A budget gaming PC plays Fallout 4 better than consoles 11.09.2015 :: 10:00AM EST @mthwgeek Today is Fallout 4 launch day, and just as important as how good the game is, is how well it performs on the different platforms. That’s because Bethesda is renowned for creating massive, open world games that can put a strain on hardware. Fallout 4 is no exception. What’s not surprising is that you’ll get the best visuals and frame rates on a PC, what is surprising is this remains true even on a budget gaming rig. As usual, Digital Foundry was quick to get Fallout 4 hooked up to its testing hardware and see how it performs. From past releases across all Bethesda’s games, it’s fair to expect a certain number of performance-limiting bugs on release day, and Fallout 4 is living up to that expectation. The game is capped at 30fps on consoles, but both the PS4 and Xbox One dip down to near 20fps regularly. The PS4 is the better console version right now, with the biggest issue on Xbox One being regular stutters that can last up to a second even when doing very basic actions like changing weapons.
Both versions are easily playable, though, and a patch (or three) will surely sort out the performance soon enough. Where the surprise comes in is Digital Foundry’s use of a budget PC to play the game. The spec includes a Core i3 4130 CPU, GTX 750 Ti graphics card, 8GB DDR3 RAM, and no overclocking. Using the High preset the game easily hits 40fps while being the equivalent graphically to the consoles running at 1080p. Here’s the video of the budget PC in action next to the console versions: When you consider Bethesda’s minimum spec for the game is a Core i5 2300, GTX 550 Ti, and 8GB RAM, this budget PC does very well. If you’ve not got a new machine, you’re still going to be able to enjoy Fallout 4 without opting to pick up the (sub 30fps) console version. As with all new releases, if you aren’t desperate to play the game during launch week then waiting will present you with a better experience across all platforms. Graphical performance will improve, bugs will be fixed, and there’s much less chance of you encountering a game-breaking issue.
However, if you must play it right now, the PC version looks to be the one to go for. subscribe to our newsletter: Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Join the DZone community and get the full member experience. Build fast, scale big with MongoDB Atlas, a hosted service for the leading NoSQL database on AWS. Brought to you in partnership with MongoDB. Video game rental service GameFly operates on a disc-by-mail system, and their recent announcement of a streaming service means they’re poised to dominate the market as the Netflix of gaming. Dubbed GameFly Streaming, this new feature will allow subscribers to stream select games to their Amazon Fire TV. Packages are purchased on monthly subscription, and the GameFly website lists the following packs available immediately:Action Pack(7 titles) - $6.99/month includes F.E.A.R. 3, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, Red Faction: Armageddon, Red Faction: Guerilla, Mafia II, Sleeping Dogs and Hitman Adventure Pack(7 titles) - $6.99/month includes Dark Void, Overlord II, Darksiders, Darksiders II, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City
, Batman: Arkham Origins Gamer Pack(16 titles) - $9.99/month includes F.E.A.R. 3, Red Faction: Armageddon, Red Faction: Guerilla, Sleeping Dogs, Hitman, Darksiders, Darksiders II, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Origins, Shank, Shank 2, Dark Void, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, Mafia II, Overlord II Speed Pack (7 titles) - $6.99/month includes Ace Combat, Dirt 3, GRID, GRID 2, MotoGP13, Ridge Racer Unbounded, WRC 4 Fun Pack(7 titles) - $6.99/month includes Flock!, PAC-MAN Championship Edition, PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams - Rise of the Owlverlord, BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger LEGO Pack (7 titles) - $6.99/month includes LEGO Batman, LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, LEGO Lord of the Rings, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, LEGO Marvel: Super Heroes, LEGO The HobbitGameFly Streaming is a fantastic concept, but a few immediate drawbacks require refinement.
Cloud-based game delivery means instantaneous delivery, which eliminates necessary discs. While this is great (assuming you have a solid internet connection), GameFly Streaming is only available on the Amazon Fire TV, at least initially. This means the target audience is limited to gamers with a certain mircoconsole, and moreover one with an atrocious controller. Thankfully, according to GameFly’s FAQ, the Fire TV is compatible with select gamepads, like the Xbox 360 controller, and the Logitech F-710.Aside from device restrictions, effectiveness of the pricing structure remains to be seen. For a low monthly price, subscribers receive a bevy of games, but the frequency of play determines whether it’s economical. Take the Gamer Pack, for example, which boasts 16 games for just $9.99. While this price seems like a great deal, users must factor in how many months they’ll maintain a subscription, and how many games they’ll actually play. Depending on the individual findings, it might be more reasonable to simply buy a game outright.
This affords the freedom to re-sell a game if it’s a physical copy, and many digital titles are frequently on sale. Ultimately, GameFly Streaming is a step in the right direction. Sony unveiled a streaming service, PlayStation Now, on the PlayStation 4. Not only is game streaming on the rise, but this further perpetuates the trend of microconsole gaming, which has become increasingly popular. Hopefully we’ll see an expanded list of compatible devices, which seems feasible considering Fire OS is an Android-based operating system. Now it's easier than ever to get started with MongoDB, the database that allows startups and enterprises alike to rapidly build planet-scale apps. Introducing MongoDB Atlas, the official hosted service for the database on AWS. Opinions expressed by DZone contributors are their own.NieR: Automata - Everything You Need to KnowGuerrilla Games Talks Horizon Zero Dawn - Mystery and DiscoveryEverything Wrong With For HonorPSLS Help Desk - How to Manually Remove a Stuck PS4 DiscMass Effect Andromeda Preview - New Beginnings (PS4) PSVR Sales Now at Over 900, 000 Sold Through February 27, 2017 Written by Alex Co Over 100 PSVR experiences planned for release this year!
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