Fallout 4 performance analysis compares PS4 and Xbox One versions and more

Ahead of Fallout 4's public release on November 10, Digital Foundry has now posted its initial performance analysis of the long-awaited RPG. The detailed breakdown covers things like frame rate and graphics, featuring thorough insight into how the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One editions compare, among other things.

First up, Digital Foundry concluded that, as promised, Fallout 4 runs at 1080p across PS4 and Xbox One. As for frame rate, the targeted 30 fps frame rate stands up "as a general rule," but can dip to 20 fps in some sections.

"Though most locations hold mostly steady at 30 fps, this is one of the more densely packed, detailed spots in the game in terms of overall NPC count and geometry layout," it said. "As a result, both PS4 and Xbox One are prone to drops when walking around its center, and Sony's machine consistently gives us the smoother return. On overlooking the city as a whole, Xbox One lags behind at a sustained 25 fps in this case, while PS4 delivers at 28 fps until we leave the scene. There's no question in this sense that PS4 leverages its raw hardware advantage into a performance lead--despite resolutions and assets being identical with Microsoft's platform."

Digital Foundry also reports that the Xbox One version of Fallout 4 is affected by a "stuttering issue" that affects the game "for up to a second."

"It's a glaring hitch downward, and matching runs to the gates of Diamond City shows Xbox One dropping to a record 0 fps (zero) while PS4 turns the same corner at 28 fps," the site said. "Each has their blips, but having tested two separate Xbox One and PS4 consoles, the results are always the same across the world at large; we get sizable stutters on Microsoft's console that aren't present on PS4."

Digital Foundry's full analysis, which also includes insight into how the PC version stacks up, is well worth a read if you're interested in the technology that powers the game and how it all comes together. You can also read Digital Foundry's "next-gen or not" feature to learn more about Fallout 4's technical performance.

On top of that, be sure to watch GameSpot's graphics comparison video above to see how Fallout 4 looks across all versions.

Fallout 4 officially launches on November 10 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Reviews for the game started showing up today. GameSpot scored the game a 9/10, and other reviews were quite positive.