Polyphony Digital Reveals GT Sport's "Iris" Ray Tracing System at CEDEC 2018

[GTPNewsWire]

This is the discussion thread for a recent post on GTPlanet:

Polyphony Digital Reveals GT Sport's "Iris" Ray Tracing System at CEDEC 2018

This article was published by Jordan Greer (@Jordan) on September 11th, 2018 in the Gran Turismo Sport category.

 

[Moglet]

This is absolutely fascinating! Great article. 👍

 

[Alpha Cipher]

Here's a quick digest in what ray tracing is, courtesy of Linus Techquickie:

That said, it's amazing how they could squeeze such an advanced lighting algorithm into an old PS4
They certainly aren't kidding when they said they're pushing the hardware boundaries

 

[Auditore]

This is so promising,if they nail Raytracing for future GT games prepare to be floored by the graphics,GTS already looks amazing but with Raytracing there is alot of improovements to be made.

 

[QTheRacer_31]

I guess it means we’ll not get dynamic time of day in the next GT? Not that I care but I guess they’ll want to build on this rendering engine moving forward.

 

[MisterWaffles]

I think the reason why PD is so slow making games is because they’re secretly an R&D firm for Sony.

 

[bdj57]

That is fascinating. 👍 We finally know how PD can achieve those almost natural lighting in GTS. It does require a lot of data tbh. And to put all of those in a console is quite impressive. Hopefully future hardware can cope their superb work and effort.

 

[PettyWingman]

I'm really impressed by the metal reflection in the ray tracing rendering.

Did anyone notice that in ray tracing, the car's body and the instrument panel reflects the parts of the car?
(Can anyone understand my poor English?)

 

[Auditore]

I guess it means we’ll not get dynamic time of day in the next GT? Not that I care but I guess they’ll want to build on this rendering engine moving forward.

If the PS5 hardware is good it might allow for dynamic time/weather change.

 

[user3392345]

For even more realistic screenshots!
If they were in the physics as good as the graphics....

 

[Auditore]

That said, it's amazing how they could squeeze such an advanced lighting algorithm into an old PS4 They certainly aren't kidding when they said they're pushing the hardware boundaries

PD does that with every console they work on,except the PS3 which Kaz himself said it was a bad console to work with and it shows,GT 5 and GT6 didn't look amazing and i'm glad the PS4 is better. I expect great things for the PS5.

 

[queleuleu]

PD does that with every console they work on,except the PS3 which Kaz himself said it was a bad console to work with and it shows,GT 5 and GT6 didn't look amazing and i'm glad the PS4 is better. I expect great things for the PS5.

Nurburgring time trial, from night to day listening to this song was amazing. Dynamic TOD/weather was truly a game changer.

 

[OJT6627]

Well, not gonna lie, it looks quite impressive, but...

I mean, PD is spending so much time on this graphics tech, detailing their cars, but they can't implement some simple gameplay features that exist in pretty much every modern racing game (for example looking around in Chase cam)

When GT4 came around, the game was truly ahead of its time: tons of cars, decent track choice, immersive career mode, photo-mode etc. No one could even come close in terms of gameplay content that the game offered, and Forza was pretty much at the beginning of its cycle.

Now the opposition catched up, there are immersive graphics, day/weather change (pCARS2 and DriveClub are looking very good in that aspect, i might add), photo-mode is almost everywhere, pretty much every racing game offers at least 100+ cars at launch and so on and so forth. While GT, i dunno, stuck in place or something? Sure the games improved graphics wise and a decent work on physics engine has been done, and i know that PD doesn't have a lot of staff members, but doesn't it make it even more important to work on gameplay features rather than graphics? We only recently got decent engine sounds (God, i hated the sounds in GT5) and livery editor, but there's still so much to add up to the game that it truly bothers me that PD is spending time on stuff that isn't really that important IMHO

Not hating or anything, just expressing my opinion

 

[ArR29]

Well, not gonna lie, it looks quite impressive, but...

I mean, PD is spending so much time on this graphics tech, detailing their cars, but they can't implement some simple gameplay features that exist in pretty much every modern racing game (for example looking around in Chase cam)

They had rorating chase cam back in the early days of closed Beta but they had to removed it because it was wonky and cause so much framerate stuttering.

 

[ShawnPhillips]

I guess it means we’ll not get dynamic time of day in the next GT?

Depends on if the PS5 is capable of real time raytracing Similar to NVidia RTX. If it can then dynamic time of day would be possible with GT sports level of graphical fidelity. If not then Raytracing can still be used to make super realistic looking pre-baked lighting at the expense of dynamic time of day.

 

[marcvic]

Great read - its always nice to get some insight into PD wizardry!

Its been so long since GTS release, and I still find myself being blown away by the visuals (amongst other elements, of course). Here's hoping the PS5 gets the necessary boost for dynamic conditions.

 

[eran0004]

PD does that with every console they work on,except the PS3 which Kaz himself said it was a bad console to work with and it shows,GT 5 and GT6 didn't look amazing and i'm glad the PS4 is better. I expect great things for the PS5.

They did that on the PS3 as well. And for that generation, the games looked pretty spectacular. I still remember the first time I watched a replay in GT5 Prologue, it was amazing back then.

 

[DR_MOJO91]

PD once again showing how its done.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

PD does that with every console they work on,except the PS3 which Kaz himself said it was a bad console to work with and it shows,GT 5 and GT6 didn't look amazing and i'm glad the PS4 is better. I expect great things for the PS5.

That's some revisionist history. The PS3 games certainly were inconsistent from a graphical perspective, but I'd say that was largely down to PD's decision to use PS2 assets for the majority of the car lineup. The system itself was capable of some pretty incredible visuals at the time: take an LFA around the 'Ring as the sun sets for a great example.

 

[rex1825]

If the PS5 hardware is good it might allow for dynamic time/weather change.

...it is doable on PS4 already, well, it wouldn't be dynamic by any means, it would be more of loading different pre-backed textures to models on track and only dynamic thing would be GI. But, FPS would be probably dropping like crazy all over the place. Also sky would be similar to GT5/6 with predefined backgrounds changing on intervals... Now I know why GTS takes so much space lol, imagine if they could pull the 24h cycle... game is huge already, I could imagine hitting 250+gigs with current tracks rooster...

Cool thing is that lights work in every condition, and that fancy light particles in dust and grass... they really done it with GTS, GFX went to the next level...

 

[Auditore]

That's some revisionist history. The PS3 games certainly were inconsistent from a graphical perspective, but I'd say that was largely down to PD's decision to use PS2 assets for the majority of the car lineup. The system itself was capable of some pretty incredible visuals at the time: take an LFA around the 'Ring as the sun sets for a great example.

I'm saying that GT5 and GT6 were inconsistent in the visual department,the stantard/premium system was awful i agree.

...it is doable on PS4 already, well, it wouldn't be dynamic by any means, it would be more of loading different pre-backed textures to models on track and only dynamic thing would be GI. But, FPS would be probably dropping like crazy all over the place.

Cool thing is that lights work in every condition, and that fancy light particles in dust and grass... they really done it with GTS, GFX went to the next level...

I think they would only put dynamic weather if they could keep the FPS at 60,i keep wondering if rain in GTS is taking so long because they are trying to keep 60 FPS locked.

 

[ImaRobot]

Seeing things like this get the photomode junkie in me all giddy. Although, history seems to show the more graphical prowess they aim for, other area's of the game tend to lack. Hopefully that's not the case in the future.

 

[Cerebral303]

I think the reason why PD is so slow making games is because they’re secretly an R&D firm for Sony.

There is likely a lot of truth in that. The original Gran Turismo was developed using the Performance Analyser tool Sony created for PS1 developers to see where they could squeeze more performance out of the machine. I think it was the first game to use this.

Then there is the pioneering HD work on PS2.

 

[rex1825]

@Auditore 30fps probably would solve all this, but I doubt that anyone (even the almighty Kaz) would drop now from 60 to add all those... Maybe, ...just maybe if there will be next installment of the game on PS4 we will see compromise in fps in order to get more visuals... But how rumors are going on last few months, we will probably see next PS in year or so... question is, why making game for old system, when new is there... And also if next PS will be made of PC counterparts as PS4/Pro is, then there is no doubt that GTS may come with GFX boosts for that console and added all other things to it too...

You do remember that Kaz said this is new chapter in GT...

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

Well, not gonna lie, it looks quite impressive, but...

I mean, PD is spending so much time on this graphics tech, detailing their cars, but they can't implement some simple gameplay features that exist in pretty much every modern racing game (for example looking around in Chase cam)

Maybe you're not aware but video game developers have different departments with different responsibilities. Backseat production coordinating their efforts comes off as a bit silly when people don't even understand their production workflow. Your complaint is akin to complaining about a community manager wasting their time communicating to the community, instead of "fixing the game".

I know these kinds of comments are typical on video game message boards but I'd hope that we'd be beyond posts like this here. Oh well.

 

[Auditore]

@Auditore 30fps probably would solve all this, but I doubt that anyone (even the almighty Kaz) would drop now from 60 to add all those... Maybe, ...just maybe if there will be next installment of the game on PS4 we will see compromise in fps in order to get more visuals... But how rumors are going on last few months, we will probably see next PS in year or so... question is, why making game for old system, when new is there... And also if next PS will be made of PC counterparts as PS4/Pro is, then there is no doubt that GTS may come with GFX boosts for that console and added all other things to it too...

You do remember that Kaz said this is new chapter in GT...

With consoles moving away from the Jaguar CPU next gen looks promising,a PS5 would definetly handle GTS with rain at 60FPS but by next gen PD will be on full steam for GT7,Kaz already said that the next GT is not a Sport 2.

But how rumors are going on last few months, we will probably see next PS in year or so

A new PS won't come next year,everything points at a 2020/beginning of 2021 release date but we will definetly start hearing next gen rumors next year

 

[eran0004]

...but doesn't it make it even more important to work on gameplay features rather than graphics?

That’s the beauty of having a specialised workforce: they’re all working on different aspects of the game. The graphics engineers are not working on the kind of gameplay features you’re asking for, so them spending time on doing a good job does not make the gameplay suffer.

 

[queleuleu]

Ligthing was always the strong point of GT. But this could be a revolution in GT history if true.

Physics Engine Development Engineer

・Development of a rigid body simulator
・Development of an elastic body simulator
・Development of a fluid body simulator
・Development of a rag doll simulator
・Development of other physics simulators

 

[sems4arsenal]

Bold choice. I still think they have the best lighting in any video game along side Dice's Battlewhatever games.

The drawback is a lack of dynamic TOD. I would rather have the best lighting engine, but I'm sure a lot won't agree. Doesn't excuse not having weather mind.

 

[Vspectra]

I guess it means we’ll not get dynamic time of day in the next GT? Not that I care but I guess they’ll want to build on this rendering engine moving forward.

Depends on if next-gen consoles can handle real-time raytracing. What is in GTSport requires pre-baked data since doing it real-time is considerably taxing.