Diablo III Console Performance Analysis

In case you wonder how Diablo III performs on consoles, you need to look no further than this piece from Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry crew. In short, the Xbox 360 version has a slightly better framerate, but aside from that both versions of the title are a good pick:

On the technical scale, both the PS3 and 360 are running at the equivalent to the PC version’s high settings for texture assets, physics and effects – with smoothed dynamic shadows almost a match for PC’s highest preset. Quibbles with internal resolution and field of view aside, this is a pristinely presented take on a year-old game that targets 60fps on both platforms, and largely succeeds in nailing exactly that. There’s very little between the two releases on the visual front, so the biggest differentiator is in terms of performance, where the 360 version dishes out the smoother frame-rate during boss battles and specific overworld areas. However, the prolific tearing on both platforms is something to consider, and if you’re hoping for a fully v-synced version, the PS4 version due to next year will likely have the overhead to address this issue.

If you’re at all tempted to play on Diablo 3 on console we’d urge jumping in now rather than waiting months for a next-gen version. While the 360 offers a performance advantage over PS3, the release for Sony’s current platform remains impressive and brings about some unique benefits too. Ranked among them are the five exclusive in-game items, the subscription-free online play, and while it remains unannounced and completely unconfirmed so far, it wouldn’t be outlandish to assume an option to transfer your hero to the upcoming PS4 version is in consideration at Blizzard – whereas no Xbox One version has been announced as of writing. But to live in the moment, the PS3 and 360 releases of Diablo 3 mark a hugely successful experiment for the studio, and we hope to see its other prized franchises make a similar jump once the next generation hits.