2K22 MAY BE THE LAST 2K ON PC

Sorry Simonn, but that isn't true at all.

I have a 5700XT and a good processor (nothing out of this world) and I easily hit 1080p@60fps on ultra with NO DROPS on Outriders, Gears 5, Monster Hunter World, all NBA 2ks (that they didnt lock at 30 fps for replays/halftime) etc.

Just because they locked the halftime highlights and/or replays at 30 fps, doesnt mean that PCs couldnt handle it at 60 fps... just like they locked replays and cut scenes on some of the X1 PS4 2Ks at 30 fps, but average gaming PCs were handling them at 60 fps (I know, because I had an average processor and a AMD r270x graphics card and was running the game at 1080p@60fps with no drops)

The next gen lock at 30 fps on replays/halftime, etc on Series X is puzzling. I have the series X version of 2K21, and the frame drops mean more that the game is poorly optimized in some ways, not that the console couldnt technically handle it. The game is not out of this world graphics quality, it is not something insane that we have not seen before. Keep that in mind.

I have far more graphically intense games than 2K21 PC, with complicated controls/movements, and things happening all over the screen... and I have zero frame drops. But on 2K21 PC they lock you at 30 fps for the halftime show, etc.... that isnt the CPU not being able to handle it... that is the programmers choosing to lock the halftime highlights at 30 fps.

Note: This is my rig

OS: Windows 10
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core Processor 3.60ghz
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT
RAM: 16.0 GB DDR5

The fps drops happen while exchanging possession, especially when u using 2K camera in lower height(which shows more crowds, and I guess that's the reason why fps drops)

Those fps drops have absolutely nothing to do with GPU limitations but instead they are the result of poor engine optimization (probably for lack of time). The proof of this is, guess what, found in the same video you posted where you can see clearly that the same exact fps drops (in the same exact way) happen with EVERY console, under every circumstance, no matter hardware differences. In fact you can run the game at 1080p and you will still experience fps drops in those instances. That's not how GPU fps drops work since they are closely related to hardware, resources' usage (resolution being one of the greatest influencing factors), and they usually happen much less organically.

This game runs at 4K60 (4K30 while replays or cutscenes or in pause menu)on Xbox Series X but has fps drops, BTW, the last gen version of this game also runs at 4K60 (also 4K30 while replays or cutscenes or in pause menu) on Xbox One X but have no fps drop issue.
(why locked 30 fps on replays or cutscenes? because replays or cutscenes require more gpu power than playing the game, PC users can easily find out this if shows FPS)

No, cutscenes being locked at 30 fps has absolutely nothing to do with lack of GPU power. It is strictly tied, once again, to how the engine works, specifically on the matter of how scenes are pre-rendered (why that's the case would be too long to explain here). Yet again, you can see the proof of this in the same video you posted, since cinematics are locked to 30 fps no matter the resolution and/or console used (even the same video creator states clearly that this is an instance that's common in sports titles, because it is tied to how cutscenes are pre-rendered and hence having absolutely nothing to do with GPU performance). Btw 30 fps lock on cinematics is yet another proof of the fact that 2K lied when they said that the "next gen" engine was built from the ground up, as such limitations are a clear remnant of old gen engines' limitations.

The Xbox S u mentioned, is it Xbox Series S? I owned that console for about one month and then sold it, and also played nxet gen 2k21 on it. It runs at 1080p60 (1080p30 while replays or cutscenes or in pause menu) on Xbox Series S and often(way more often then XSX)gets fps drop while using 2K camera, and that's why I sold it (I was expecting a 1440p60 experience, but in fact no).

And you will have the same 30 fps lock in cutscenes and the same exact fps drops on certain camera angles, nowithstanding the different hardware and different resolution used, proving, yet again, that the matter has absolutely and positively nothing to do with lack of GPU performance. Btw the limitation to run at 1080p on a Series S is just a software limitation imposed by the devs and there are some hacks (that I will not tell you where to find and that I advice anyone to never use since they will void your warranty and with them you can irreparably damage the console, especially if you don't know exactly what you are doing) that you can use to bypass any software limitation on resolution and run the game at 1440p or even 4K, and it will in fact work without much of an issue.

If u want a 1080p60 on max experience on PC, it appears that even a 2060 is not enough, because the graphic settings are not on max on Xbox Series S, not even mention how well this game can actually runs on PC.

Are you serious? 1080p? You can run RDR 2 at max settings on a 2060 at 1080p (you will not reach 60 fps but it's perfectly playable). Are you seriously pretending that the 2K next gen engine is even remotely resource intensive as RDR 2 on max settings is? Please. Furthermore the beauty of PCs is that you can scale back graphics to suit your hardware. Even if you couldn't run the game at max settings on a 2060 (that's impossible but let's go with it just for discussion's sake) you could easily lower some of the most intensive settings to have the game run fine.

I have the series X version of 2K21, and the frame drops mean more that the game is poorly optimized in some ways, not that the console couldnt technically handle it. The game is not out of this world graphics quality, it is not something insane that we have not seen before. Keep that in mind.

That's what I wanna say, I don't think the graphics of this game is insane, but they didn't put efforts to optimize the graphics.
So the result is similar, this kind of poor engine (graphics) optimization also requires more GPU power.

1. Insane graphics=higher GPU requirement
2. Average graphics + poor engine (graphics) optimization = higher GPU requirement

NBA2K is the 2nd type of game from my experience, I own a rtx 2070 but couldn't run NBA2K17-21 at 4K60 perfectly(on AA x2 & high settings, the game can reach 80 FPS but drops down to 55 FPS during cutscenes/replays; if on AAx8 & ULTRA settings, the game is not playable (for me) at around 45-55 FPS)

The next gen lock at 30 fps on replays/halftime, etc on Series X is puzzling

The fact is, cutscenes/replays does require more GPU power, because during cutscenes/replays, the frame rates are lower than other situations.
From my experience, frame drops happen during cutscenes/replays. Maybe 2K doesn't want frame drops, could it be one reason? I'm not sure tho

Last edited by Simonn-Lee on Sun Aug 01, 2021 12:10 am, edited 2 times in total.

In fact you can run the game at 1080p and you will still experience fps drops in those instances.

I'm not sure if I set my Xbox at 1080p, will the game run at 1080p as well?
But I tried to play the game at 1080p, the frame drops were gone away.

Are you serious? 1080p? You can run RDR 2 at max settings on a 2060 at 1080p (you will not reach 60 fps but it's perfectly playable). Are you seriously pretending that the 2K next gen engine is even remotely resource intensive as RDR 2 on max settings is? Please. Furthermore the beauty of PCs is that you can scale back graphics to suit your hardware. Even if you couldn't run the game at max settings on a 2060 (that's impossible but let's go with it just for discussion's sake) you could easily lower some of the most intensive settings to have the game run fine.

Maybe 2060 is a bit too much, but 1060 definitely cannot handle it.
As u mentioned about their poor engine (graphics) optimization,
I don't think the graphics of this game is insane as RDR2, but 2K didn't put efforts to optimize the graphics.
So result is similar, this kind of poor engine (graphics) optimization also requires more GPU power.

1. Insane graphics=higher GPU requirement
2. Average graphics + poor engine (graphics) optimization = higher GPU requirement

NBA2K is the 2nd type of game from my experience, I own a rtx 2070 but couldn't run NBA2K17-21 at 4K60 perfectly(on AA x2 & high settings, the game can reach 80 FPS but drops down to 55 FPS during cutscenes/replays; if on AAx8 & ULTRA settings, the game is not playable (for me) at around 45-55 FPS)

Last edited by Simonn-Lee on Mon Aug 02, 2021 1:13 am, edited 1 time in total.

Conspiration theory: 2k dont want modders show how not built from the ground the game is...

I think nobody has anticipate this yet. And the chance of this happening is higher than we think if things continue as it is right now. Multiples clues made me think that. The biggest one being 2K22 not being next-gen on PC but also the fact that they made a deal to make 2K21 free to purchase(not try) for a week on EPIC and ONLY on PC. Also the fact that the game is more and more focused towards micro transactions and online modes.

I think it's one of those things that can at least be acknowledged as a possibility. If nothing else, the platform being a lower priority with the lowest sales means that it getting dropped is not unfeasible.

if that is the case, it was a good run. I never considered this before but, you could be on to something.