It continues to be wild to me that DTG have not added this to the options on console as this is implemented as a third option on many Series X games. Some Series S games will go as high as it for their "quality" modes.
As said before, TSW1 and TSW2 routes can run on 4K on series S, so I'm very curious how the Series S will perform on 2K with newer routes. The biggest issue is the fact the FPS is all over the place, some parts are pretty good but big stations and/or many trains at one spot will drop the framerate. Even a lot of trees can hit the framerate hard. Frankfurt HBF on the Frankfurt S-bahn route don't have a solid framerate and this is with the reduced timetable, so there are almost no trains.
I would never even think of running TSW on Series S at that resolution, back when I was playing on Series X, I ran at 1080 for the performance uplift because I got migraines from the framerate running it at 4k...
Well, I'm playing on a VRR monitor for that reason, so I don't notice the framerate fluctuation. Without VRR, I can't play lot of games because of an unstable framerate and the stutters caused by it. But with VRR, on old routes the framerates are high enough to play on 4K, but I can imagine they are not stable, a FPS limiter at 30 FPS is still missing.
I'm on PC and I switched from 4k to 2k ( 1440p ) about a year ago and am getting very good performance without any visible graphics penalty. It really is the sweet spot for TSW and consoles should have that option.
Just a minor technical clarification, 2K as you call it would be closer to 1080p (1920x1080), whereas 1440p would be more akin to 2.5K (2560x1440).
I like to play in consoles, as I can play on a big TV and seated on my coach. PC does not provide this to me. I liked to play a lot to TSW in my PS5, but since TSW5 the game is not optimised at all. I enjoyed the last TSG route but that is. I was looking forward to the Frankfurt S-Bahn, but after it was cut, I did it not buy it. And the TSW6 I did download it, but have not played yet. I am very pessimistic about the future of TSW in consoles. If the base of the game are console players, which seem to be, the base game should be a console game and optimized accordingly. At the time veng, it is clearly not the case.
I play on my couch with a gaming laptop and the screen is nice and close. Best of all I get great performance and can apply all the lovely mods that vastly improve the game. No contest in my book.
The terminology shifted and the old DCI definition of 2048x1080 fell out of common usage as the resolution standard did, and most manufacturers of displays began marketing 2560x1440 to the general population as a mix of "2K" or "QHD" over the same period as it was a convenient shorthand for the third most common standard that fell between 1920x1080 and 3840x2160
I play on an ultra widescreen ( 3440 X 1440 ) which is another complication. I just call it WQHD. The " k " nomenclature isn't that useful anymore.
"Steam Machine" is another sign of the end of consoles as they were conceived until now. Microsoft and Valve are looking to the future, Sony is not. Eurogamer.net https://share.google/3GZB9bD3vMkLqdQkl
Every game i have on console runs fine its just tsw that has issues most of the time is it something they arent doing right
I have a VRR monitor but the FPS at 4K on Series X spent far too much time dipping below the VRR window to properly benefit from it. And on Series S the system has no chance of VRR helping since the moment anything onscreen is in motion in 4K mode, it drops below 30FPS, averaging closer to 24... that console has DESPERATELY needed the 4K mode replacing with a 1440p mode as long as it's existed... But yeah, even after shifting to PC I'm going to advocate for a better experience for console players. Because people shouldn't have to be expected to put up with stuff that there are options for making better if the devs are willing to put in the bare minimum effort.
The older routes (TSW1 and TSW2) are mostly working fine on 4K, thanks to Low Framerate Compensation (LFC), so no VRR window for that needed. Some newer or more heavier TSW2 routes are already stuttering a bit more and the routes from TSW3 and newer are not doable in 4K because of a to low framerate. Now Valve has announced the SteamMachine, I'm very curious about that device, how it wil run and ofcourse the price tag. It could be my next machine, replacing the Series S.
As a PS5 player I am the same. I am willing to put aside the odd blurry texture or crash if a DLC is of a good standard and in the main works as it should. However despite at the time really looking forward to the Frankfurt S Bahn Route I can simply not buy it even at a significant discount out of principle. It is a incomplete product on console being charged at full price and that is not acceptable.
Gosh these images are really bad. I rarely have anything of the type on the PS5 so it looks like something DTG have broken to make the Xbox game like this. Only route this happens on sometimes for me is the Mildmay Line
I bought Frankfurt S-bahn in the recent Xbox sale and it's quite fun. However, I really believe there was some more possible then what we get now. Frankfurt HBF is way to quiet, even compared to the base Frankfurt - Fulda route without layers on Series S. Also Mainz is to quiet, Wiesbaden is kind of ok. When they add some regional services around Frankfurt and some more around Mainz, it will be quit different. The amount of traffic of the base Frankfurt - Fulda route should be possible on Frankfurt S-bahn too and also no freight trains or even parked wagons is a to much of a cut back.
Seriously? It's not even on the full timetable. There are about 20 trips on the Vectron, some less than 20 minutes. There are a few shunting trips on the G6 or 363, which sometimes take over an hour. The vast majority of cargo flights occur at night. There are also ICE and BR101 trips, but they only take 20 minutes. The carriages, yes, are standing at the stations, but there are only 2 stations where they stand.
So actually you're saying, the full timetable is already a reduced one? But I'm already happy with some AI regional and ICE services at Frankfurt HBF, it's now way to quiet.
Who told you there's some mythical full timetable that actually exists? It's a commuter train line, and the vast majority of trips will be on the BR430. And a few on the 143, which... It doesn't go to Frankfurt.) Cargo flights are few and far between, usually in the evening/nighttime and early morning. Considering the length of the line, there's nothing interesting about it. The G6/363 is a more enjoyable ride. On the main line, the ride isn't particularly easy due to the trains' heaviness (a BR294 would have been more appropriate), but the shunting operations through the freight yards are quite good. However, one freight station, a short run on the main line, and a detour to an industrial site are used. Near Frankfurt, the freight station and branch lines are not used at all.Opelwerke also only has 1 trip, 7 minutes long...
This isn't a indication of the future, in the same way Smartphones didn't mark "the future" death of PC's or game consoles like so many were harping on about 15 years ago. I've talked about Xbox's rumored hardware elsewhere, but to briefly repeat what I said it's clearly aiming at much higher end customers, it's not a meaningful replacement for the Series S, nor can it really compete with PS6 or Switch 2. It might do fine for what it is, but it's a machine clearly aimed at the hardcore Xbox elite that want to go to Windows while also retaining their Xbox game collection. If their expectations are low enough maybe it can find a nice little niche to serve, similar to Valve's Steam Deck & Index. If Microsoft however aim too high (And historically they tend to do that) then I could see them dropping it a year or two after release, leaving existing owners in the dust. Valve's hardware on its own looks well made, but then we don't have pricing for it yet, that could still suck for all we know, and it's hard to judge it as is for that reason. Even ignoring that though there's also the question of how hard they'll actually push it. As far as I'm aware Steam Deck and Valve Index have only ever been sold via the Steam Store. They get little advertising outside that ecosystem, nor do they have retail presence, and without they're never gonna beat the consoles, nor other PC manufacturers like HP & Dell for that matter. I get that for VR headsets like Index and Frame, those are a niche market for everyone besides maybe Meta. But for Deck it's a pity if you ask me, I don't think it would ever sell Switch numbers but I think that could sell 10 to 20 million with good marketing and retail presence, same with the Steam Machine. Honestly kind of hope Valve actually goes for it this time and get Steam Machine's and Deck's out and about in stores this time.
I see it more like Valve is entering the console space. The Steammachine is lower spec hardware comparable with current gen consoles. Since last gen already, the console hardware is X86 based, which means the same architecture as on PC. The main difference is the OS and I'm happy not have to deal with Windows on the current Xbox. Playstation has a lot of fans, so I won't see them fail with their next console. I'm not saying PS can't fail, but when Sony does their thing with good exclusives, I can see them doing fine, just like Nintendo. Microsoft on the other hand is in a much more difficult position, Windows is mostly a downside, except it can run many games. Also the premium part is concerning when the price tag is becoming premium too. Microsoft is also very bad at marketing and they didn't gain trust with everything they did with Xbox the last couple of year. You even can say, that the downfall started with Xbox One. So I can see Microsoft leaving the console/hardware market in the next 5 years, I even have not much trust in their eco system and publisher role. The acquisition of Activision was for way to much money, it will be hard to get that money back by sellings copies of CoD. Also GamePass will have hard times, with the prices going to high and people leaving the Xbox eco system. Microsoft is a company who is giving up easily, look at mobile for example, they bought the phone devision from Nokia, few years later they gave up. Well, I think Valve is entering the console space on the right moment while Xbox is struggling. When they get the price right for the Steammachine, I can see a succes like the Steamdeck or even better. Valve talked already about oem devices with SteamOS, so maybe we see higher spec hardware too.
The steam machine will be more competitive with Microsoft than Sony. If anything it will just strengthen the PS. Steam also don’t sell their hardware in every region & don’t sell via retailers so it’s not as widely available, along with the headaches of Linux & Proton, many people will likely stick to a traditional console. The steam deck was & is a great piece of kit, the steam machine will likely be nifty too but it’s less powerful, has a less friendly OS which has game compatibility issues & wont touch the sides of the availability Sony offers. It’s always funny when something like a new console or game or anything gets announced, the conversation always steers directly to “it will kill X” asif that’s anywhere near the intention of it & its seldom ever the case.
They are all looking to the future. Microsoft trying to keep Windows relevant in the home space by making the OS more gamer friendly. Valve trying to be more independant from Windows by further pushing their own platform into the home space. Sony, along with Nintendo have the home market in the bag. They don't need to re-invent the wheel like Valve and MS are doing. 10+ years ago most home computers were running Windows. With the increasing popularity of the Mac in homes, Windows is under serious threat of loss of market share if they cannot keep PC gamers away from Valve. Microsoft is fighting a two-front war: Against Valve: To keep PC gamers tied to Windows rather than SteamOS. Against Apple: To keep Windows relevant in households where Macs are increasingly popular. Sony and Nintendo, meanwhile, don’t need to reinvent themselves—they’re thriving in their own lane. The real battleground is between Microsoft and Valve.
Steam statistics show that even with all the portable Steam decks, the Linux share is less than the Mac, and the Windows share is more than 90%.
Well, Valve will atleast not kill Xbox, Microsoft is already killing Xbox themselves. Will they kill Playstation, most likely not. However, Sony is also strugling somehow because of their life service game strategy. This was a big mistake and did costs them millions. They need to keep their customer base happy with their exclusives, but on this moment they not really do. Is Microsoft on the right track? I doubt it, Windows is to much of an issue, to bloated and a resource hog, with a lot of annoyances for the user. Windows updates are still a pain in the *ss after all those years. Also Microsoft does not gain any kind of trust with continious changing their minds and lies.
To add to this point it's worth baring in mind Valve's efforts in Linux began because they weren't fans of Windows 8, particularly the push for Microsoft's own app store. There's almost certainly other competitors being thought about, but honestly Windows generally is probably the main target. The hardware in reality is just a trojan horse to help mature SteamOS and Linux more generally. That I find the most interesting and relevant to this whole console discussion. We got so many here talking about next-gen hardware, meanwhile here comes Valve saying the future of PC gaming is a machine almost, but not quite on par with a PS5. But then as Valve themselves noted, that still is a upgrade compared to what most people on PC are playing today. Just further notes how silly DTG's seeming reliance on hoping for better hardware to save them actually is.
With handhelds becoming more populair, Windows based ones, Steamdeck and even Switch and now the Steammachine, indeed it really don't look like hardware becomes more powerfull. With UE5 already struggling on current gen consoles, UE5 will become more of a problem for developers to find platforms where it will run well. More and more developers seems to switch to UE5, will this gonna be a mistake for them?
Yes unfortunately most people you come across online think xx80+ cards are super common builds, when the reality is the polar opposite. Steam know exactly where the vast majority of their users are in the hardware space & 8GB of VRAM with 16GB memory is where many are sat at & the vast majority of games run perfectly fine (if not pretty good) on those specs.
I simply wouldn't have bothered with TSW if it was PC only. I want to sit on my sofa in my living room with my big TV. I don't want a PC in my living room.
But truthfully not TSW. Yes it might "run " on those specs, but even DTG recommends at least 16 GB of VRAM, and I would not want to play with only 16GB of memory.
Well that just goes back to how TSW is built. 16GB of VRAM is an insane recommended spec (are sure that’s correct?). Again though I wouldn’t use 16gb of ram either, but the masses are.
Funily enough, I just answered this (well my opinion anyway) in another thread, so will repost below:- I would go with 4.5/10. The route is still as short as it ever was and neither DTG nor Rivet have bothered to revisit the visual glitches, like the disgraceful state of the iconic Cardiff Central main station building. The 153 is nice but wasted on this short route. The 150 is still meeargh sound wise which the latest update attempting to get it right still misses the spot. Neither DTG nor Rivet have given any indication they are planning to extend the route beyond its current extent. However it does occasionally scratch the itch if you want a quick short drive or to fulfil a quick master objective. I would say deep sale only, at least 50% off.
Personally I enjoy it, as I like the area. Quite short though and it is a city route basically, so lots of stop/start and low speed limits. Plays ok for the most part on Xbox, but I do get some heavy stuttering looping round the depot if there are a lot of trains parked up. For me the trains look and feel decent, although others who know them more in depth might tell you otherwise. I don't think you would have massive complaints, but still not sure it is worth the full price.
I hadn't planned to buy CC, but it was part of a bundle. As it turns out, I rather like it just for the variety of services, it's the opposite of an A-B route. Yes, I wish all the branches were full-length, but it does satisfy an itch, the same one as Cathcart Circle.
Yeah, like that time I experimented with the lowest possible spec system I could get CP77 running on, entirely to see what was possible. I would not recommend the experience.
I've always thought these recommended system requirements are, if not randomly written, then at least designed to run the game. But not to ensure proper gameplay.
My general rule of thumb is that if I am recommending system specs to someone who wants to run a specific game, I will not recommend anything less than the hardware necessary to ensure a steady, reliable 60fps on the game's medium settings.
It wouldn't serve DTG ( or any developer ) well to set minimum specs so high ( read realistic ) that it would put off the casual would-be purchaser. So the minimum specs are too low. I mean try running TSW on 2GB of video ram. Those of us who play TSW pretty much know how much Vram etc we need that will run the game to our satisfaction.
Minimum specs are generally what it is capable of actually running on. Personally nowadays if I was setting that, I'd go for managing expectations with setting that to whatever hardware can hit 30fps at an upscaled 1080p on the game's low preset. Devs who choose to set it to the ACTUAL bare minimum capable of running it will usually expect to see a lot of negative reviews and refunds. Case in point, my CP77 experiments were able to get it running on a system with a laptop RX 560, but I was needing to upscale from a base rendering resolution of 240p, and it was NOT pretty, so they'll usually aim for something that cana t least hit a consistent target of minimum expected performance. As I say, it's about managing expectations. Recommended specs should be designed such that a user can expect decent performance on the game's medium settings, think "Console equivalent". If it looks and runs about the same as it does on a Playstation or XBox, your recommended specs are probably dialled in perfectly. Minimum specs should at least allow a little overhead such that the framerate is going to hit a baseline 30 lock without dips on the game's lowest settings, or it's going to negatively impact your game's reception and earn it a perhaps undeserved bad reputation for perfomance.
