The upcoming new-generation port of Grand Theft Auto 5 looks much better than its PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 predecessor, as you might expect, and Digital Foundry analyzed the new trailer to assess the differences.
Sony announced a PlayStation 4 version of Grand Theft Auto 5 during its E3 2014 press briefing last week, and publisher Rockstar Games later released a trailer to confirm that the port is also on its way to Windows PC and Xbox One. According to Rockstar, the video consisted entirely of footage that was captured on a PS4, so Digital Foundry compared it to clips of the PS3 version that were provided by the YouTube channel GTA Series Videos.
According to Digital Foundry, the port of Grand Theft Auto 5 doesn't appear to be merely a higher-fidelity version of the original game — instead, "[Rockstar] seems to have gone back and made sweeping changes across the board." The PS4 game clearly renders Los Santos with much more life: There are more people and cars on the roads, more trees on the ground and more animals in the wilderness.
Technical improvements seen by Digital Foundry include higher texture detail, upgraded particle effects, better lighting and an increased draw distance, as well as what appears to be "at least mild anisotropic filtering." In addition, models for objects such as vehicles are rendered in much more detail, and post-processing effects such as depth of field are turned up.
There's no official word yet from Rockstar on the resolution and frame rate that it's targeting for the three ports, all of which are scheduled to be available this fall. Digital Foundry's analysis indicates that the PS4 version, at least, appears to be running in native 1080p in the trailer. For more on Grand Theft Auto 5, check out our full review, and watch the PS4 trailer itself below.
