Microsoft might finally eliminate the ResolutionGate problem

Mar 25, 2015 19:58 GMT  ·  By

The so-called Xbox One ResolutionGate issues, which saw games run in lower resolution or framerate on the console, are due to the poor eSRAM API in DirectX 11, but the upcoming DirectX 12 tech, which is coming to Xbox One via Windows 10, brings a whole new system that should eliminate the problems.

The Xbox One and PS4 launched back in November of last year and it soon became clear that Microsoft's console was underpowered, as games for the platform ran at a lower resolution or framerate than on the PS4.

While Microsoft released SDK updates for developers to squeeze out more power from the console's hardware, the biggest change is expected to appear with the Windows 10 operating system, which includes a new DirectX 12 API that should make visuals in Xbox One games better.

ResolutionGate is caused by the poor eSRAM API

Independent developer Stardock is working on a DirectX 12 title, and now its CEO Brian Wardell has talked with GamingTheater about the new API and the Xbox One issues like ResolutionGate.

According to Wardell, the Xbox One currently employs a modified DirectX 11 API that doesn’t really use effectively the 32MB of eSRAM in the console. However, with DirectX 12, Microsoft is bringing a whole new system to manage that amount of memory, so things should improve.

"First of all Xbox performance is completely the result of the eSRAM feature and there isn’t a true or false thing with regards to one using eSRAM. Their API which is the current DirectX11 extension for the Xbox is really [poor] for dealing with the eSRAM. That has resulted in what’s called Resolution Gate. So in DirectX12 they actually threw it away, they threw away the [poor] one in DirectX11 and they’re replacing it with a new one."

Wardell did go on the record previously saying that DirectX 12 wasn't a magic bullet to automatically improve Xbox One game performance, but some enhancements should appear thanks to the new API.