So we recently got our hands on the closed alpha of Battlefield 1 on both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Battlefield 1 is one of the most anticipated games of 2016 and we were eager to get our hands on it for a while. Now before we begin this analysis, we want to clarify that this is the alpha build and is no way indicative of the final product. Also, since this alpha build only had the multiplayer portion, it was difficult for us to capture one to one comparison. We were constantly getting killed whenever we tried! With that in mind let us dive right into it.
First of all, both the PS4 and Xbox One versions run at the same resolutions that previous DICE games have been running at. Yes, you guessed it right. The PS4 sticks to 900p whereas the Xbox One version renders at 720p resolution. We are not really sure whether this will be improved any further given how previous entries in the Battlefield series and Star Wars: Battlefront turned out but we remain hopeful.
The alpha gave us the chance to try out the Conquest and Domination modes. Conquest is a 64 player battle mode which takes place across a massive map and this where the Frostbite engine is pushed to its limits. None of the versions are able to hold a steady 60fps experience compared to the 24 player Domination mode which was a largely smooth experience. Furthermore, we also saw texture streaming issues on the Xbox One version wherein textures will load a few seconds later. But other than that and the lower image quality on the Xbox One, Battlefield 1 on both consoles is quite similar.
If this alpha was anything to go, it seems that DICE has made major improvements in the Frostbite engine. Enhanced destruction, especially in the Conquest mode coupled with a temporal anti-aliasing solution on consoles makes Battlefield 1 a gorgeous looking shooter. Not to mention the addition of dynamic weather will call for a different player strategy all together.
Battlefield 1 seems to be shaping up quite nicely on consoles and it will be interesting to see what kind of optimization DICE will implement in the coming months.