GTA 4: Microsoft Working on Frame Rate Fixes for XB1
By Kyle Sledge 15 February 2017
Microsoft continues to search for solutions in order to fix the frame rate issues plaguing the backward compatible version of Grand Theft Auto 4 for Xbox One.
Without a doubt, Microsoft’s decision to incorporate a backward compatibility feature for the Xbox One has become one of the most popular features for the system in recent memory, but even when some of what are considered to be the top games from the last console generation get ported onto the platform, there may not be much to be done about certain technical issues that crop up from the transition. For instance, although Rockstar Games’ open world crime title Grand Theft Auto 4 was recently added to the Xbox One via backward compatibility, the game continues to suffer from frame rate issues that Microsoft is persistent in trying to fix.
While Grand Theft Auto 4 greatly benefits from increased performance on the Xbox One, some may fans may be dismayed by the backward compatible version’s frame-pacing problems, which has arguably resulted in a worse experience from the original. Interestingly enough, though, a recent analysis and report has suggested a possible solution to this issue by locking the frame rate to 30 FPS, but Microsoft engineer Bill Stillwell has chimed in to say such a feat isn’t so simple.
As it happens, Stillwell offered his expertise in a tweet regarding Grand Theft Auto 4‘s frame-rate instability on Xbox One, with the engineer confirming that he and his team are currently working within the limitations inherent within the game’s engine, saying, “We can’t just ‘lock’ an unlocked engine to 30 fps. Bound by the legacy.” Even so, Stillwell went on to promise to look into the plausibility of somehow being able to retroactively constrain the frame-rate and fix the issue.
For those unaware, Grand Theft Auto 4 is far from the first game to experience problems after being ported onto the Xbox One via backwards compatibility, and necessitate patches after becoming available through the program. For example, Mass Effect and Halo: Reach both received updates to fix similar problems when they made the leap from Xbox 360 onto Microsoft’s current generation console.
With any luck, Microsoft’s engineers will be able to find a solution soon enough so that Grand Theft Auto 4 fans can go on to experience the game unhindered by visual hangups on the Xbox One. In the meantime, though, the backward compatibility catalog continues to grow, with even more solid titles like Hitman: Absolution being added to the list and offering fans a reprieve from waiting for fixes to arrive for the likes of GTA 4.
Grand Theft Auto 4 is available for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Xbox One via backward compatibility.
