My impression is that this game should target PS5/Pro specifications to offer the most accessible option for gamers (it’s more player-friendly, opens up more room for game expansion, and generally offers a better baseline).
I am gonna take this as a “in the middle” between what we were discussing earlier as this is basically what I was meaning.
I did a quick Google of what is the gpu equivalent of PS5 and it estimating 3070. That sits right on the medium and recommended range of things.
What i am getting from people is this:
One side of people dont want the developers to decrease the quality/or graphics performance of the game to cater to lower end hardware
On the other side, people want to see more optimization for the minimum/medium level hardware for longevity and more stable gameplay
Continuing the previous bulletpoint sentiment but making a separate one as this is slightly separate, some people want/hope for an expansion for accessibility to lower end hardware (and I am going to also add for future reference expansion to maybe other consoles in the future)
Many people are saying that they hope the game doesnt become another sims and is voicing that they want inZOI to move forward into its own unique identity
So here is where I hope we can agree:
Better optimization for console in the future
Furthermore better optimization for all levels as currently defined by specs. Meaning smooth-ish/playable gameplay on lowest settings for the 2060 (i talking like ~45 fps)
In the process of optimization, it doesnt come at a huge loss to high end (depending on method of optimization, maybe there is a little. Idk. This to be probably discussed)
inZOI start to look back at what some of the more original ideas or concepts were and work towards being more independent/unique from Sims
Also if performance requirements are linked to map sizes, as I previously suggested somewhere, make different map not to be limited by console hardware.
I played another game where they couldn’t improve anything a few years down the line because of “Console limitations”, 2 words me and other players of that game hated hearing with a passion.
Let console players play the game, ofc, but a few years down the line when we’re all on i-12 generation with 8090TX cards, also make maps that keep up, more stuff, more lots, more Zoi, etc. And put a color coded “flag” beside newer maps so potato-PC and consoles know to steer clear of those.
Ppl with great computers would have access to more content, but to me that’s reasonable and totally fair.
You’d have small maps (which is already in the works and I can’t wait to play those).
Mid-sized ones (Cayaha/Dowon)
Large ones (Bliss Bay style but not fully stuffed, like now).
… and then huge ones, those are the fully packed Bliss Bay types or even bigger.
That way everyone can enjoy the game with good frame rates, but you’re not shooting yourself in the foot for future expansions with better hardware available.
That’s exactly the point: graphically, Bliss Bay will run on PS5 – just at settings slightly below the recommended ones (RTX3060-3070). The real challenge is simulation, because it runs for every Zoi on every tick (in Unreal Engine, a tick = a frame). That’s what’s currently eating up all the resources.
To fix this, we need two things:
Stop constantly matching massive datasets, and instead apply adaptive context using pre-trained LLMs.
Simplify and defer background calculations using timeslicing, and deferred Story Progression for inactive Zois.
We’ve said this a million times – and BoringBones confirmed it’s been accepted (they probably just wanted to trigger a wow-effect by simulating everyone at once).
Also, they should use World Partition to build massive cities, but split them into chunks or districts that load via level data streaming and can stay cached until the player shifts focus (open world standards). For example, you can attach multiple districts to a single map – even Bliss could be made 10× larger with no performance loss (assuming Nanite and Virtual Shadow Maps are used).
This also enables radius-based scening – no loading screens, just a smooth shell fade. It’s not exactly instancing yet something better, when some Zois/characters are temporarily or permanently locked into strict scenario roles (e.g., doctors and patients only perform their roles while inside the hospital).
Who am I for Kjun to reply to me? Yes, he does listen/read. And for example, we’re seeing the desired effect in simplified simulation, group logic and social app. But that’s a moderator-level position from the current brainstorm, regardless of whether he’s personally reading posts today or not.
tbh, I’m more interested in mediation here than in favoritism.
Thank you for such thorough information as usual, GD. You deserve a golden duck (whatever that actually means!!)
I am firmly on the side of hoping that future iterations of this game will not lose any graphical fidelity or anything to gameplay/content in the name of being playable on consoles or low end hardware. So let’s hope a solution can be found which will result in at least most people being happy…
Off topic: Matrix Awakens actually looks better than Inzoi; it’s a shame it is no longer available on PC.
Absolutely! And others too.
Sadly, they’ve changed the criteria after the event had started, and I fear it doesn’t mean anything anymore ö.ö
I took the screenshot below after I wondered why there were people chosen that didn’t meet the (original) criteria and clicked on the edit icon on the top of the post to make sure I remembered right. Then the original image was still there, now the original image got removed entirely, so they can pick just anyone for anything. I wonder in whose favour these changes have been made without further announcement(?)
Thank you, guys! I also believe everyone is deserving. But the criteria were probably set during the first days after the forum launched, and I only joined on Aug 25th
Still, it’s not bad at all – I already work in AAA game dev, go through the entire cycle from concept, through level art, optimisation, to release and bug fixing. I understand how the industry is structured and most importantly, how management and marketing operate, how pipelines and workflows are built, how human resources are distributed, and how teams interact with each other, with testers, and with target audience. That’s truly invaluable experience! And of course, soft skills – sometimes the devs need a bit of gentle pressure, right?
But we haven’t really experienced that kind of intense buzz. Usually it’s one big task, like a map, followed by 3–4 months of stable work with no significant changes to the workflow. Panic and chaos are dangerous – everything that was carefully built starts falling apart instantly.
I have to say, this is exactly the position I find myself in right now. I don’t believe the current maps are anywhere near finished. I’d estimate that only 20–30% of the possible optimization work has been done so far. It’s not a massive open world, and it’s not some ultra next-gen graphics showcase, so there’s no real reason to claim that PC or console players are being “hurt” by anything at this stage.
The next wave of sales will come from consoles (PC isn’t generating profit right now). They’re currently looking for a solution to reduce costs while delivering the best possible experience on both platforms.
We didn’t agree to prioritize low-end PCs (only the most downgraded Low DLSS 30 FPS on a 2060. M1? Let’s not even go there, that has to be ruled out entirely from the lineup). I assume Krafton isn’t happy about these kinds of requirements, but it is what it is.
I really want a great experience too – I’ve got top-tier hardware. But… putting them in a checkmate position right now is risky. X is shouting about downsizing, others want something completely opposite … But in reality, what they need are players and their money. Without that, Krafton won’t fund the game.
For high-end PC users like us, I’d suggest making Small City a part of the larger city using World Partition (district-based, zoning, and so on), so that “low-end PC” players would enter it as a separate region, while for us it would remain seamlessly integrated into the full map.
Something like – on the simplified map, it’s just background decoration (a silhouette with some boxes and planes). But for us, it’s a gradually unfolding district. That would deserve a standing ovation!
It’s great to read this, particularly seeing and effort to drift appart from the sims and become its own game, which I believe it already is, and acknowleding the concern about optimization. I really hope they listen to your ideas and some other ideas that were thrown around because we can definitely get better optimization without sacrificing too much in terms of depth and simulation. Let’s hope for the best!
P.s. As @SmallArchangel said, that golden duck would have been totally deserved!
BeepBoop | 삡뿝
Yes, he does listen/read. And for example, we’re seeing the desired effect in simplified simulation, group logic and social app. But that’s a moderator-level position from the current brainstorm, regardless of whether he’s personally reading posts today or not.
