Mass Effect: Andromeda Console Resolutions
By Anthony Taormina 11 January 2017
BioWare General Manager Aaryn Flynn reveals that Mass Effect: Andromeda will run at 1080p resolution on PS4 and 900p on Xbox One, with both hitting 30fps.
Although developer BioWare had kept quiet with regards to Mass Effect: Andromeda for quite some time, it appears that the marketing and promotional trains have kicked into gear. Not only has the studio confirmed details like a release date and if the game will have EA Access support, but individual team members have also started answering smaller questions, like what resolutions Mass Effect: Andromeda will run at on console.
Concerning the resolution, BioWare General Manager Aaryn Flynn confirmed that Mass Effect: Andromeda will run at 1080p on PS4 and 900p on Xbox One. Both games, he added, will be capped at 30 frames per second, a standard frame rate for home consoles.
“Last I checked, we were like other Frostbite games on PS4 and XBox One – 1080p and 900p respectively. All are at 30 fps. PC has uncapped framerate. I think we’ve even gotten over the 30 fps cap in cutscenes, but I’ll double-check in the next couple of weeks.”
While some might be surprised to learn that Mass Effect: Andromeda won’t run at 1080p on both platforms, Flynn says that the disparity is standard for the Frostbite engine. Battlefield 1, for example, ran at similar resolutions on consoles, and Frostbite’s creators DICE were responsible for its development. Why exactly PS4 and Xbox One are still not equal is likely more complex than any forum post can explain, but it is strange that developers haven’t found a way yet.
As far as the PC is concerned, Flynn assures high-end gaming enthusiasts that Mass Effect: Andromeda will have an uncapped frame rate and it can be assumed that the game will support a number of resolutions. Essentially, if there are players out there that want to get the best possible visuals and frame rate out of their Mass Effect: Andromeda experience, PC is going to be the way to go yet again.
Of course, few gamers will notice, let alone care, once they get their hands on the experience. Yes, a 60 fps frame rate is noticeable in any experience, but Frostbite games have performed well on consoles for a while now.
Truthfully, BioWare has never put visuals at the forefront of its experiences – instead choosing to highlight gameplay and story over anything else. Most don’t point to the visuals of Mass Effect as a reason for having played the game, but rather the journey of Commander Shepard and his crew. It’s likely for those reasons that many fans aren’t as bothered by the facial animations in Mass Effect: Andromeda as they might be in other games. It should be mentioned, though, that BioWare has promised to improve those.
For now it’s a waiting game, but it appears the wait will be far less excruciating, as BioWare continues to peel back the layers of Mass Effect: Andromeda. Fans know that longer gameplay sessions are on the way, and that apparently BioWare and Electronic Arts have a very thoughtful plan when it comes to reveals. In other words, look for more on the game – potentially a lot more – in the coming weeks.
Mass Effect: Andromeda releases March 21, 2017 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
