The PS4 version of Last Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn volition enter its open beta testing soon, on February 22nd, and Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida went on record multiple times saying that the port of the game on Sony's new console shows a level of visual fidelity comparable to the PC version on maximum settings.

Back in December we ran a screenshot comparing between the two versions, but information technology was flawed by the lack of direct feed footage from the PS4 version, forcing u.s.a. to use pictures captured from a livestream. To those familiar with livestreaming, information technology was already noticeable that the two versions were very close but to anyone else it was hard to run across due to the loss in color and definition caused by streaming through YouTube.

At last Foursquare Enix sent in a batch of full resolution directly feed screenshots of the PS4 port in lossless PNG, allowing us to fetch a steel-clad comparison.

The PS4 screenshots provided past Square Enix were compared to PC screenshots equally shut as possible to the same angle (there may be a slight discrepancy due to the difference in height of the character used as a "photographic camera"), taken exactly at the same fourth dimension of the solar day/night cycle and with the aforementioned weather in order to reproduce exactly the same lighting conditions. The PC settings for the capture were the "maximum" settings at 1080p resolution. There's no choice currently within the game to ameliorate the visuals further than that.

The PC used for the test was a rig with an AMD Phenom 2 X4 965 Blackness Edition overclocked to 3.8 Ghz, an overclocked Nvidia Geforce GTX 660 two GB, and 8B GB RAM. It can run the game at a quite stable 60 frames per 2d or more when there isn't as well much crowd or in dungeons, simply when there are l+ characters on screens information technology tin can easily drop towards 30 frames per second due to the considerable amount of high detail models on screen.

Simply let's motility on to the screenshots. Clicking on them will open a new window with the total resolution version, and you'll be able to hands flip between each pair to compare.

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FFXIV_03_PS4

In this first pair of screenshots, for which we managed to reproduce the angle nearly perfectly, we can see that the ii versions are basically identical, about downwardly to the pixel.The only difference, that you'll have to really squint to see, is a very slight discrepancy in the density of the foliage, that looks slightly more dense on PS4 on the distant trees.

This screenshot actually lets united states notice a very surprising detail: i fully expected the development squad to utilize use the LOD option for the PS4 in order to increase performance. It's an pick that many PC users activate considering the loss of allegiance is pocket-sized and the increase in performance is sizable. What it does is using lower detail models for distant objects and lowering the visibility range of others. You tin come across how the PC version looks with information technology activated in the screeenshot beneath.

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As y'all tin run into a few items aren't visible, and the copse in the background look very different, specially the trunks aren't affected by light as the same way as the rest. It's very encouraging to see that Foursquare Enix didn't even need to use this option for the PS4 version. Below you tin can see an Animated GIF showing but how like the 2 versions are, compared with the PC version using the LOD option (click on it to see the animation).

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FFXIV_01_PS4

I reproduced this picture as closely equally possible, and while it'southward hard to get it pixel perfect while Ifrit breathes burn in your face up, I believe I got a quite good consequence. Even here, basically every detail is identical, from Ifrit itself to the model and textures of the paladin artifact armor.

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FFXIV_02_PS4

The only difference in this moving-picture show (likewise the slightly lower bending because Square Enix evidently used a lalafell to accept the screenshot on the PS4) is that the PS4 version appears to be more saturated and a bit darker, but that's it. Textures, details, sharpness of the shadows...everything else is the same.

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FFXIV_04_PS4

Permit'south motility to the lovely body of water resort of Costa Del Sol (does information technology ring a bell, Final Fantasy VII fans?). This picture is interesting because information technology'south the merely one that shows a real engine-dependent difference (besides the roegadyn warrior that didn't care to motility). The reflection on the surface of the sea looks slightly dissimilar and there's a pocket-size discrepancy on how the low-cal and shadow collaborate with the wood of the structure. It's visible in the slope on the far left and on the wooden part of the roofing in the middle. Everything else is completely identical.

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FFXIV_06_PS4

This pair of pictures from the Moraby Drydocks are again basically pixel perfect identical. The PS4 version is again just slightly more saturated than the PC version, but that's information technology.

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FFXIV_05_PS4

I couldn't reproduce the pic above as perfectly as the others but because I don't have all the AF armor sets (I'm lazy when information technology comes to leveling up), and coordinating 9 different people to be in the correct place, with the right lighting weather condition at the right time is basically impossible. Yet, if you compare the armor sets showcased, you'll notice that they're identical. All the details are there, and the model complication and texture resolution are exactly the aforementioned.

The glow on the weapons is missing in the PS4 version simply because there  are ii versions of the Relic weapons. The normal version doesn't glow, while the more powerful "Zenith" version does. I accept the Zenith version of the sword, shield and axe, and had no way to deactivate it for the screenshots, but that'southward not relevant to our comparing.

The results shown past the screenshots above is definitely impressive considering that the PS4 comes bundled with hardware that isn't fifty-fifty comparable to virtually mid-to-loftier tier gaming PCs. The only unknown factor is what kind of actual frame rates the PS4 version will manage to hold, since that it'll display the same number of characters at the same particular. Consequence attendees that already played it say that information technology's very smooth, only we'll have to meet it with our own eyes to judge.

One affair is for sure: considering that Terminal Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is arguably the near graphically avant-garde MMORPG on the market place, if the PS4 port volition keep a good frame charge per unit, the evolution team at Square Enix will have performed almost a technical phenomenon. Only like identical twins, the 2 versions take some extremely small differences, but they're really negligible and don't degrade the quality of the picture in whatever measurable mode.

The developers of Terminal Fantasy Xiv: A Realm Reborn managed to surprise u.s. with how they turned around what was considered by basically everyone a sinking ship, and now they may surprise us once again with what could very well exist one of the best PC to console ports made then far.