AF (Anisotropic Filtering) is a texture filtering technique used in most games to enhance the image quality of textures rendered at an oblique viewing angles in the game. It is usually not that costly on the hardware and as such, it is used in almost majority of the games.

Unfortunately, when it comes to the PS4, there have been games that are clearly missing AF settings despite having them on Xbox One. This is a rather strange case as PS4 has a much better hardware than the Xbox One, and if the Xbox One has AF applied in its games, the same should hold true for the PS4.

This issue mostly seems to affect Unreal Engine 3 games on the PS4, as seen in games like Thief, Dying Light, Strider and the recently released Devil May Cry Definitive Edition. Needless to say, AF is something that curiously seems to be missing from PS4 in some of the multiplatform releases on the PS4 and and Xbox One. One such example is below.

Ninja Theory has acknowledged this issue on their Devil May Cry Definitive Edition and confirmed that they are looking into it.

Now it seems like Sony is working on making it easier for developers to implement AF in games, as confirmed by comments shared by one of the developers on NeoGAF. While he was under an NDA, he did reveal that they plan to make it easier for the devs, even if it isn’t that ‘difficult’ now.

FYI Sony released a tech note related with AF.

Well basically (I don’t want to enter in any specifics) it reminds devs how to make it properly and a future update to make it “easier” (it is not that it is “difficult” now at all).

No, it is not that complicated.

I really don’t know where the issue comes from to be honest (since you can use AF) but I think Sony knows about the “problem” and maybe they reacted to show devs how to “fix it” or to clarify if it is some misunderstanding about the process.

Hopefully this means that future PS4 games can no longer lag behind in term of AF in multiplatform games.

So they're basically saying developers are idiots?

Xbox One is probably easier to do that for.

They recently patched Dying light with 8xAF on PS4, same as XB1, they also improved LOD and lighting (on PS4, not sure if XB1 the same).

Good cause it is pretty wtf

inb4LazyDevs

Whatever it is , I'm glad it can be fixed with a simple update.

LAZY DEVS!!!


...Damn, too late!   

Will definitely give those devs. having trouble with the PS4 some much needed assistance! Glad to see that Sony is helping them out!

What it boils down to is lazyness.

On a more technical side, what it boils down to is currently, an extra step needed to change the default AF configuration, an extra step that is being left out by developers, one that doesn't actually use a great deal of power when done, but is an extra step not needed for PC/XBO currently.

The post launch patches that fix AF issues with no impact to overall performance underline how mundane this issue really is.
Link a TS, setup your chain, compile, job done.

Depressing that in this day and age devs need their hands holding so much to get the job done.

Thanks for your insider answer! So it was really a banal issue, what next, will some devs ask console producers to write whole games in their place?