PC vs PS4 Pro – Nier Automata

Been wanting this game for a while, and I think I’m ready to buy it. Problem is I don’t know what platform to buy it on.

I have a ps4 pro hooked up to a 4k tv, but read the max resolution is only 1080p? I guess that’s fine if it maintains high fps. I’m worried about ps4 not being able to hold high frame rate during action though.

I have a good PC hooked up to a 1440p monitor. 1080ti, i7-7700k, 32gb ram. Usually no problems running games unless they are poorly optimized or badly ported. Which is what I’m worried about. I read that PC port is hit or miss for some people even with good PCs. I also read somewhere that a third party patch is required for running the game optimally. I really don’t like the sound of that, probably a deal breaker for me honestly.

Questions

My questions are

How well does the game run on PC without any third party patches?

How is the resolution scaling? For example, is it one of those games that’s not worth playing at a resolution that it wasn’t designed for?

Does PC version support ps4 controller, or does it require another third party app to map the inputs?

Does ps4 pro run smooth and is it graphically comparable? I can handle small dips in frame rate but not constant stuttering.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Answer

Despite its reputation, NieR: Automata is generally a somewhat good PC port coming from a Japanese developer. It might not be the best, but it is far above a lot of other releases (looking at Nioh), it is just that it suffers from some minor oversights that harms the port more than it should.

Eh… doable. The game have an output issue though in fullscreen mode that is only fixed by either playing in window mode (no native support for borderless) or using the community mod FAR. FAR is highly recommended.
The game isn’t going to win any graphics contests anytime soon, but like all other games it benefits from a higher resolution and sharper models etc.
Steam have built-in support for the DualShock 4 controller. Enable “PlayStation 4 Controller Support” in Steam to be able to use DS4 controllers as XInput controllers in pretty much all games you run through Steam. For DS4 button prompts, a mod exists that provides those.
The PS4 Pro runs 1920×1080 55~60 FPS with constant dips or stuttering here and there. Your PC is capable of running it at a 2560×1440 rocksteady 60 FPS (although minor 25ms spikes might occur when entering a new area). Hell, your PC might even be capable of running it in 4K at a variable refresh rate between 50-60 FPS, with minor spikes to 45 FPS at times.

The PC port’s main issue after the fullscreen issue is the display driver resets that can randomly occur, but makes the game almost completely unplayable on some cards (primarily GTX 780 (Ti)). That issue usually occurs less than 5 times in a 50 hours playthrough for a player without one of the most affected cards. Your 1080 Ti is not one of those most affected by it. The workaround to that issue is to save frequently so if it occurs you only loss minor story progression. If you’re already in a save zone when it occurs then you can still hit Escape, Enter, Enter, to quick save the game.

Original Link – Continuation of discussion

GTAmes