.
That’s not to say there is no benefit. Slight shimmer across sub-pixel details displayed when running on the standard PS4 are eliminated, while the downsampling effect manages to produce a slightly sharper image with subtle improvements in texture clarity across the game.
The increased foliage draw distance is also in effect in 1080p mode, which is to be expected.
PlayStation 4 Pro 4K
PC 4K
PlayStation 4 Pro 1080p
PlayStation 4Shadow quality remains the same as on the base PS4 game when playing in both 1080p and 4K modes on the PS4 pro. This element appears visibly sharper on the PC at matching resolutions.
PlayStation 4 Pro 4K
PC 4K
PlayStation 4 Pro 1080p
PlayStation 4Foliage draw distance gets a boost on Pro, now matching the PC version running at ultra settings. In this scene extra plants are visible alongside the houses in the distance.
PlayStation 4 Pro 4K
PC 4K
PlayStation 4 Pro 1080p
PlayStation 4Streaming in other areas on the Pro remain unchanged from the base PS4 game. Notice the extra rocks dotted across the ground on the PC version that haven’t yet loaded on console.
PlayStation 4 Pro 4K
PC 4K
PlayStation 4 Pro 1080p
PlayStation 4Shown here at native 4K on PS4 Pro, image quality is a match for the PC version running at the same resolution.
It’s not a pin-sharp presentation, but still a massive upgrade over 1080p, resolving more detail across the scene.
PlayStation 4 Pro 4K
PC 4K
PlayStation 4 Pro 1080p
PlayStation 4The 1080p mode also gets a boost on PS4 Pro. Supersampling down from 4K leads to a sharper image where aliasing artefacts are suppressed. Also notice how fine geometric details are resolved to a higher standard.
PlayStation 4 Pro 4K
PC 4K
PlayStation 4 Pro 1080p
PlayStation 4Texture quality is the same as on the base PS4 game, however downsampling from 4K resolution leads to details appearing clearer due to the increase in overall image quality. A nice benefit for 1080p HDTV owners.
PlayStation 4 Pro 4K
PC 4K
PlayStation 4 Pro 1080p
PlayStation 4Asset quality most of the effects work are identical across PS4 Pro and the base PS4 game. The core artwork here is a match for the PC version running at ultra settings and there isn’t much to separate the two at 4K.
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Sony emphasizes that games running on PS4 Pro must have frame-rates that are better than or equal to the game running on the standard PS4 console. However, that’s not the case with Skyrim, where the increase in resolution can lead to a visible drop in performance in scenes where the GPU is pushed more heavily.
For example, scenes that feature use of alpha-heavy effects cause frame-rates to deviate from the desired 30fps target. In like-for-like situations, the PS4 Pro game sees a 2-3fps deficit, resulting in more noticeable stutter compared to the title running on the standard PS4 console. The base PS4 performance isn’t impacted to the same degree, with only a few 1-3fps drops cropping up on occasion across a general run of play.
As such, the experience doesn’t feel quite as smooth when running at 4K, with more substantial hitches when moving through detailed environments. It’s not a deal-breaker and by and large, the 30fps performance target is met. However, the drop in frame-rates does feel like step down from the more consistent 30fps update present across the standard PS4 and Xbox One consoles running the game, and that’s a shame as the jump to 4K really does provide a tangible upgrade in visual quality in other areas.
Let’s Play: Skyrim at 4K on PS4 Pro: Our initial impressions about the game’s native 4K resolution and 1080p mode, and what this brings to the experience.
It’s a pleasant surprise that Skyrim Special Edition does indeed run at native 4K and has no visual compromises over the PS4 version — indeed, it’s ever-so-slightly better-looking. The boost in quality allows for the PS4 version to more closely match the PC version running on a powerful graphics card — at least in terms of resolution, as frame-rates remain capped at 30fps. However, performance isn’t as solid as the base PS4 game, and ultimately we have a trade off in smoothness for an increase in raw image quality. It pays off for owners of 4K screens, but isn’t ideal for users hoping to get a complete upgrade in 1080p mode using a full HD screen.
It’s also disappointing that there isn’t a dedicated 1080p mode with visuals matching the PC’s ultra preset, especially as the PS4 Pro could easily handle the inclusion of higher resolution shadows, improved volumetric lighting and expanded draw distances that found in that version.
In that respect, more could have been done to provide a better 1080p experience — perhaps swapping out supersampling from 4K for higher quality visuals in other areas. In this regard, those wanting a smoother experience would be better served by the base PS4 game, though you do forgo slightly improved image quality as a result.
So, while Skyrim Special Edition has a good stab at bringing the native 4K experience to consoles, the execution isn’t quite flawless and it’s actually Pro users with 1080p screens that get a raw deal — they get the exact same performance as the 4K users owing to the super-sampling implementation. The end result is that while it may only affects the game in certain scenarios, the bottom line is that Skyrim runs smoother on base PS4 hardware than it does on the Pro — and that’s just not good enough.
Skyrim Has Problems On PS4 Pro. Sony’s upgraded console is the worst… | by Alex Rowe
PS4 Pro screenshot taken by Alex Rowe.
When Skyrim first launched in 2011, it became an overnight phenomenon.
Like it or not, it’s one of the seminal examples of the fantasy RPG. I played it to death across the Xbox 360, PC, and PS3, racking up hundreds of hours of thrilling viking dragon adventures and tens of hours of hitting zombies in caves with various axes.
A current generation re-release was inevitable, considering Skyrim’s rampant sales success, and sure enough the game launched on PS4, Xbox One, and PC in 2016 in a new “Special Edition.” At the time, both consoles ran the game at a rock solid 30 frames per second in standard HD resolutions, and brought along new volumetric lighting inherited from Fallout 4, new textures and materials, and newly enhanced shadows and visual effects.
The PS4 release had some obvious sound bugs, though. The surround sound mix and channel placement wasn’t right for any sound effect in the game, most notably voices. They sounded fine if they were in front of you, but the second a character’s voice panned out of the center channel, it became omnipresent in all the other speakers, as if they were a mythical god shouting at you from all directions.
PS4 Pro Screenshot taken by Alex Rowe.
Any sound in the game that’s made up of multiple sequential samples had its ending deleted, too. This meant that when a dragon stopped breathing fire, there was no flourish or smoke noise at the end of the sound, just a sudden awkward cut. Similarly, every single spell your character can cast awkwardly cut off in the middle of playing its sound, instead of finishing the full effect.
These might not seem like outright deal breakers, but they were immediate and annoying bugs to anyone that had played the game even a little bit before. A quick Google search turns up countless threads like this one about these very issues, dating all the way back to the launch of the game. I hoped for a quick fix. Sometimes Bethesda promised vaguely to look into it, other times the reports were met with silence.
That silence was a big hint about the further PS4 Pro mess that was coming.
You’ll spend roughly an eighth of the game burning or otherwise fighting zombies AKA draugr, and if you’re on PS4 Pro, this makes the frame rate take a noise dive.
Screenshot taken by Alex Rowe.
In 2017 and 2018, when the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X launched respectively, Skyrim Special Edition was one of the few older releases to receive an enhancement patch to take advantage of the new hardware. Both upgraded consoles run the game at a full 4K resolution, and the new art assets look as good as they do on a high- end PC.
Unfortunately, when running the game at 4K, the PS4 Pro can almost never sustain a solid frame rate. The game runs well enough inside smaller rooms, but any time you’re outside or in combat, it regularly stutters and lags. It feels deeply unsatisfying and hampers controller feedback, similar to the recent issues with Borderlands 3. It’s constantly noticeable since you’ll spend about 70 percent of your possibly hundreds of hours in the game engaged in the sorts of activities that tank the performance.
In a revelation that may not surprise the long-time Bethesda fans out there, the sound bugs mentioned above were never fixed.
So, if you play this classic game on PS4 Pro, you’ll witness constantly lagging performance and hear sound that doesn’t work correctly. Both of the Xbox One consoles and even the Switch run the game more consistently, and sound correct. The issues on PS4 Pro are simply inexcusable.
I always pick up all the cabbages. PS4 Pro Screenshot taken by Alex Rowe.
Bethesda has had almost four years and numerous patch opportunities to fix up the PS4 version of Skyrim, but has instead used its regular updates to implement new microtransactions through their Creation Club. Now that the company is focused on updating Fallout 76 and working on two new large single player games, I doubt that they will ever get around to fixing this older release.
It’s a shame, because the Pro’s performance issue could be quickly fixed by slightly lowering the resolution, or implementing the dynamic scaling from the Switch version. The sound bugs don’t appear anywhere else so they shouldn’t be too hard to isolate, either.
Skyrim has been a perfect way for me to fool my brain into thinking I’m outside during the current stay-at-home orders. But while its visuals, design, and general scope represent Bethesda at their finest… the lingering obvious issues and sad performance on PS4 Pro represent the company at its worst. Every Bethesda fan has to swallow their pride and accept this awkward compromise of ambitions and technical muck every time they release a new game, but I hope that some day we no longer have to make excuses in order to enjoy their games.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Dragonborn
returned! The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Edition —
Special Edition for PlayStation 4 will send a new
generation of players on an epic journey
through the cold world of the Nords. In this article
we will consider the features of a special
editions of the game that has become modern
role-playing classic.
Rebirth of a legend
Holders
PlayStation 3s that played Skyrim at the time of release
the original, they probably remember what
that version suffered from shortcomings.
An ambitious RPG that
sent players on a free journey
across the vast world, squeezed out of the console
Sony all juices. low resolution textures,
long loading time (for which you can
had time to make tea) and, most
most importantly, declining performance
games as the file size increases
saves — it all overshadowed a little
gaming experience. For everyone who could
complete Bethesda’s epic masterpiece in such
conditions, the PS4 version is valid
will be special. nine0003
So,
how does the game behave on the console
eighth generation? Loading time during
fast travel time now
takes as long as pronouncing
famous joke about the arrow and the knee. Per
except for the strange hairstyles of some
characters (although perhaps it’s all about
severe nordic fashion style), games
looks like a modern project
AAA class. The icing on the cake given
edition is to include additions,
released after the release of the original.
Downloadable content Dawnguard, Heathfire and
Dragornborn will be immediately available to owners
this version.
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Beauty of the North
Motherland
the Nords will appear before you completely
new graphic level. dark woods
hide their sinister inhabitants from
sun under the dense crowns of trees.
Instead of a pair of faded bushes on
the surface of the earth is now creeping
velvet green carpets. rays of light
playing on the waves of Ilinalta lake. Models
characters and animations of movements, in its
turn, have not undergone significant
changes. The developers have invested everything
forces and used new graphic
power in order to
transform the world of the north. Developers
Bethesda was well aware that the main thing,
why players love Skyrim is huge
and boundless space full of forest,
rivers, plains, mountains and underground caves,
which pull everyone to go
to explore the unknown. nine0003
Volumetric lighting effect in action
Devil,
As usual, it’s in the details. Developers
added to the graphics engine many
simple, at first glance, «chips»,
which significantly change the perception
environment.
If before you could
pay no attention to the starry sky,
making his way through the forests of Falkreath, then
now your eye will surely catch
voluminous cones of moonlight captured
tree outline. During dialogues with
characters turn on the depth effect
sharpness. Developers also use
this technology to create drama
in key scenes. For example,
during the introductory sequence to the game, when
your execution is stopped by an attack
dragon. About sharper textures and
Needless to say — in the game of 2015
it is the de facto standard.
nine0003
Over
subjective reason for criticizing the publication
The 2011 game had a color scheme. Someone
found the dark gray tones of the Nordic world
suitable for northern setting,
however, there were players who considered the color
a palette of inexpressive and faded.
«Special Edition» will please
second opinion — colors
new version became much more expressive
and brighter. With vibrant colors
familiar locations will unfold before you
from the new side.
Now the sun is shining
bright warm rays on the plains around
Whiterun, and range increase
drawing will allow you to see with your eye
huge distances. nine0003
Color difference between the two versions
Others
the changes concern the ease of management
and games. Lightning download speed
complements the ability to quickly
conservation. Now invisible traps
which can easily kill a character
in the dungeon, won’t force you to rediscover
go through the whole location. flip through countless
number of save files trying
find out which of your heroes he is
belongs, also don’t have to — game
collects save files by category.
nine0003
More Skyrim
Yes,
Skyrim is now officially supported
console mods. It won’t be an exaggeration
to say that with its huge popularity
the game is indebted to PC enthusiasts who
added Jedi swords to the game,
turned dragons into thomas engines
and replaced character models with Masters
Chifa, Sonic and
any-mass-culture-hero-imaginable.
Individual amateurs created serious
story additions with new areas
or even created based on the game at all
another project. nine0003
Perhaps the most famous Skyrim mod
After
long negotiations, Sony allowed
Bethesda enable mods on the PlayStation 4 console as well. The only limitation is
— in the content of mods can be included
only in-game files, and the size of mods
must not exceed a certain
restrictions. Thomas the Engine Model,
unfortunately not included in the files
original game, but this is not a reason
get upset. A total of
more than a hundred modifications, which are
change the appearance of the game, and add
powerful new artifacts (sometimes even
too powerful — for example, a ring,
canceling the limit on the number
portable equipment). nine0003
Verdict
Worth
Should I take The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim — Special Edition?
Definitely. Not even perfect
the 2011 version for the PlayStation 3 had sleep deprivation and
social life a lot of players on
around the world.
They were ready to put up with
low performance, gray
graphics and long downloads, for the sake of
one of the best role playing games
last decade. Disadvantages and
the bugs of this game eventually become
memes (for example, the ability to hang
bucket on the head of a store clerk
remained) and only contribute to its special
charm. This edition of the game is
the most complete and most graphically
impressive version of a real role-playing
classics.
nine0003
Town
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