March 10th, 2012
Posted in 
“Did BioWare deliver the same ‘effect’ to multi-console owners? ”
| System Breakdown | Xbox 360 Stats | PlayStation 3 Stats |
| Resolutions: | Up to 1080p | Up to 720p |
| # of Discs: | 2 Discs | single |
| HD Install: | Optional | No Install |
| Metacritic: |  |
|
Welcome back for another exciting Head2Head! A few days ago we showed you the graphical differences between both retail versions of BioWare’s Mass Effect 3 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Today we’ve finished up our performance analysis and are ready to give you the details. Did BioWare deliver the same ‘effect’ to multiconsole owners? Read on to find out.
Graphics: When we look at the visual aspect of the game, it seems to be a pretty clear cut victory for one of the two HD consoles of this generation. The first thing you will want to note is the gamma differences between the two versions. Like many other past instances, the PS3 is much brighter and may need turned down while the 360 portrays a totally different field where gamma will need to be turned up. This warrants no real advantage to either console, but is worth mentioning none the less. When it comes to matters such as texture details, the 360 has the edge. In enclosed areas and on most of the characters, things are pretty well matched. However when things open up and there is more on screen to look at, the difference is much more apparent.
There is also a minor, yet distinct advantage in the Anti Aliasing department that also favors the 360 version. Take a look at the last roll over on the second page to see a perfect example of this. Once again, this difference will mostly only be noticed when in more open areas as opposed to a more enclosed spot. In addition, there is also a very obvious advantage to the 360 when it comes to draw distance. If fact the third screenshot below shows just how serious this affects the overall quality when compared to one another. Look at the large C containers in particular, notice how the 360 version has full normal maps on all of them? However the PS3 version seems to only have them on the one container closest to the road, while the rest look horrible by comparison. Also note the difference between the ships on the landing pad even further out.
At first we thought things would be pretty close and the differences would be too minimal to matter, especially since the PS3 version of Mass Effect 2 supposedly used the Mass Effect 3 engine. Sadly this isn’t the case here and the 360 version comes out on top. Neither version looks bad for the MOST part, but when it comes down to a more polished visual there can be only one winner this time.
Performance: With Mass Effect 2 we saw a drastic change in performance from the PS3 demo code to the final build — so we had high hopes that BioWare would be implementing the same changes for this latest entry. Unfortunately with Mass Effect 3, the same thing can’t be said. Our Mass Effect 3 demo analysis showed the PS3 version struggling to maintain its targeted thirty frames per second frame rate, often dropping into the low twenties for periods of time. Sadly, we can confirm that the PS3 retail version suffers from the same problems. The 360 version on the other hand offers a much smoother experience in terms of frame rate alone. When it comes to screen tearing, both versions had less than one percent to be found and is therefore handled very well on both sides. The numbers can be found in the chart below.
| Xbox 360 Frame Analysis | PlayStation 3 Frame Analysis |
| Clip 1 info: Length of clip: 3139 frames Average FPS of clip: 29.7 Percent of torn frames: 1.20 |
Clip 1 info: Length of clip: 3139 frames Average FPS of clip: 23.24 Percent of torn frames: 0.00 |
| Clip 2 info: Length of clip: 3771 frames Average FPS of clip: 29.86 Percent of torn frames: 0.10 |
Clip 2 info: Length of clip: 3771 frames Average FPS of clip: 26.48 Percent of torn frames: 0.00 |
| Clip 3 info: Length of clip: 4143 frames Average FPS of clip: 29.80 Percent of torn frames: 0.11 |
Clip 3 info: Length of clip: 4143 frames Average FPS of clip: 27.39 Percent of torn frames: 0.02 |
| Clip 4 info: Length of clip: 8824 frames Average FPS of clip: 29.74 Percent of torn frames: 0.17 |
Clip 4 info: Length of clip: 8824 frames Average FPS of clip: 25.32 Percent of torn frames: 0.00 |
| Global percent of torn frames:0.46 Global average FPS: 29.65 |
Global percent of torn frames: 0.02 Global average FPS: 25.64 |
Loading: On to our final category, load times. One glance at the table below shows why the Xbox 360 will be taking this category. During our capture session, the Xbox 360 version loaded nearly 10 seconds faster then its PlayStation 3 counterpart. Please note that the PlayStation 3 version had no mandatory install to speak of, and that the Xbox 360 version was not installed to the system’s HDD during our capture. Load times below.
| PlayStation 3 Load Times | Xbox 360 Load Times |
| Sample 1: 22.5 Seconds | Sample 1: 18.3 Seconds |
| Sample 2: 23.9 Seconds | Sample 2: 16.6 Seconds |
| Sample 3: 22.6 Seconds | Sample 3: 14.8 Seconds |
| Sample 4: 25.6 Seconds | Sample 4: 16.6 Seconds |
| Sample 5: 26.6 Seconds | Sample 5: 16.3 Seconds |
| Sample Average: 24.4 Seconds | Sample Average: 16.46 Seconds |
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Click to Enlarge Image.
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More Roll Overs, Sliders, Conclusion, Video and Staff Choice on Page 2>>>
177 comments from members, join the discussion in the forum >>>
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Tags: *To ensure color accuracy from the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii U output, the PlayStation 3 has RGB Full Range set to "Full" and Super White "On", and the Xbox 360 has Reference Level set to "Expanded" and HDMI Color Space set to "RGB". Our capture card we have captured segments from the AVS HD 709 . Blu-ray, HD DVD, & MP4 Calibration suite.
As you will see, each system matches each other at the SOURCE LEVEL. No contrast or gamma settings are manipulated before or after capturing our images/videos. We strongly believe that these types of corrections are done on a individuals preference and should not be adjusted by us. Finally, washed out looking images that are due to contrast or gamma differences will not have any influence on our final verdicts. Please Read through our F.A.Q page if you have any questions or concerns.*
I bought it on 360 so I could continue my Shepard from 1 and 2 but does any else notice bad tearing and frame rate drops, especially on the citadel?
Funnily enough I don’t. I do play my games with soft motion flow which gives the illusion of 60fps. Try setting your console to 720p. That way there’s less upscaling to do and hence less noticeable screen tear.
@BADASSBAB
“Try setting your console to 720p. That way there’s less upscaling to do and hence less noticeable screen tear.”
the 360 uses the best in class upscalling (brought to you by the lanczos algorithm) which i believe is also used for upscaling by the Lamborghinis of the television market, in the 360 however its a separate hardware chip set aside from the core rendering hardware that doesn’t eat at the consoles system resources. turning it off (setting output to 720p) will do next to nothing for the framerate and screen tearing, i do suggest though getting a plasma tv set with a 600Hz sub field drive or an LCD tv with a refresh rate of 120Hz or higher as it does some additional processing of the frames to give a more smother image while in motion which helps rub away tearing and framedrops.
@CMAC019
but some people do believe that installing the 360 version to the hdd will help with tearing and framerate issues but i dont see how considering its processing related, but give it a shot because it does help load textures quicker which in return MAY help with some graphical glitches your experiencing.
@NOVA
You do realize that “Box, Triangle, Gauss, Mitchel and Lanczos” algorithms have absolutley nothing to do with screen tearnig don’t you?
They have to do with samples per pixel, alpha contrast and pixel interpolation, nothing else.
Please, don’t mention things you clearly didn’t study.
Xbots dislike my comments,why? Ah yeah,i know,the truth hurts right ?lmao!
Yep you are mad and could you tell me what colour is the sky on your world
I am HIGHLY disappointed in Bioware too, at least they could raised the CG video quality in the PS3 and make use of the disc space just like Final Fantasy XIII.
Well I have no choice !! I will go with the PC version and Keep my PS3 for those exclusives games .
ONCE AGAIN, Lens Of Truth brings us ANOTHER EXCITINH H2H!
After the analysis and despites the PS3 version using a totally new engine, I can only say this:
PS3: OWNED!!
You should’ve captured some video from after the Mars mission. The framerate is much smoother after that for me for some reason.
I just watched a comparison of the Mars mission on Digital Foundry and the PS3 keeps dropping frames.
Yeah that was the worst mission. After that it’s smooth. I don’t know why it says 15 fps at sur kesh. For me it was really smooth most of the time there.
PS3 uses full res alpha like 360 which is a mistake imo as PS3 has less bandwidth. I think Bioware was more interested in keeping the visual the same rather than smoother frame rate. The Mars mission has a lot of alpha effects (the constant sand dust for example). I’d rather lower res alpha and smoother frame rate, not sure why Bioware thought otherwise. All PS3 exclusives use quater res alpha and the only people who notice are tech nerds like me and I only notice due to comparison websites pointing it out..
Because they’re crappy developers on all levels. The series is a disaster on all levels except the actual original concept which has alot of potential. I think Bioware should just be an idea company making ideas for real game developers.
And yes I agree. I don’t care about alpha or texture resolution and sh*t like that. I only want a good performance and a small amount of jaggies.
I thought about posting but then I realized..
The comments section looks like it is run over by the kindergarden.
It’s meaningless.
Digital Foundry face off is up and they’ve awarded it a SOMEWHAT 360 victory .
360- Much smoother at the cost of slight tearing at top of screen when action heavy, better implementation of FXAA.
PS3- One disc, indirect shadows implemented, v-synced at cost of frame rate for large parts of the game especially during cut scenes.
The 360 side missions are all on one disc and the priority missions all on the other so 360 completionists will be doing a lot of disc swapping if completing side missions alongside the priority missions
Excuse my noobness, I don’t have X360 for very long. Can you install 2 dvds onto hard drive? Do you have to swap discs even if the game is fully installed?
You can install both discs but you will still have to swap discs based on whether your doing priority missions or side quests however I have read one comment on Digital Foundry who says he hardly swapped discs by leaving in disc 2 so try that.
“Digital Foundry face off is up and they’ve awarded it a SOMEWHAT 360 victory”
A somewhat 360 victory not enough to convince ps3fanboy that it’s worse on ps3 i bet
Unlike some people I’m honest, stands up for my views and not blinded by my preferences
this is a clear win for the 360 for sure. But as I said a SMALL victory equivalent to the PS3′s DNF & Brink victories.
What ever happened to the love for games?
I get the idea of this site, getting multiplatform games for the best platform performance, it’s a no brainer.
But why, and this is something i’ve been asking myself a lot, do you people (fanboys) care wether the 360 or Ps3 performs the best? You didn’t create the console, you have no personal connection to the companies Microsoft and Sony? so why is it so important to make fun of others not thinking and acting like you do?
When it all comes down to it, it’s just about which platform you prefere and the love for gaming?
Without the playstation we would miss out on a lot of great games and same for the xbox and nintendo consoles, competition is good, it makes the game companies want to achieve something and not just spitting out shitty games.
Fanboys, you just make me sad, and you make me hate the consoles you support, cause you represent the worst in gaming, you are the ones making people think xbox-live is just for kids with bad mouths and you are the ones who make Playstation 3 seem like a overpriced bluray-player.
You have no love for gaming, only love for being arses and making the console you support shine in the baddest of light.
I love Mass Effect and i love games.
Just my two cents (sorry not a naitive speaker, so i apologize in advance for any faults or flaws in my comment)
PS3 fanboy, dude, who are you selling this tripe too?
Skyrim may be functional now on ps3, but saying it’s better than 360 version is just plain ol bat poop crazy. It’s lower res for start. I had 360 version, and it certainly has it’s faults, and I appreciate that the softer image of ps3 version, in some respects is more pleasing, but overall, there’s no debate, 360 version is better
No it’s not lower res, where did you hear such nonsense? And why are you saying “functional NOW”? It has always been functional. I’ve never had any problems and it’s the same for the majority of those playing on PS3, even pre-patch. Saying it wasn’t functional because of a rare bug is very unfair.
In any case though, there’s no debate, the PS3 version is better.
Ouch, the frames actually drops to 20. I absolutely cannot stand playing a game when it hits below 30 frames.
All I can say about your arguments, apart from them being boring , is the action in ME series is rubbish, it’s poor man’s gears of war with worse controls, skyrim overall is better on 360 and ME3 is better on 360, stop the ridiculous arguments now lol
The action in Mass Effect is really piss poor. With ME3 it’s at least somewhat decent but it was absolutely atrocious in ME1 & ME2.
my mistake ps3, it just looked lower res, and is wrongly remembered it being lower Res. You’re also correct about the frame rate being improved, but still think you’re really stretching the realms of believability saying it’s superior to 360 version. The game sucks period IMO , but you guys need to get out more, this is just sad lol
No problem. But yes I think it’s the best console version. I’m being honest since I can say the 360 is the definite choice for Mass Effect 3 without hesitation.
You mean ME3 sucks or Skyrim sucks? I think Skyrim is pretty decent. Crappy combat but very nice atmosphere.
Skyrim sucks, I like story and didnt find it overly heavy on RPG, which is good thing for me, but the combat is awful, and annoyed me senseless , which ruined things for me. I got fed up of swinging my sword and seeing my energy deplete , even before the enemy had swung their sword and watching the animation take place after it. It’s truly awful combat mechanics. For those that like RPG’s a lot, it may be excusable, but for me who’s not a huge fan of RPG, the lack of decent combat mechanics made it unforgivable. Me2 has ok controls, not great by any means, and Me3 has much improved controls, and is a huge improvement in this respect to skyrim imo. The RPG side of it is up for debate as, that’s not my field of speciality lol
Well I don’t disagree with anything you say of course. I already said in my first post it has really crappy combat. If you wan’t good combat in an RPG go play Demon’s Souls. And if you play Skyrim afterwards prepare to be underwhelmed lol
My opinion is: PS3 for sony exclusives and XBOX 360 for multiplataform / Microsoft Exclusives…
Why fight like a dumb ass for a brand?
Funny how using a AMOLED screen makes the gamma difference disapper.
Mass Effect 3, please
To every xbox owner:
Have you seen uncharted? HAVE YOU SEEN UNCHARTED??
who were those idiots that voted xcrap version? give me your name and adress so i can punch you in the face!!!
Trolls and fanboy’s are being really stupid. This was a clear 360 win. I originally had ME3 and ME2 for PS3, I beat them both but because of the really annoying loading times on ME3 for PS3 and the FPS in some areas, oh AND the freezing I forced myself to sell both and buy the trilogy for my 360.
” Otherwise we might discuss what happens if you use an SDD on the PS3. That could potentially eliminate the pop in and other things.”
I have SSD in my PS3, so does it help in Skyrim? It greatly reduces pop up in Battlefiled 3, Resistance 3 etc. I wonder which version to buy, 360 build seems to be better judging form youtube videos.
vote – xbox
reason – better frame performance & texture field,
great preview lens of truth
Why are the xbox 360 shadows really dark???? like the pic of him standing under a light thats slightly in front of him, except his back is all PITCH BLACK, SHADER FAIL XBOX 360! but i have it on 360 anyway.
Xbox wins and thats comming from a ps3 fan
ps3 fan mostly because ps3 has better exclusive games and doesn’t have a 54.2% failrate – I know 4 people including myself whom their system broke
compared to 10.6% failrate for ps3 which is below expectancy for digital products
http://consumerist.com/2009/08/xbox-360-failure-rate-is-542-percent-game-informer-finds.html
why are you idiots still buying this crapy system after your old one breaks?!
& Don’t try to throw the xbox slim has a lower failrate than the ps3 slim- ps3 does not heat up as much plus their are sites dedicated to xbox 360 slim’s failure – Im having a hard time finding similar results for the ps3
Epic 360 win
Im an xbox36o only owner. In this battle, the Xbox360 wins. Graphically.
Head 2 Head Record Battles
360/ps3
Sniper Elite V2 – PS3 Wins 0-1
I Am Alive – Xbox360 Wins 1-1
Prototype 2 – Xbox360 wins 2-1
Dragons Dogma – Xbox360 wins 3-1
O Racoon City – Xbox360 wins 4-1
Ninja Gaiden – Ps3 Wins 4-2
Mass Effect 3 – Xbox360 Wins 5-2
Mass Effect 3… Is this game any fun?
Those performance issues on the PS3 are unacceptable. While I am not the biggest fan of the PS3, I hate to see how some of these bigger developers are more than happy to release sub-standard versions of their games to the unexpecting day one buyers.
If your game isn’t of a certain standard, then you shouldn’t release it. It’s as simple as that.