No, I won't be porting this to the DX12 version of the game. CDPR refactored their renderer and I'd have to manually reverse engineer & reimplement all HBAO+ related code. It's not worth the non-trivial amount of work. DX11 is simple because you can easily toggle the on/off variable.
Performance: Patch 1.32 and patch 4.0 use the same library: Nvidia GameWorks HBAO+ version 2.3. Performance should be identical.
Complete vanilla game (0 mods installed) with 1:1 TAAU, DoF, sharpening, and gamma settings. Can someone tell me why the HUD is a different brightness?
The official implementation of HBAO+ completely destroys the performance, it has even halved the FPS in certain scenarios. Switching to SSAO fixes the issue. With the mod there was no performance problem but it is no longer compatible.
Well, maybe it's not HBAO+, maybe it's that horrible last patch.
as of right now this mod no longer works due to the most recent patch on next gen, hopefully the author can make it work again coz dayum! that SSAO sucks!
thank you for this link! Just knowing they are working on fixing these issues is a massive step forward.
If they get HBAO back in the DX11 version I might even use the next gen update, but for now I'm modding 1.32, heck if they fix the CPU utilisation I might even consider the dx12 version.
weird, for me after the latest patch the HBAO mod no longer works it seems to just be using SSAO, others in these comments have experienced this, not sure what is going on TBH, apparently CDPR is working on adding HBAO back into the dx11 version which will be amazing.
Fixed an issue where the Screen Space Reflections setting wasn’t working on PC despite being turned on. Players who had previously set their SSR setting to high may notice a performance impact.
edit: SSAO or HBAO+, no worries no question to answer.... lol
Do you have flickering indoors? There are several houses near Novigrad where the lights are flashing. I removed the HBAO and the result is the same, so it's not the HBAO, but a broken patch. Because - not a single lighting mod is worth it.
I think everything is just the matter of taste. I like HBAO better. You wont notice those subtle differences while playing anyway. Sacrificing 20 fps to play DX12 is not worth it
What you will notice though, is how flat the wall in the Nilfgaardian camp or any wall looks like with SSAO. It looks 2D, like a texture of a game from the 00's. HBAO is simpy better.
Toussaint looks so much better in DX12 with SSAO. And remember this comparison video is before you take into account how much better the DX12 support for native HDR output image actually improves the DX12 SSAO visuals on your Screen/OLED TV, where you can also adjust gamma/black level to what suits you for the absolute best Ambient Occlusion/SSAO (especially on OLED). And it is also without using the "Better SSAO" mod for DX12 which improves DX12 SSAO further, especially interiors and cities/buildings.
I ended up using the "Better SSAO" mod for DX12, as it's the best of both worlds. Foliage/grass is superior, I get all the extra DX12 visual features (like native HDR, better FX, better wind effects and animations etc), and "Better SSAO" mod also improves the interiors and other objects so it looks much better than HBAO+ in every single situation. (yes I tested both). I use these balanced settings for "Better SSAO" which I found best with no issues, that was posted by the user reptiloid12345 (kudos to him):
With DX12, native HDR support and Better SSAO mod with those settings in custom.ini, it looks absolutely phenomenal on a LG OLED C2 with HDR, and makes a huge improvement over vanilla and even looks very close to Ray Tracing visuals (also thanks to the native HDR support in DX12).
If performance is the main concern, then DX11 with HBAO+ still obviously has the decent performance advantage due to less visual features, and if you don't have the stutter issues that many seem to have with dx11. If that is the main goal, it's still a good option of course!
Nice comment. But believe it or not, many people on nexus who are into visual graphics mods like these usually also have a decent PC (does not mean a rtx4090, I'm using a rtx3080 10gb myself so RT is unplayable in 4K) and/or decent screen/OLED. A decent OLED screen with HDR does not need to be that expensive, it does not have to be a brand new LG OLED. It's 2023.
I also have an old backup 32 inch LCD (does not have hdr) that I tested on now. DX12 SSAO with "Better SSAO" mod for dx12 and those custom.ini settings above along with the same reduced gamma that I use for my main OLED LG still looks better on that LCD monitor as well, IMO.
But I think in the end it's down to preference, if everyone liked the same visuals then there would only be one lightning mod on nexus :) I'm just looking at this with an eye for calibration and accurate shadows/visuals, and answering those who are seriously claiming DX11 HBAO+ is better and more accurate than DX12 SSAO with native HDR and adjusted gamma settings, when it just simply isn't on decent hardware looking at it irl and doing a lot of testing.
I can of course completely understand those who prefer the DX11 due to higher FPS (but DX11 has more stutter issues in my own experience), but "it gives higher FPS" is a different argument than "it's better shadows". So it depends what your goal is.
I hope XeGTAO ends up being better than both though :)
"Sacrificing 20 fps to play DX12 is not worth it" How can you lose 20fps with DX12? With the same settings I have the exact same framerate on DX11 and DX12 BUT on DX12 I can use DRS (dynamic resolution scaling) and/or DLSS or FSR2 and get way more fps than DX11, so I can use even higher settings and still get more fps than DX11 with lower settings.
I usually follow digital foundry for their analysis of the games here they talk about fps drop in dx12 compared to dx11 with the same settings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH87uJzUoew
hello, already installed your mod, where is the ambient oclusion option? i only see the SSAO option in game, should i activate that or deactivate or what?
also any idea on how to turn off sharpening? can't seem to turn it off no matter what i try.
176 comments
Performance:
Patch 1.32 and patch 4.0 use the same library: Nvidia GameWorks HBAO+ version 2.3. Performance should be identical.
Reference comparison:
DX11 None vs DX11 SSAO vs DX11 HBAO vs DX12 None vs DX12 SSAO.
Complete vanilla game (0 mods installed) with 1:1 TAAU, DoF, sharpening, and gamma settings. Can someone tell me why the HUD is a different brightness?
Well, maybe it's not HBAO+, maybe it's that horrible last patch.
The Witcher 3's 4.02 patch re-adds HBAO support on PC and improved CPU utilisation | OC3D News (overclock3d.net)
as of right now this mod no longer works due to the most recent patch on next gen, hopefully the author can make it work again coz dayum! that SSAO sucks!
good luck on the path.
If they get HBAO back in the DX11 version I might even use the next gen update, but for now I'm modding 1.32, heck if they fix the CPU utilisation I might even consider the dx12 version.
Comparison
Edit: Seems to turn off and on randomly.
from PC upgrade notes:
- Fixed an issue where the Screen Space Reflections setting wasn’t working on PC despite being turned on. Players who had previously set their SSR setting to high may notice a performance impact.
edit:SSAO or HBAO+, no worries no question to answer.... lol
AO on with Mod
AO off with Mod
vanilla AO on
vanilla AO off
And remember this comparison video is before you take into account how much better the DX12 support for native HDR output image actually improves the DX12 SSAO visuals on your Screen/OLED TV, where you can also adjust gamma/black level to what suits you for the absolute best Ambient Occlusion/SSAO (especially on OLED). And it is also without using the "Better SSAO" mod for DX12 which improves DX12 SSAO further, especially interiors and cities/buildings.
I ended up using the "Better SSAO" mod for DX12, as it's the best of both worlds. Foliage/grass is superior, I get all the extra DX12 visual features (like native HDR, better FX, better wind effects and animations etc), and "Better SSAO" mod also improves the interiors and other objects so it looks much better than HBAO+ in every single situation. (yes I tested both).
I use these balanced settings for "Better SSAO" which I found best with no issues, that was posted by the user reptiloid12345 (kudos to him):
AOInteriorMultiplier=1.000000
AOFoliageMultiplier=1.000000
AOGrassMultiplier=2.000000
AOAmbientMultiplier=1.400000
AOReflection Multiplier=1.400000
AODiffuseMultiplier=1.400000
AOSpecularMultiplier=1.400000
With DX12, native HDR support and Better SSAO mod with those settings in custom.ini, it looks absolutely phenomenal on a LG OLED C2 with HDR, and makes a huge improvement over vanilla and even looks very close to Ray Tracing visuals (also thanks to the native HDR support in DX12).
If performance is the main concern, then DX11 with HBAO+ still obviously has the decent performance advantage due to less visual features, and if you don't have the stutter issues that many seem to have with dx11. If that is the main goal, it's still a good option of course!
A decent OLED screen with HDR does not need to be that expensive, it does not have to be a brand new LG OLED. It's 2023.
I also have an old backup 32 inch LCD (does not have hdr) that I tested on now. DX12 SSAO with "Better SSAO" mod for dx12 and those custom.ini settings above along with the same reduced gamma that I use for my main OLED LG still looks better on that LCD monitor as well, IMO.
But I think in the end it's down to preference, if everyone liked the same visuals then there would only be one lightning mod on nexus :)
I'm just looking at this with an eye for calibration and accurate shadows/visuals, and answering those who are seriously claiming DX11 HBAO+ is better and more accurate than DX12 SSAO with native HDR and adjusted gamma settings, when it just simply isn't on decent hardware looking at it irl and doing a lot of testing.
I can of course completely understand those who prefer the DX11 due to higher FPS (but DX11 has more stutter issues in my own experience), but "it gives higher FPS" is a different argument than "it's better shadows". So it depends what your goal is.
I hope XeGTAO ends up being better than both though :)
How can you lose 20fps with DX12? With the same settings I have the exact same framerate on DX11 and DX12 BUT on DX12 I can use DRS (dynamic resolution scaling) and/or DLSS or FSR2 and get way more fps than DX11, so I can use even higher settings and still get more fps than DX11 with lower settings.
SSAO:
https://ifh.cc/v-WTgd3x
HBAO:
https://ifh.cc/v-8DSHvf
Notice how the rocks become washed out and borderline ugly with HBAO.
also any idea on how to turn off sharpening? can't seem to turn it off no matter what i try.
that's what you're turning on