In the Gamer test at Fora Horizon 5, we have already revealed that Playground Games has succeeded in excellent arcade racing. One who is strongly oriented at the predecessors and no major experiments dared, but generally fans of the series tens of hours of fun is guaranteed in front of their Xbox consoles. Today we want to throw a close look under the bonnet again and betray you in a tech check, what the individual versions have everything on the box and also, as part 5 the already beautiful predecessor still exceeds.
Beautiful on all devices
Fora Horizon 5 has appeared on a total of four basic consoles: Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X. Although there are several years between the generations, the deviations fall, apart from the dissolution, barely the eye. Even on the aged Xbox One S delight the picturesque landscapes Mexico.
This is a dynamic lighting system responsible, which illuminates the game world credibly. Depending on the state of the sun, the light mood of the entire scene changes, the surface geometry of the illuminated objects decides on reflection and brightness.
Lighting system Volumetric light beams
Equally, greatly scales the textures used. Already on the Xbox One S Bodenextures and vehicles are very plastic, the quality is then noticeably increasing on the Xbox One X and the Series systems. Parallax Occlusion Mapping ensures credible shades in bumps, for example. In muddy tire tracks, Cone Step Mapping misses walls a rough relief.
Environments Asset Quality Cone Step Mapping Parallax Occlusion Mapping
Physic effects are also completely preserved independently of the console used. Let s ram glorious stone walls or cases trees, crash it neatly, parts of whirl through the air.
We discover the largest advantage of the new consoles at the vegetation: The jungle Mexico is close to the Xbox Series X quality modes and the Series S. Tread, trees and grass grow unbridled on the road edges.
The less computing power of the console is available, the smaller the forests are overgrown. The version for the Xbox One S is not dropped out. Even on the load gene system, the impression of a lively flora is retained, only the density lets and shade throws of smaller plants fall away.
The Xbox One X offers a compromise of vegetation density and lighting:
If we move to weaker devices, we also observe a shift in the level of detail. Even on the potent Xbox Series X, these can not be avoided, regularly plopped shadows and vegetation in the picture, but the threshold continues to get into the distance. In the performance mode of the Xbox Series S and on the Xbox One S, however, details are very close to our vehicle as out of nothing.
Variety: The world of Fora Horizon 5 is very dynamic, many small eye-catchers ensure optical variance. At rivers, among other things, we horrify Richter, volumetric smoke rises from the crater of the nearby volcano, headlight color the environment of the festival outposts.
Details: Animals Volcano Headlight Light
Frame rate and resolution
With regard to performance, we can stick to all Xbox systems that it is not much better. Load gene devices pack the graphic splendor with constants 30 fps, on which Series X | S we have the choice between a performance mode with 60 fps and a quality mode with 30 fps. The quality mode is not limited to the resolution, but also activates additional graphics features such as the higher vegetation density.
Our measurements showed a one hundred percent stable frame rate on all systems:
Series X — Quality Series X — Performance Series S — Series S quality — Performance One X
Should briefly accrue more computing load, the engine of Fora Horizon 5 responds instantly to it. Thus, the native rendering resolution can be adjusted dynamically or optionally, a semi-finished frame to be inserted among others. The latter can manifest themselves as screen tearing, the emergency mechanism occurs in practice but only in rare situations used.
Even 30 fps act in Fora Horizon 5 is still very fluid, a brilliant implementation of motion blur offering a crisp driving experience, the pace impression on the lawn is always maintained.
Fora Horizon 6 could start in the following aspects
Timely perfect, Fora Horizon 5 is not yet. Especially the animations of the main characters act extremely wood, they barely lift themselves from the audience on the roadside. We often get the avatars of other players to see themselves, in a visually complicated title they therefore act largely.
Character models: main character audience
Interiors of vehicles Polygon arm: Turn to the cockpit perspective, unfortunately we have to live with a lower level of detail compared to the motorsport series. However, that is deliberately chosen as we often drift through the pampa. Only the pursuit perspective provides the necessary overview.
Accidents only ensure a few scratches: While we can disassemble the Mexican landscapes in detail, the damage model of the vehicles is very reserved and goes beyond a splintered disk or a slightly bent fender. If we decide for a simulation of the damage effect, it may be that our engine is completely over after a frontal crash, but only a small Dell is located on the car.
Ray Tracing Only in Formalist on the Xbox Series X: In Fora Horizon 5, the elaborate light beam calculation is unfortunately only used when we examine our cart in the garage. Individual elements then throw dynamic shadows on the vehicle.
An implementation for the global lighting system would certainly be too expensive, especially if one considers the high speeds of the vehicles, reflections in puddles or flow runs would offer themselves for technology. The Screen Space Reflections on water surfaces look cloudy, the inaccurate broken light ensures that the cool wet stands out from the rest of the environment.
Reflections: rear window water
Long loading times: The fast trip to your own house draws on the load like chewing gum, we always have to wait a good ten seconds in scene changes. But also the new consoles do not offer uninterrupted gaming experience, jumps from a racing event also send us a few seconds in a charging screen.
Conclusion of the editors
Chris Median
@Drchrisrespect
Even if Fora Horizon 5 is only slightly dependent on its direct predecessor, it is a stunning graphic experience, in which I inevitably use myself with superlatives. Picturesque landscapes are generated with the magnificent lighting system, due to the many destructible elements is always taught dynamics. In addition, the variety does not come too short — we heat through the desert at night, fight us through dense fog swaths and peppers along light flooded rivers.
The performance is from another star. Fora Horizon 5 always remains fluid, even in 30 fps, the title is perfectly playable due to the outstanding motion blur implementation. Sure, the blur falls on, the disadvantage of 30 fps is not long ago as other titles.
For a possible successor, however, I wish a few novelties offered by the series. The character models could calmly tolerate a refresher, after a crash I would also like to see that my vehicle is over. Whether ray-tracing ever manages away from Formalist into the game, but I dare to doubt, I would like to see it on water surfaces.
Which graphics effects would you wish for Fora Horizon 6?