A performance analysis has gone live for the original Bayonetta on the Wii U versus the seventh generation consoles. The dual-screen version went head-to-head with the Xbox 360 and PS3, and the results are kind of funny.
Digital Foundry rolled out a detailed comparison between the original Bayonetta on the Xbox 360 and PS3, versus the one ported to the Wii U that came free with the purchase of Bayonetta 2.
Simply put, the PS3 version of the game was dead on arrival. What a travesty. The game couldn't even average 30fps even though it was supposed to be rendering at 60fps.
As for the Xbox 360 and Wii U, they come awfully close to one another as far as visual presentation is concerned. As pointed out by Digital Foundry, the Wii U has a slightly more washed-out color tone compared to the 360, which might seem kind of strange given the Wii U's focus on high-saturation in most of the exclusive games, especially games like The Wonderful 101 or the upcoming Splatoon. But Platinum Games had contracted Bee Tribe Digital Studio to help with the Wii U port, so maybe adjusting the colors helped with the overall visual clarity? It was something that Linneman noted in the article.
In the video below you'll also notice that there's slightly more post-blur effects in the Wii U version, especially noticeable after the 2:17 mark and throughout the following sequence.
The video also reveals something pointed out in the article but not made readily apparent: The Xbox 360 has a horrible vertical synch issue in some of the more heavier sequences, as the system struggles to maintain a consistent refresh rate that results in periodic screen-tearing.
In fact, the screen-tearing was so apparent that I was actually able to snap a shot of the tears as they were happening. Check it out below.
More than dropped frames and frame-stuttering, the one thing that really annoys me beyond anything else, is consistent screen-tearing. It absolutely destroys immersion.
On the upside, the Wii U doesn't have any v-synch hiccups like its counterparts. It's properly synched and lined up at all times, as evidenced in the screenshot and video above.
The frame-rate comparison between all three consoles was just embarrassing for the PS3. Check it out below.
Unbelievably embarrassing – the PS3 barely averaged 27fps during heavy moments of that test, dropping as low as 17fps. During the thick moments, the Wii U hovered around 53fps and the Xbox 360 at 49fps. Not bad for a console running the action on dual screens.
Digital Foundry also noted that the game loads a lot faster on Nintendo's console, finishing loading levels within seconds compared to the 360 and PS3.
The article also states...
“...while it's difficult to nail down a 1:1 comparison due to the game's chaotic nature, similar sequences actually suggest slightly faster overall performance on Wii U. Coupling a slightly higher frame-rate with the elimination of screen-tear results in a smoother experience overall. Frame-rate drops occur in all of the same situations as Xbox 360, but the bulk of the experience seems to maintain its 60fps target fairly well indeed.”
It's been noted that Bayonetta 2 – a Wii U exclusive – doesn't quite stack up as well to Bee Tribe Digital's port, as far as performance stability goes. I'm not really sure what happened but a lot of developers have had a very difficult time adjusting to the Wii U's architecture.
You can check out the full comparison over on Digital Foundry.
