PS4 & Xbox One Don’t Need Mantle to Boost Visuals, API Access to GCN Architecture Already Available

Oxide Games' partner Dan Baker talks about Mantle and whether 1080p/60FPS is a consistent possibility for next gen games.

Posted By | On 05th, Dec. 2013

xbox-one_ps4

Unless you are living under a rock you should be aware of AMD’s Mantle. It is an application programming interface that can be used an an alternative to industry standards like OpenGL and Direct3D to achieve nine times more draw calls and reduce CPU overhead. Given that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One use AMD APUs there might be a possibility that Sony and Microsoft might add that functionality later on to boost performance.

GamingBolt had a chance to speak Oxide Games partner Dan Baker. Oxide Games are currently developing Nitrous, a next gen engine for PS4, Xbox One and PC. Considering that Nitrous will support AMD’s Mantle, we asked Dan whether it will boost visuals for games on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 given the Radeon-based architecture of both consoles, to which he replied:

Both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have APIs for accessing the GCN architecture directly, so Mantle in itself isn’t needed for that. The main advantage Mantle gives us is the ability to have console-like performance, particularly in batch performance, on the PC. At AMD’s recent developer summit, Oxide demonstrated a PC running at over 100,000 batches per frame. Before now, this type of performance on a PC was unheard of.

We also asked him whether PS4 and Xbox One are at a point where they will consistently output 1080p at 60 frames per second.

Sure, this was even possible on the last generation – if it was the priority. However, keep in mind that films play back at 24fps, so a game may choose to trade off raw framerate for other things.

Things will only improve with time given that both the next gen consoles are at the beginning of their respective life cycles. As Sony and Microsoft release updated tools and drivers, and developers get more familiar and smarter in finding out optimized solutions, games will only get better from here.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.


Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out!

Share Your Thoughts Below  (Always follow our comments policy!)



Keep On Reading!

Ubisoft Says it Has “Started an Exploration Phase on the Rayman Brand”

Ubisoft Says it Has “Started an Exploration Phase on the Rayman Brand”

Following recent reports that a Rayman remake is in the works, Ubisoft has stated that it has started explorin...

EA Sports FC 25, Astro Bot Were the US’ Bestselling Games in September

EA Sports FC 25, Astro Bot Were the US’ Bestselling Games in September

Other new releases such as The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, and others...

PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch All Saw Sharp Year-on-Year Declines in US Sales in September

PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch All Saw Sharp Year-on-Year Declines in US Sales in September

Hardware spending in the US fell by 44 percent year-on-year to $251 million, which is the lowest it has been f...

Guilty Gear Strive Balance Update Coming October 31st

Guilty Gear Strive Balance Update Coming October 31st

All 28 characters have received adjustments, from buffs and cancels into other techniques for increased combo ...

Fallout: London Crosses 1 Million Downloads

Fallout: London Crosses 1 Million Downloads

The total conversion for Fallout 4 recently received a massive update, which restores missing dialogue and fix...

The Rogue Prince of Persia is Now Steam Deck Verified

The Rogue Prince of Persia is Now Steam Deck Verified

Evil Empire warns that Steam Deck players "may experience occasional drops in frame rate" in some sections of ...