It looks like Gears of War 4 players are in for quite the treat on Xbox One X. Though developer The Coalition has been relatively mum on specifics up to this point, it has finally revealed the list of enhancements that Gears players will be able to take advantage of on Xbox One X — including a choice between two rendering options.
Perhaps the biggest inclusion on Xbox One X is the ability for players to choose to leverage the Xbox One X's extra horsepower for either performance or visuals. In performance mode, Gears of War 4 will play at 1080p in campaign and horde mode, but it will run at up to 60 frames per second (fps). That's a massive leap, as campaign and horde are currently capped at 30fps on consoles, while multiplayer is the only mode that runs at 60fps. Alternatively, you can pick a visual mode that will "push graphical fidelity to the max" with 4K resolution and ultra quality textures, but framerates will be limited to 30fps in campaign and horde modes.
Additionally, a number of other visual flairs have been added and enhanced across the board. Light shafts, for example, will now look more lifeline, and dynamic shadows will allow shadows to accurately react to shifting light and the movement of objects within the game world. The Coalition also sys draw distances have been increased, reflections now carry a higher fidelity, and character textures have more detail "from head to toe."
All of the visual enhancements are joined by HDR support, which already made the game look pretty impressive on Xbox One S. Gears 4 on Xbox One will also pack Dolby Atmos support if you have a compatible surround sound setup.
The choice of rendering modes is something that we've seen in other titles, like Rise of the Tomb Raider, and it seems to strike the right balance in putting the option for enriched visuals or better performance in the hands of players. The Xbox One X patch for Gears of War 4 is set to land on November 7 right alongside the launch of the Xbox One X.
