See how Middle-earth: Shadow of War on Xbox One X stacks up to PS4 Pro
Digital Foundry is known for its visual comparisons between consoles and recently they were able to get their hands on Middle-earth: Shadow of War on Xbox One X.
According to Digital Foundry's analysis, the game features native 4K resolution at 30 FPS on Xbox One X compared to the 1620p resolution on the PlayStation 4 Pro. Both titles run at 30 FPS so there's no difference there. However, the improvement in texture quality is the highlight here because it's truly differentiating.
If you're playing Middle-earth: Shadow of War, you'll notice that it looks exceptionally blurry on Xbox One and features low-resolution textures. According to Digital Foundry, the same problem applies to PlayStation 4 Pro. This is evident when you walk up to any large structure and examine the detail of the walls. The textures need a massive upgrade more than anything else and that's exactly what only one console provides.
Luckily, on Xbox One X this is the case and it's the only console which features PC-quality assets. If you look at the video, there's a noticeable difference between the Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro versions. However, what's more important is that it fixes the problems gamers are experiencing on the regular Xbox One. It's definitely worth it to play this game on Microsoft's upcoming console because it's quite underwhelming visually on the standard console.
That's not all though because it gets even better. On Xbox One X you're given the option to enable or disable Dynamic Resolution. Dynamic Resolution lowers the resolution of the game to maintain 30 FPS when it senses that performance might take a hit. Well, disabling it gives you higher resolutions even if you select "Favor Quality" mode over "Favor Resolution" mode.
If you turn off Dynamic Resolution, "Favor Quality" mode offers a 1980p picture but scarifies some advanced effects. "Favor Resolution" mode offers a native 4K picture with the mode disabled too. So, if you crave the best resolution, and want it to remain at that mark throughout gameplay, be sure to disable Dynamic Resolution on your Xbox One X. However, Digital Foundry recommends that you play at "Favor Resolution" with Dynamic Resolution on because that gives you the most bang for your buck especially if you have a 4K display.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. During the campaign, you go behind enemy lines to forge your army, conquer fortresses, and dominate Mordor from within. Aside from playing as Talion and Celebrimbor, beings like Gollum and Shelob the spider make an appearance too. The end goal is to confront the full power of the Dark Lord Sauron and his Ringwraiths in this epic new story of Middle-earth.
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Asher Madan handles gaming news for Windows Central. Before joining Windows Central in 2017, Asher worked for a number of different gaming outlets. He has a background in medical science and is passionate about all forms of entertainment, cooking, and antiquing.