Console Graphics Upgrade

Discussion in 'TSW General Discussion' started by historicalduck7, Aug 27, 2026 at 10:59 AM.

  1. historicalduck7

    historicalduck7 Well-Known Member

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    am i right in saying that consoles will be getting absolutely no improvement in terms of lighting, shadows, draw distances etc? so effectively, the jetwash lighting won’t be applied to the console version? if so, i’d like an explanation from dtg as to why those of us on console are paying the same price, for a different product? this isn’t the first time we’ve been in this situation (cough cough, frankfurt s bahn). if the lighting and graphics upgrades are too much for consoles to handle, then so be it. i’m not going to try and argue a case for us getting the same visuals if it won’t work. but if that’s the case, the price of the core packages should be reduced by about 10% by default, that doesn’t include the preorder discount
     
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  2. marcsharp2

    marcsharp2 Well-Known Member

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    We're console users, we'll be told to just enjoy what we get and be thankful we're even getting the DLC.
     
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  3. jesper2805

    jesper2805 Well-Known Member

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    No worries the new lighting system is also coming to consoles after release. It has already been confirmed, and they hope to get it implemented within a reasonable timeframe. What won’t be coming to consoles is DX12 and the Epic settings. Just a little patience.

    Maybe it’s a bit of a consolation prize, but we PC users are essentially testing the right configuration for you and let’s be honest, a PC and a console are worlds apart in terms of what they can do.
     
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  4. JazzyGeofferz

    JazzyGeofferz Active Member

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    That doesn't mean it's going to work on console off the bat. It just makes the console release feel like even more of an afterthought. Of course they've got to get PC stuff out on schedule and working as best it can. Derail Valley, Running Train and the modding community of MSTS are right there as alternatives. Heck there are super realistic train sims being built in Roblox. What is there on XBox or PS5? Simrail? Trainz? Railway life? December will bring "we're working on it, but it's not quite ready to implement yet." I'm bracing myself for page upon page of "fix the realtime weather on console" threads on September 15th. I'll set the bar low because I'd rather be pleasantly surprised about it working than getting super hyped for the new features and them not working.
     
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  5. historicalduck7

    historicalduck7 Well-Known Member

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    i haven’t seen that anywhere, have dtg confirmed that?
     
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  6. Doomotron

    Doomotron Well-Known Member

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    The PS5 and Series X are still very performant consoles even six years on. This generation is probably the strongest in performance compared to the average gaming PC for a very, very long time. I have no doubt that the PS5 and Series X can handle the new lighting if DTG actually tries. But, of course, DTG are allergic to effort.

    Remember, this is the same generation of consoles that can run GTA 6, Forza Horizon 6 (at 60fps), Halo Campaign Evolved (another Unreal game, also running at 60fps), Gears of War E-Day (ditto), Gran Turismo 7 (at 8K or 120fps), Legacy of The Dark Knight (at 60fps), and 007 First Light (at 60fps). All of these are games that make use of the hardware much more than TSW, run better than TSW, look unbelievably better than TSW, and crucially aren't running on spaghetti code. I have a gaming PC that would, if I bought it today, would cost over £3000. Luckily I bought it right before the RAMpocalypse, but it wasn't much cheaper before it. There aren't many games that provide a significantly better experience on PC than on my PS5 and Series X - except for Train Sim World. Funny how that happens...
     
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  7. jesper2805

    jesper2805 Well-Known Member

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    Its confirmed by JetWash.... He is the one that Firefly Simulations has supported with his beautiful lightning on the Medway Valleyline and now he has build a whole new enhanced lightning system for pc and console for DTG.

    Here is a preview of it
     
  8. Emmy_MAN

    Emmy_MAN Well-Known Member

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    Sorry, Jesper, but the video was recorded on a PC, not a console.

    So what are console players supposed to make of this video and your statement?
    It was clearly stated somewhere that the consoles can’t handle the new graphics updates, so they won’t be included on 15 September.
    They do intend to try and bring it to the consoles at some point, but they don’t yet know to what extent.

    It’s about time DTG finally got involved here and properly explained the situation to console players.
     
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  9. stujoy

    stujoy Well-Known Member

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    Cataracts simulator. Noice. So misty and colourless. Where do I sign up?
     
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  10. jesper2805

    jesper2805 Well-Known Member

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    My intention with this video was to show what’s possible and also that JetWash is the one responsible for it. I can confirm with 100% certainty that he stated Enhanced Lighting will also come to consoles after the release of TSW7. This is purely about the Enhanced Lighting, not about DX12 or the Epic game settings. You can also find in the Dovetail Direct information that this is possible on consoles because it has minimal impact on FPS. But anyway, if you don’t believe it, that’s fine…

    JetWash Please could you respond about you're comfirmation earlier in the other thead about the Ehanced Lighting and that this will come to consoles after release. Thank you!
     
  11. turbostar#4215

    turbostar#4215 Well-Known Member

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    Screenshot_20260827-160613~2.jpg

    Comment from the above video
     
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  12. jesper2805

    jesper2805 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks! I couldn’t find it anymore, but I was 100% certain that JetWash had shared this.
    Emmy_MAN
     
  13. pinxtonpaws

    pinxtonpaws Well-Known Member

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    A gen9 console and a Steam Deck are also worlds apart and Dovetail Games seem to have managed to get TSW working to Steam's verification standards on a teeny-tiny hand held, yet after multiple years of trying they still haven't managed to get it right on X|S.
    But hey, praise the lord for "we PC users" being our saviors.....I'll buy you a pedestal for xmas as well as a thesaurus so you can look up multiple variants of the word "condescending" for future conversations about our vastly inferior consoles.
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2026 at 4:29 PM
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  14. Mich

    Mich Well-Known Member

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    Exactly, it's to the point most enthusiasts I see actually don't want another gen or hardware right now. Even before pricing exploded lot of people have basically said it feels like the current gen of hardware has a lot to give yet, pricing and console makers killing discs just re-enforces the lack of interest. I saw the Digital Foundry guys even point out this is probably the best generation for 60FPS gaming since the fourth gen, when SNES & Genesis were the top dogs.

    This is not a bad development by any means, but it does mean most mainstream games are probably gonna be on PS5 for a extended period of time. By extension it will be a while before you have a solid 10th gen base you can rely on, similar to how it took ages for PS4 to die off. It really makes no sense for console performance to be this bad when the PS5 is still the mainstream home console on the market.
     
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  15. lexie

    lexie Well-Known Member

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    Consoles do now already have issues with shadows in certain light conditions. Long shadows in winter or in evenings brings already a lower performance. So I have to see how the new lighting with more distance shadow will be on console. On the other hand, I also have some faith in Jetwash, after the release of Medway valley.

    However, I don't like the idea of bringing this new lighting only after release to console. All the promises about fixing the blurry textures comes to mind, so this makes I have not that much faith in a good ending. In my opinion, they better had fixed the blurry textures, implement the new lighting also for console and then release a new game.
     
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  16. historicalduck7

    historicalduck7 Well-Known Member

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    that’s a welcome change, usually it’s we console users who are testing routes for blurry textures, after spending £30 on them
     
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  17. Doomotron

    Doomotron Well-Known Member

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    Considering the next Xbox and PlayStation consoles will probably cost around £1000, it'll be a while before they catch on. I wouldn't be surprised if the next generation is (for the first half at least) the worst selling generation since the video game crash. Of course a PC will still cost a lot more, but consoles are only appealing if they're cheap. As brilliant as the fat PS3 was, and in hindsight it was worth every penny, the market for premium consoles at the start of the generation just isn't there. Many people will just choose to not upgrade. Gran Turismo 8 might force me to get a PS6, but that's it really.

    Ironically, DTG have not released a PS5 Pro mode when there's free performance that's just going to waste. The PS5 Pro is niche, but it's been around for a while now and does have its fans. I'm not one of them, but hey ho.

    Since the PS3 and 360 the upgrades in generations have been getting smaller and smaller. Yes, games do look better than they did in 2010, but the gap is nowhere as big as it was from 1995 to 2010.
    City of Arts and Sciences - Night_6.jpg
    San Galgano Abbey_12.jpg
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    Just for fun, here are some photos I took in Gran Turismo 5, 6 and Sport. The oldest of the three is from 2010 and is running on the PS3. I know track races are less demanding in theory, but Gran Turismo 5 and 6 were some of the most demanding games ever released for the PS3 anyway. The PS5 is lightyears more powerful than the PS3 ever was, so DTG really don't have an excuse. TSW can look good at times but never great, and there's no way they can't get the game to run at a stable 60fps with the fidelity the game currently offers.
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2026 at 10:38 PM
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  18. Inkar

    Inkar Well-Known Member

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    For those Xbox series X users that are worried about not having DirectX 12, let me tell you that you have been running TSW on DirectX 12 all the time. You just didn't know it.

    PlayStation has its own propietary API, so it does not use DirectX at all.
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2026 at 11:04 PM
  19. bakedpotatos.jm

    bakedpotatos.jm Well-Known Member

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    And I already have $900 saved up in my console budget for the next one. I've been saving for about a year and a half $50 a month.

    I never really got into computers in my younger days and now I'm too old and they are just too complicated for me.
     
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