Microsoft updated their SDK for Xbox One on December 12th to offer better ESRAM (Enhanced Static Random Access Memory) control to improve Xbox One game performance. In an interview with GamingBolt, game developer Techland explained the better ESRAM control allowed them to be able to run their game, Dying Light, at 1080p. Techland originally planned to run Dying Light at 60 fps on the Xbox One and PS4, but wanted a consistent gaming experience with an even frame rate to offer a better gaming experience, so they decided to use 30fps (locked) instead. Dying Light’s lead game designer, Macieji Binkowski explained Techland’s position on creating Dying Light:
We were using the latest version just prior to the new release that came out on December 12th. In terms of advantages, he main thing is just how much the ESRAM control has improved. The new API allows you to do a lot more with the ESRAM, things devs have always wanted to do but were not easily accessible. This together with better tools (PIX) allowed us to really improve performance and tweak ESRAM usage.
PIX stands for Performance Investigator for Xbox. PIX is a game developer software tool that helps them examine and debug their code to develop their code to improve performance of Direct3D programs. Prior to the launch of Xbox One and PS4 last year, there was speculation that PS4’s memory of 8 GB of GDDR5 RAM gave the console a small advantage over Xbox One’s 8 GB of DDR3 RAM and 32 MB of ESRAM.
It is unclear if Microsoft’s December 12th SDK update directly helped Techland get its Xbox One version of Dying Light to its 1080p/30fps goal, but it appears that Microsoft is doing everything in its power to make it more appealing to game developers to bring more games to the Xbox One and show just how great the Xbox One can be.
For more information, check the full interview with GamingBolt at the VIA link below!
