Observations & Discussion on Apple Silicon Graphics Performance with MetalFX Upscaling

[tomO2013]

manufacturers are inconsistent in their implementation (likely because the average consumer doesn't understand what it does and just sees a darker screen)

So... We need higher frame rates, but developers obviously want to continue pushing the boundaries of visual fidelity.
Not everyone wants an RTX 4090 (super expensive, hot, and isn't going to fit into a laptop or even SFF anytime soon) and even Nvidia is acknowledging via DLSS 2 & 3 that brute force alone isn't going to cut it.
How do we get higher framerates while still pursing higher fidelity? Temporal reconstruction techniques like MetalFX Upscaling, DLSS, FSR 2.x, XeSS, TSR (UE5), and Checkerboard Rendering are currently the only option

This is a brilliant post. Nail on the head

I’d add to your point, that for most folks ‘good enough’ is what they are after and techniques like DLSS , FSR, MetalFX help commoditize raytracing for wider adoption and in turn the value proposition for buying ray tracing hardware.

I tend to see Ray Tracing like a diet version of the transform and lighting revolution that occurred in late ‘99 with the original GeForce. Perhaps not quite as revolutionary in scale/scope (subjectively to me anyway) but it is still in it’s chicken/egg phase with respect to hardware and software support.

From a business perspective, we need the lowest common denominator to be able to take advantage of ray tracing without crippling frame rates if we are to see a greater investment in the technology. DLSS is great for giving 4090 headline grabbing frames per second in marketing bench….. but it’s more important at the low end for making ray tracing usable or even an option worth of consideration to be turned on.

I also echo your sentiments about plasma. I had a very old Panasonic Vierra and to this day, I still think the motion on that was some of the best that I’ve ever seen.

 

[Zest28]

Certainly the first time a graphically intensive game released at the same year as the hardware can be run at 4K resolution from a battery pack for more than 5 minutes if at all at 60 fps?

iPads have been able to do this for a while. They even run it at 120fps. Genshin Impact is an example of that.

 

[diamond.g]

iPads have been able to do this for a while. They even run it at 120fps. Genshin Impact is an example of that.

Does Genshin Impact actually count?

 

[Zest28]

Does Genshin Impact actually count?

Why wouldn't it count? It is a popular PC game.

But there have been other AAA games on the iPad such as Alien Isolation that runs fine on the battery without performance loss.

 

[diamond.g]

Why wouldn't it count? It is a popular PC game.

But there have been other AAA games on the iPad such as Alien Isolation that runs fine on the battery without performance loss.

As a show of the power of an iPad? Eh. I would argue Alien Isolation is a better title, but it also almost ten years old. To be honest I am surprised Capcom didn’t throw RE8 on iPadOS and just require a controller. I wonder if the game size is the problem.

 

[mi7chy]

Why wouldn't it count? It is a popular PC game.

But there have been other AAA games on the iPad such as Alien Isolation that runs fine on the battery without performance loss.

iPad version is only AAA by name but inferior in image quality and detail.

 

[tomO2013]

Based on the reviewers other videos, he was utilizing an RTX 3090 a year ago when this benchmark comparison between editions was made and has recently upgraded to a RTX 4090.

It’s truly impressive (IMHO) that a device as thin, light, cool to the touch as an iPad, can come so close in terms of quality and detail and ultimately conveying the experience of the game in such a small form factor when you compare against a high end gaming PC.

I can understand why some feel threatened when they see demonstrations like this. Far from undermining the iPad’s performance, I think that video that you shared Mi7chy only reinforced just how capable the device is.

Thank you for sharing

 

[Kazgarth]

Why wouldn't it count? It is a popular PC game.

But there have been other AAA games on the iPad such as Alien Isolation that runs fine on the battery without performance loss.

It doesn't run at 120FPS when the resolution is set to high, max out at 40-60FPS

And when graphics set to low it does run at 120FPS only for few mins before it throttles down to to around 70fps.

 

[leman]

Based on the reviewers other videos, he was utilizing an RTX 3090 a year ago when this benchmark comparison between editions was made and has recently upgraded to a RTX 4090.

It’s truly impressive (IMHO) that a device as thin, light, cool to the touch as an iPad, can come so close in terms of quality and detail and ultimately conveying the experience of the game in such a small form factor when you compare against a high end gaming PC.

I can understand why some feel threatened when they see demonstrations like this. Far from undermining the iPad’s performance, I think that video that you shared Mi7chy only reinforced just how capable the device is.

Something like Genshin Impact would run on a toaster. It’s a game specifically targeting low-end hardware. So I disagree with your statement that having similar experience in this game for iPad vs. a high end PC is surprising, no, it’s just working as expected.

Your post does however touch upon a very interesting topic: that of experience. PC gaming discourse usually revolves around capabilities - gamers want more visually and technically impressive games and hardware makers want to sell faster and more expensive hardware. But the most fun I’ve had recently with games was Vampire Survivors, which is a dead simple game using low-res pixel sprites with minimal animation and devices such as Nintendo Switch prove over and over again that successful games don’t need ultra-realistic graphics or an 8-core CPU.

I would wish to see more games that employ novel technical solutions and target a wide range of hardware, focusing on player experience and accessibility rather than just state of the art graphics.

 

[jmho]

Something like Genshin Impact would run on a toaster.

I don't think that's fair. It wouldn't surprise me if the reason it isn't on the Switch is that the Switch isn't fast enough, despite the game being very scaleable.

I might be biased though because I think Genshin Impact looks incredible and I have a huge soft spot for NPR rendering.

I do believe they're using Unity so they have the ability to turn on a lot of extra features when more power is available.

 

[mi7chy]

Based on the reviewers other videos, he was utilizing an RTX 3090 a year ago when this benchmark comparison between editions was made and has recently upgraded to a RTX 4090.

Read the pinned post. That's a 2019 GPU that's going for ~$200 and total system cost less than iPad Pro.

PC Specs: i7-10700KF + RTX2060Super + 64GB DDR4 3200
iPad Pro: 2021 Model, Apple M1

 

[tomO2013]

Something like Genshin Impact would run on a toaster. It’s a game specifically targeting low-end hardware. So I disagree with your statement that having similar experience in this game for iPad vs. a high end PC is surprising, no, it’s just working as expected.

That’s not quite what I was getting at leman and the reference to a toaster is a massive over-trivialization IMHO.

My point is NOT to say that an iPad is as good technically as 2080, 3090, 4090 gaming pc when we freeze frame on a YouTube video and draw pointers to highlight the tiles on a roof having less detail on the iPad version relative to a PC etc…

My point was to highlight that the iPad can provide a close enough (read : good enough) experience to a gaming PC or gaming console that most folks simply won’t care about small graphical enhancement on one version relative to another when you tell them that they can take the iPad version with them on a plane, long bus journey, use it with their AirPods surround sound etc…
Traditionally big open world experiences like the type that Genshin impact provides were the confines of powerful gaming consoles or gaming PC’s that sucked a lot of power. The performance per watt of the iPad opens up huge possibilities.

Today, you can experience (with some loss of graphical details) pretty much the same open world, characters to interact with, story, interactive environment as a top end gaming PC without subjectively being aware that you are getting a second rate (or mobile downgrade) experience. Graphically what has been provided with Genshin impact (as this was the example sited by the OP above) is not (subjectively in my opinion anyway) providing for a massively different experience relative to a PS4, PS5, gaming PC.
In other words, the technical hardware boundaries between the types of games that one could only experience on a high end gaming PC and those same games being experienced on thin/light/portable devices like an iPad are being eroded with each evolution of Apple Silicon in an iPad.

 

[tomO2013]

Read the pinned post. That's a 2019 GPU that's going for ~$200 and total system cost less than iPad Pro.

PC Specs: i7-10700KF + RTX2060Super + 64GB DDR4 3200
iPad Pro: 2021 Model, Apple M1

Look at the performance per watt differences, form factor, convenience factor, built in 120Hz screen experience etc…

Again , your video only highlights that the iPad is an extremely capable gaming device should developers decide to port their titles to it. Console/Gaming PC quality experiences can be had on this thin tablet.

 

[bcortens]

Read the pinned post. That's a 2019 GPU that's going for ~$200 and total system cost less than iPad Pro.

PC Specs: i7-10700KF + RTX2060Super + 64GB DDR4 3200
iPad Pro: 2021 Model, Apple M1

You really cannot build a system described for less than $1000 (which is around the price of an iPad Pro).
The 2060 Super is not a $200 dollar card either… it’s still $300+ when I went looking

PC gaming is great and a good gaming PC will obviously offer better performance per dollar for gaming than any Mac or iPad but really what is your point here? No one is disputing that PCs are still the better gaming platform, just highlighting how technically impressive apples hardware is (even if few games exist)

 

[mi7chy]

Had to see the differences for myself. With max graphics settings on both PC and M1 iPad Pro it's like watching a Disney animated movie vs mobile game. On the iPad version there are missing reflections on the floor, light shining through church window onto floor has a hard jagged edge vs realistic soft smooth edge, character lacks lighting on clothe and boots on the side facing the light, missing floating white particles, muted colors, etc. and lag so definitely not AAA.

PC Genshin Impact

M1 iPad Pro Genshin Impact

 

[jmho]

It looks mostly just like screen space reflections and bloom, and some kind of global lighting boost for a character inside light volumes (it doesn't look like the actual light itself is being projected, anyway)

The iPad does have a very high resolution given its relatively low power, which is why post processing effects can be its achilles heel but that's why MetalFX is cool, even though I'm pretty sure Unity doesn't support it.

Both platforms appear to be rendering the exact same geometry and textures though.

 

[diamond.g]

Had to see the differences for myself. With max graphics settings on both PC and M1 iPad Pro it's like watching a Disney animated movie vs mobile game. On the iPad version there are missing reflections on the floor, light shining through church window onto floor has a hard jagged edge vs realistic soft smooth edge, character lacks lighting on clothe and boots on the side facing the light, missing floating white particles, muted colors, etc. and lag so definitely not AAA.

PC Genshin Impact
View attachment 2109161

M1 iPad Pro Genshin Impact
View attachment 2109162

Both pics look the same. 🫤

 

[tomO2013]

Had to see the differences for myself. With max graphics settings on both PC and M1 iPad Pro it's like watching a Disney animated movie vs mobile game. On the iPad version there are missing reflections on the floor, light shining through church window onto floor has a hard jagged edge vs realistic soft smooth edge, character lacks lighting on clothe and boots on the side facing the light, missing floating white particles, muted colors, etc. and lag so definitely not AAA.

PC Genshin Impact
View attachment 2109161

M1 iPad Pro Genshin Impact
View attachment 2109162

I think this screen comparison only emphasises the point being made though, doesn’t it?

The world itself doesn’t look significantly different bar some softer feathered lighting effects on the floor , global illumination etc.. on the PC version.

I do know that on my iPad I can play this game in overcooked 120hz mode and it’s gloriously smooth. My PC despite having a beefy dedicated GPU still is connected to a colour accurate ProArt monitor capped at 60 HZ. Great for colour accurate workflows, not so great for gaming!

I’d also reiterate JMHO comment, it will be very interesting to see how developers (including the developer behind genshin impact) take advantage of Metal 3 performance improvements and optimization for greater graphical effects.

 

[Malus120]

To bring the discussion back around to the topic at hand...

I don't think Genshin Impact is a particularly good indicator of cross platform graphics, CPU or gaming performance for anything with M1 (+) class hardware. This isn't a value judgement on the quality of the game's visuals, it's a recognition that the game was clearly built for mobile devices first and foremost (in Unity no less, a game engine not exactly known for cutting edge graphics or performance) with any graphics scaling you can do on top just being icing on the cake.

This means that unless the developers choose to build in extra scalability, improvements available on more powerful hardware are by definition limited to resolution, frame rate, and marginal increases in effects like shadows, reflections, etc. You're not going to see earth shattering changes in visual makeup no matter how much hardware you throw at it. There may be an interesting discussion to be had on how well something like an iPad can run the game at launch vs once heat soaked (throttling,) but I don't think this is the place for it.

Furthermore, there is currently no native Mac version of Genshin Impact and it doesn't support MetalFX Upscaling even on iOS ATM. If either of those things change then it might merit more discussion and I'm not opposed if someone wants to sideload it with something like PlayCover to do a quick test to see how it compares to mobile/PC (although again, as a mobile first game with older rendering tech, it should fly on even the base M1 so I think it has limited utility as a cross platform benchmark with PC), but otherwise let's try to keep the discussion focused on (Mac) Apple Silicon graphics performance and MetalFX Upscaling.

RE:Village (and hopefully soon games like No Man's Sky) are interesting because they were built with modern platforms in mind. They're certainly not the most punishing games on the market, but they are, at the very least, games that were built with PC/8th gen consoles (PS4/XOne) as a baseline and 9th gen consoles (PS5/SeriesXS) in mind.

I realize it's a bit hard to keep the discussion on topic when we only have one game/app at the moment to test. I'll see if maybe I can at least update the initial post with more details/later areas sometime this week.

 

[diamond.g]

NMS will be fun to look at. Does Metal have any tricks up its sleeve to accelerate voxels?

 

[sunny5]

Had to see the differences for myself. With max graphics settings on both PC and M1 iPad Pro it's like watching a Disney animated movie vs mobile game. On the iPad version there are missing reflections on the floor, light shining through church window onto floor has a hard jagged edge vs realistic soft smooth edge, character lacks lighting on clothe and boots on the side facing the light, missing floating white particles, muted colors, etc. and lag so definitely not AAA.

PC Genshin Impact
View attachment 2109161

M1 iPad Pro Genshin Impact
View attachment 2109162

Read the pinned post. That's a 2019 GPU that's going for ~$200 and total system cost less than iPad Pro.

PC Specs: i7-10700KF + RTX2060Super + 64GB DDR4 3200
iPad Pro: 2021 Model, Apple M1

You are comparing a desktop to a tablet! Is that even a fair comparison? If you wanna compare it, you better bring a super thin laptop or tablet. Beside, PC doesn't even have a tablet to compete with iPad at all. Do you know that a laptop also costs a lot like iPad Pro? What kind of logic is that? You keep failing to prove your point since Resident Evil Village and you better bring logical datas.

 

[Beefbowl]

Something like Genshin Impact would run on a toaster. It’s a game specifically targeting low-end hardware. So I disagree with your statement that having similar experience in this game for iPad vs. a high end PC is surprising, no, it’s just working as expected.

Your post does however touch upon a very interesting topic: that of experience. PC gaming discourse usually revolves around capabilities - gamers want more visually and technically impressive games and hardware makers want to sell faster and more expensive hardware. But the most fun I’ve had recently with games was Vampire Survivors, which is a dead simple game using low-res pixel sprites with minimal animation and devices such as Nintendo Switch prove over and over again that successful games don’t need ultra-realistic graphics or an 8-core CPU.

I would wish to see more games that employ novel technical solutions and target a wide range of hardware, focusing on player experience and accessibility rather than just state of the art graphics.

Genshin is actually a little more demanding than that. I tried it on my i5 Surface Pro 8 and the poor thing nearly choked to death. I had to drop it down to 1/4th native resolution and turn all graphics options to their most potato before I could get a reliable 30 fps. That's an $1100 tablet PC.

Not that the Surface Pro 8 is particularly well-suited for gaming, mind you. But games like World of Warcraft, Dark Souls III, and older Batman Arkham games (City, Origins) perform very well on it, so it's not bad for a PC of its form factor.

 

[mi7chy]

Genshin is actually a little more demanding than that. I tried it on my i5 Surface Pro 8 and the poor thing nearly choked to death.

That has more do with i5-1145G7 being an underperformer and on old 10nm node than a demanding game. 6800U would've been a better choice for Surface Pro.

Genshin Impact even runs well on Steam Deck.

 

[jmho]

NMS will be fun to look at. Does Metal have any tricks up its sleeve to accelerate voxels?

No.

Apple has a Model I/O library that can let you work with voxel data, but that's not going to be of much use for a cross platform game.

Also NMS isn't using voxels for rendering, but I guess it might be using them internally for level generation.

 

[jmho]

Genshin Impact even runs well on Steam Deck.

The Steam Deck has a ~720p screen. The majority of Genshin's visual work is done per pixel.

in Unity no less, a game engine not exactly known for cutting edge graphics or performance

Go and watch the Unity "Enemies" demo and tell me that Unity can't do AAA graphics