The end result when blown up to 4K is simply a marvel. The Xbox 360 game uses 4x multi-sampling anti-aliasing (MSAA) in combination with post-process FXAA when GPU resources allow. As usual, the emulator employs negative LOD bias to ensure that the highest quality mip-maps are deployed for additional detail, but Playground's original dedication to image quality pays off massively here. Microsoft's 'Heutchy Method' - named after the engineer that devised it - increases resolution by a factor of three on both axes, meaning that the original native 720p game renders at the top-end 3840x2160 on Xbox One X. Our advice? Stick to the standard graphics mode for this one. Tom and Rich sit down to discuss their experiences of playing Forza Horizon at native 4K via Xbox One X backwards compatibility - the game looks great. When 30fps is the aim and you hit that target perfectly, the additional overhead can't contribute anything further. The new performance mode opens up the extra GPU power for higher frame-rates rather than pixel-counts, but it cannot exceed limits set by the original game's frame-rate cap.

Forza Horizon used a careful CPU and GPU budgeting system defined during development and based on worst case scenarios to ensure optimal performance - it's a technique also used by Turn 10 too for its main series entries. Advanced motion blur attempts to pick up the difference - and despite the arrival of a new 'performance mode' for the X emulator, the truth is it doesn't do a whole lot for this title.Ĭonsistency in frame-rate was built-in to Playground's work from the get-go. What made Forza Horizon's concept possible was switching down Motorsport's 60Hz refresh to the more usual 30 frame per second standard, a performance level that is absolutely locked on both original hardware and indeed Xbox One X. It was the beginning of a collaboration that would go on to benefit both studios across a range of racing releases. The open world concept was Playground's idea, and the background streaming tech necessary to create a seamless, vast racing experience came from the Leamington-based studio. While retaining its signature 360Hz physics simulation technology, Playground revamped the Forza Motorsport 4 engine, adding time of day lighting based on over 200 variables to FM4's existing, beautiful image-based lighting and its gamma correct pipeline. One of the last first party exclusives for Xbox 360, Forza Horizon was a landmark title - a successful collaboration between franchise founders Turn 10 and UK-based start-up Playground Games. Image quality in Forza Horizon is off the charts in the transition to ultra HD and there are a couple of further, surprising enhancements that caught our eye. We're seeing the same 9x resolution boost on all releases in concert with improved performance where appropriate, but it's the first game in this new line-up that's our focus today. Microsoft restarted its programme of Xbox One X enhancements for Xbox 360 games this week with four new titles - Forza Horizon, The Witcher 2, Crackdown and Fable Anniversary Edition.

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