Final Fantasy 15 Windows Edition looks beautiful but at what cost?
We've been eagerly awaiting the PC version of Final Fantasy 15 for some time. It's the chance to see Square-Enix's stunning Luminous Studio engine freed from the constraints of console hardware. Enhanced versions of those visuals running at 4K resolution or a locked 60fps? The potential here is mouthwatering, but the question is just what hardware will be required to push beyond the standards set by PS4 Pro and Xbox One X - and how optimal the PC port is. A PC benchmarking tool was released at the beginning of the month, and first impressions based on mainstream hardware are sobering.
We always expected the PC 'Windows Edition' to be challenging, but the benchmark is already causing controversy owing to its heavy integration of Nvidia's GameWorks libraries - bespoke 'black box' technology created by the Green Team's engineers, and integrated by Square-Enix. There's enhanced foliage via TurfWorks, beefed up fluid, fire and smoke simulation courtesy of Nvidia Flow, plus more realistic follicle rendering via the notorious HairWorks. Augmented terrain tessellation, shadow technology and the beautiful-but-taxing VXAO are also set for inclusion. To illustrate how taxing all of those technologies working together can be, our tests with an overclocked GTX 1080 Ti suggest Final Fantasy 15 cannot sustain a 60fps lock here, even at 1080p resolution.
Clearly, GameWorks incurs a substantial hit on performance, adding a further load onto what is already a demanding engine, which begs a number of questions. First of all, based on this benchmark preview, can you run this game at anything like a locked 60fps - and what hardware is required to get the job done? What visual benefits does GameWorks bring to the table and what's the impact on both Nvidia and AMD hardware?
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