Modder harnesses hidden files to improve Watch Dogs PC graphics

[Scorpus]

If you've played Watch Dogs on PC you've probably noticed that the game looks pretty great on Ultra settings, but not quite as great as it looked in the trailer shown at E3 2012 when the game was first unveiled. Combined with shoddy optimization and a generous helping of bugs, the lack of mind-boggling graphics disappointed some gamers.

As it turns out, a number of impressive graphics improvements and effects were hidden away in configuration files that Ubisoft inexplicably disabled for the final version of the game. A modder over at the Guru3D forums discovered these settings and has released a mod that seriously improves the way the game looks.

According to the mod description, changes include enabling headlight shadows, changing the way reflections, rain, fog and lighting is handled, and adjusting the depth of field. It also claims to improve performance and reduce stuttering, which is something Ubisoft has yet to fix through an official patch.

If you want to check out this Watch Dogs mod, head over to the Guru3D forums to find a download link. As with all modding, make sure to backup any overwritten files just in case something goes wrong.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/57132-modder-harnesses-hidden-files-to-improve-watch-dogs-pc-graphics.html

 

[davislane1]

Always glad to see modders doing the dev's work for them. Nice group of guys to pick up the slack like that.

/sarcasm

 

[Burty117]

I bet they hid the files so that the PC version looks in line with the next gen counterparts. Then later down the line release a "patch" that enables them once the hype is over.

Remember they make most of the money on consoles especially the new ones since game prices seem to be ridiculous on them at the moment.

 

[Guest]

 

[Nobina]

I don't like when I see that someone has to mod the game in order to reach it's full potential. Who knows how much stuff can be tweaked but it's not reavealed yet. A lot of games have this problem. I don't know who's fault is it, is it consoles or lazy devs, but it's a major problem for PC gaming.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

This is one of the reasons I won't buy a newly released title. I wait for the dust to settle, the patches to be released and the price to come down.
The decision for half baked titles to be released comes from the publisher and the PC gamer is usually the one who gets stiffed so I won't buy a title until they clean up their mess, if they don't, I'll just forgo the game altogether. I've been caught out in the past and I'm sick of it.

 

[cmbjive]

Tell you one thing: After looking at those screens at the GU3D forum link, the PS4 (and I assume the Xbox One) version of the game just look bad.

 

[Guest]

I learned my lesson from BF3. DO NOT buy a new title, wait at least 2-3 months, then buy it at a fraction of the price. Might not be fully fixed but will be playable for most.
Should have learned all this years ago but friends want to play and what not, no more. If people want me to play then they will be buying me the game, not wasting my money on these crap console versions anymore.

CoD games, I learned years ago never to trust Activision or a CoD dev, good thing to as CoD and it's devs are ****. They couldn't make a game to save their lives. Utter trash is all that comes out of CoD devs.

 

[wastedkill]

I learned my lesson from BF3. DO NOT buy a new title, wait at least 2-3 months, then buy it at a fraction of the price. Might not be fully fixed but will be playable for most.
Should have learned all this years ago but friends want to play and what not, no more. If people want me to play then they will be buying me the game, not wasting my money on these crap console versions anymore.

CoD games, I learned years ago never to trust Activision or a CoD dev, good thing to as CoD and it's devs are ****. They couldn't make a game to save their lives. Utter trash is all that comes out of CoD devs.

They think allowing their fail devs 3yrs to make a game is gonna make it better... a crappy studio is a crappy studio increasing development time aint gonna change that im afraid!

 

[Experimentongod]

This is one of the reasons I won't buy a newly released title. I wait for the dust to settle, the patches to be released and the price to come down.
The decision for half baked titles to be released comes from the publisher and the PC gamer is usually the one who gets stiffed so I won't buy a title until they clean up their mess, if they don't, I'll just forgo the game altogether. I've been caught out in the past and I'm sick of it.

I do the same: patches, optimizations, better drivers, mods, fixes, lower price, more time to upgrade your hadware... good things come to those who wait.

 

[GhostRyder]

I need to download this mod, I read about it yesterday and was instantly intrigued. I want to see just how much better it will look.

 

[Darkshadoe]

I like how these companies expect $60 dollars for an unfinished game. Just because it is playable is no excuse. Lazy B***tards.

 

[TheLastPanda]

I just got done playing around with it. The fact that performance took almost no hit was the most interesting part. Other than area lights being way too overpowered the rain, headlights, and FOV are nice touches. It is pretty apparent that the lighting and FOV were overdone for glamour footage but still worth at least trying and it is possible to disable FOV but keep everything else.

 

[Guest]

I dont understand how ppl can be so naive... this is ubisoft doing...

 

[Dukenukemx]

This is hardly a mod, but more like editing an ini file. In the file there's references to E3, meaning these were effects that were meant for showing off at E3. The question is, why didn't they allow PC users to flip these switches on? People didn't report massive performance issues or bugs. Some people even said their game maybe faster.

This stinks of Microsoft and Sony influencing Ubisoft to reduce the graphics on PC so as to not out shine PS4 and Xbone. Remember watchdogs for PS4 is 900p and 30 fps, while 792p and 30 fps on Xbone. That seems pretty bad when a Radeon R7 260X can average 30 fps with 1080p with high settings. A GeForce GTX 650 will do an even better job with ultra settings. We're talking about $110 and $150 graphic cards that can out do $400 consoles. Flip those hidden graphic features on and you'll get better graphics with minor loss of performance.

You can see how useless consoles are today when pretty much a $500 can do what they do better. Microsoft especially is doing everything they can to save their sinking ship Xbox One. Including influencing developers to make PC games look no better then console.

 

[TS-56336]

I'm only running a Radeon 7770; will I need this?

 

[Guest]

This is hardly a mod, but more like editing an ini file.

So they.... modified something?

 

[McNasty]

I don't like when I see that someone has to mod the game in order to reach it's full potential. Who knows how much stuff can be tweaked but it's not reavealed yet. A lot of games have this problem. I don't know who's fault is it, is it consoles or lazy devs, but it's a major problem for PC gaming.

A few things here, THIS IS NOT A MOD. The user only enabled files that were already on the game media. They had been purposely REMARKED out of the code, and not apply to the PC by the developer UbiSoft. Let's stop asking as if UbiSoft did nothing wrong they did. This guy found out and exposed them. He did not mod the game! He enabled what was already ready there for the PC version of the game. Exposing what we all know "next-generation" consoles compared to a PC are as about as next-gen as a old school flip phone to a iPhone or Android device.

 

[McNasty]

This is hardly a mod, but more like editing an ini file. In the file there's references to E3, meaning these were effects that were meant for showing off at E3. The question is, why didn't they allow PC users to flip these switches on? People didn't report massive performance issues or bugs. Some people even said their game maybe faster.

This stinks of Microsoft and Sony influencing Ubisoft to reduce the graphics on PC so as to not out shine PS4 and Xbone. Remember watchdogs for PS4 is 900p and 30 fps, while 792p and 30 fps on Xbone. That seems pretty bad when a Radeon R7 260X can average 30 fps with 1080p with high settings. A GeForce GTX 650 will do an even better job with ultra settings. We're talking about $110 and $150 graphic cards that can out do $400 consoles. Flip those hidden graphic features on and you'll get better graphics with minor loss of performance.

You can see how useless consoles are today when pretty much a $500 can do what they do better. Microsoft especially is doing everything they can to save their sinking ship Xbox One. Including influencing developers to make PC games look no better then console.

Finally a smart guy gets it. Bravo my good man!

 

[Nobina]

A few things here, THIS IS NOT A MOD. The user only enabled files that were already on the game media. They had been purposely REMARKED out of the code, and not apply to the PC by the developer UbiSoft. Let's stop asking as if UbiSoft did nothing wrong they did. This guy found out and exposed them. He did not mod the game! He enabled what was already ready there for the PC version of the game. Exposing what we all know "next-generation" consoles compared to a PC are as about as next-gen as a old school flip phone to a iPhone or Android device.

Yeah, I just said mod cause I didn't know what to call it at the moment, you get the idea anyway.