Digital Foundry compared Injustice 2 running on the Xbox One X and the PS4 Pro and concluded that the game looks sharper and clearer on the One X. However, the differences between the two consoles are minor and hardly noticeable unless you’re obsessively looking for them instead of playing the game. Injustice 2 appears to be the rare example of a game that isn’t markedly improved on the One X.
What’s the same
Digital Foundry thought the most striking visual aspect of Injustice 2 is how well the game implements HDR. If the One X was the only version with HDR support, Microsoft’s console would be the clear winner. But it’s not. HDR is identical on the two consoles.
High-quality HDR is not the only visual feature shared by the One X and the Pro. Shadow quality and motion blur are also identical on the two consoles.
As we’ll see in a moment, there are resolution differences between the One X and the Pro when the player has control during the game. When the player is just watching during cut scenes and segments when one of the combatants is executing a special move, both consoles display at 2880 x 1620.
Performance is also identical on the two consoles. Cut scenes and special moves run at 30 fps and player-controlled combat is locked at a smooth 60 fps.
What’s different
The major difference between the One X and the Pro is resolution when the player is in control. During these segments the Pro plays at 2560 x 1440 while the One X comes in at 2880 x 1620.
Many games display at 1440p on the Pro, and when you compare them with the same game running at native 4K (3840 x 2160) on the One X, the difference is striking. However, moving from 1440p to 1620p is not nearly as impressive. Can you see the difference in the above image? You can see it clearly in Digital Foundry’s video when they blow up a segment of the screen and swap the two versions back and forth, but when you look at the picture it’s hard to see.
The One X also has improved textures along with improvements in texture filtering and ambient occlusion. If these differences were in place throughout the game, they might justify tagging the One X as the preferred console. But they’re not. Digital Foundry reported that these enhancements only appear on occasion.
Conclusion
On paper, Injustice 2 has better visuals on the Xbox One X than the PS4 Pro. But the game isn’t played on paper, it’s played on a TV. When you’re playing, the differences between the consoles don’t amount to much.
The game’s most striking visual feature, beautiful HDR, is identical on both consoles. So is performance with 60 fps gameplay and 30 fps cut scenes. Improved textures, texture filtering and ambient occlusion on the One X are not consistent enough to clearly differentiate the two consoles.
Resolution during gameplay is the most significant difference between the One X and the Pro but the difference is not great enough to produce a clear visual benefit. The improvement is difficult to see in a still image and virtually impossible to notice during Injustice 2’s fast-paced action.
It’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that NetherRealm Studios didn’t put much effort into enhancing Injustice 2 for the One X. In that respect, Injustice 2 is well named because the game fails to do justice to the graphics superiority of Microsoft’s console.
If you’re interested in the Xbox One X, here are some other articles you might enjoy.
- The Year’s Best Looking Games On The Xbox One X
- The Xbox One X Presents Microsoft With A Problem And An Opportunity
- Comparing ‘Destiny 2′ On The Xbox One X, The PS4 Pro And A High-End PC
- ‘PUBG’ On The Xbox One Has Serious Frame Rate Problems
- The 4K Upgrade For ‘Halo 5′ On The Xbox One X Is A State-Of-The-Art Improvement
- The Xbox One X Enhanced Version Of ‘Hitman’ Is A Graphics Knockout
