Video Performance Analysis of GT5 Prologue

Gran Turismo 5: Prologue April 14th, 2009 by Jordan

The engineers at Digital Foundry have used GT5 Prologue to demonstrate one of their new video performance analysis tools.  As you can see in the clip above, their software graphs the frame rate at a given point in time while marking each torn frame.  They cite all of the criticism that the game has received for “tearing”, yet their objective results show the game performs exceptionally well.  Another revelation: frame rate is cut down to 30 FPS during the “pre-race drive-by”, with lots of torn frames.  Once the player gets control of the car, the game rockets up to 60 FPS, with no obvious explanation.  Watch how the FPS is, otherwise, only really affected when  other cars are in very close proximity.

What the Digital Foundry guys found most interesting, though, was how the actual level of anti-aliasing changed depending on what resolution the PS3 was set to output:

GT5 is a very special game in that while it runs with 2xMSAA in 1080p mode, at 720p, it renders at 1280×720 but invokes 4xMSAA – one of the few games on PS3 that actually does this.

You can learn more about what MSAA means, or just head on over to Digital Foundry’s blog entry for more details.  Thanks for sharing your results, guys – we’ll be watching for a follow-up the next time the game is updated.

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14 Comments

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  1. July 1st, 2009 at 6:09 pm - #
    overdrive

    ——————————————————————
    d3br34k5 Says:
    April 14th, 2009 at 9:10 am

    Try running that app at Suzuka with a full grid. Turn 1 is ch-o-p–p—y.
    ——————————————————————-
    totally agree…………. CHOPPY as hell in certain situations… with all due respect to KY, this didn’t happen in Gran Turismo 4… Hope they polish that up for the complete version…

  2. April 20th, 2009 at 1:44 am - #
    nitpickers

    lol he’s driving like that to induce screen tearing wow just wow. i mean he can’t be serious because my 11 year old nephew plays better than that.

  3. April 16th, 2009 at 3:49 pm - #
    Peter

    @Matt
    30fps in replays is for performance reasons. The same happened in Forza2.

  4. April 15th, 2009 at 4:45 pm - #
    mimaximax

    It may be better to see what happen in different condition of contacts to do the test. In order to see if collisions affects framerates. I imagine a drop of performance can be caused from IA getting adaptive to the situation you put him in.

  5. April 15th, 2009 at 6:34 am - #
    humpus

    And offtopic: this guy really can’t drive…

  6. April 15th, 2009 at 6:32 am - #
    humpus

    Zetsubou, there’s also a number in the top right corner of the screen.

  7. April 15th, 2009 at 2:20 am - #
    Matt

    The reason why the frame rate is at 30fps is because it can create that dramatic motion just like movies. Kaz is a photographer amateur himself so he takes that into consideration as well. Once you switch to drivers mode it would make you feel like you’re in the real thing

  8. April 14th, 2009 at 12:11 pm - #
    Zetsubou

    You can barely even tell where the FPS is at because of the dark blue line on a dark background…

  9. April 14th, 2009 at 11:56 am - #
    Forgetful

    Should’a done it at Fuji, at the chicane where the tearing is the worst

  10. April 14th, 2009 at 11:43 am - #
    NoxNoctisUmbra

    Amazing stuff. It just have lil hickups, but FPS stays really solid during gameplay.. Kaz never lied ;)

  11. April 14th, 2009 at 10:59 am - #
    mimaximax

    On their blog, they say : “Running at 1280×1080 scaled up to proper 1080p”.

  12. April 14th, 2009 at 10:27 am - #
    Mr Latte

    “Another revelation: frame rate is cut down to 30 FPS during the “pre-race drive-by”, with lots of torn frames. ”

    As mentioned above “Replay Mode” used for pre race.

    Any Proof of the following:
    “GT5 is a very special game in that while it runs with 2xMSAA in 1080p mode, at 720p, it renders at 1280×720 but invokes 4xMSAA – one of the few games on PS3 that actually does this.”

    1280X1080

  13. April 14th, 2009 at 9:10 am - #
    d3br34k5

    Try running that app at Suzuka with a full grid. Turn 1 is ch-o-p–p—y.

  14. April 14th, 2009 at 7:46 am - #
    moxtau

    But didn’t we already know on replay framerate is 30?

    Otherwise, interesting to see how solid the 60fps in game are.
    Thanks.