Feedback On Console Environmental Sustainability Features

D4rk · September 4

My God... I just finished my daily writs and started to open all the crates... And it stutters so much... They are still trying to push any slight bit of these features...

SkaiFaith · September 4

After a bit of testing I would rate the various areas like this:

Loading screens still have bad strobing from VRR
Menu still has strobing from VRR but seems less than before, it's manageable (?)
Looting requires you to search for it - strobing from VRR is still present but it is almost unnoticable
Same as looting can be said about chatting with the digital keyboard window open.
Dialogue windows don't have any strobing from VRR
Animations are smoother, except for the gathering ones where you can see the different framerate hitting.
For now, I don't see other issues.
The "lowering resolution" thing seems to lower it less, but it triggers strobing from VRR. I don't know if it is anyhow tied to the issue with lower resolution on Alinor distant structures I reported in June, but that is still present too.

The game is definitely in a more playable state than on Gold Road launch, and it feels visually better.
Would I wish for everything to be fixed returning to how performance were before this feature introduction? Yes.
Do I think it will ever happen? No... Maybe they'll surprise me, but since the issue seems to be tied to VRR which Is something not everyone utilize... I don't know.

Please let me know if you have a similar experience to mine and if you use VRR - It is my theory that lower fps paired with VRR is the source of the problem, but I can't say for sure.

UPDATE 1: tried now the game on a 60Hz TV instead, without any VRR option - the game seems to have zero issues there. I'll try again on my 120Hz TV disabling VRR from the TV settings to see how It goes... Btw I'm not testing writs.

UPDATE 2: On Xbox Series X. Disabling both VRR and FreeSync from the 120Hz TV settings is necessary to solve all strobing issues. Problem is: if I do so, my console's home screen stutters badly while I explore It.
So now I'm stuck choosing between having issues in game or outside of it, with the only solution being turning on and off VRR manually each time I close or open the game. Not optimal...

UPDATE 3: After restarting my console, the issue its Home navigation had is gone. So if I leave VRR and FreeSync off on my TV settings I can now play with no strobing problems.
Not exactly solved as requested but at least now I can enjoy the game and its performances again, kinda. The effort is appreciated... Even if we would have preferred a toggle to simply switch off, since now we will have to lose VRR, which would help to have on on consoles...

WolfieVZ · September 5

ZOS Kevin, I'm going to quote your post.

"Xbox Series consoles: When using Performance Mode, the pause menu now has smoother transition animations"

Not really any smoother, the frame dip in menus while opening boxes is still not only apparent but atrocious.

I guess you guys like losing players forever, this just sealed it for me, you had a chance to do right by the players but instead of backing off this ridiculous "environmental sustainability features" you all decided that we didn't deserve a toggle for this excrement.

I think I'm truly done now.

Let us toggle this dog crap off, no other measure is sufficient.

WolfieVZ · September 5

Don't worry, they said,
Our bad idea still here
No respect for us

Stafford197 · September 5

Only thing they toggled off this patch was my wallet. I can’t support this game until things improve.

Here’s hoping that 2025 will be a better year for ESO.

CAB_Life · September 6

This will seem even worse when the PS5 Pro is out in a month or two. Not a good look for ZOS.

CAB_Life · September 6

WolfieVZ wrote: »

ZOS Kevin, I'm going to quote your post.

"Xbox Series consoles: When using Performance Mode, the pause menu now has smoother transition animations"

Not really any smoother, the frame dip in menus while opening boxes is still not only apparent but atrocious.

I guess you guys like losing players forever, this just sealed it for me, you had a chance to do right by the players but instead of backing off this ridiculous "environmental sustainability features" you all decided that we didn't deserve a toggle for this excrement.

I think I'm truly done now.

Let us toggle this dog crap off, no other measure is sufficient.

They seem intent on doing everything to try and "season", reheat and sell this feature to a community that clearly has no appetite for it. A toggle is the only solution. PC can turn this whole thing off; console should be able to, as well.

Hrolthar · September 6

Stafford197 wrote: »

Only thing they toggled off this patch was my wallet. I can’t support this game until things improve.

Here’s hoping that 2025 will be a better year for ESO.

Well look, at least we tried…. We went out swinging so to speak, there’s no dishonour in that.

ArchMikem · September 6

Yknow what's funny?

My local energy provider is doing this State subsidized power conservation program where, if you limit your usage/draw, then they give you a credit on your next bill. I normally have either my PC, or Xbox running at all times while I'm at home, and for the last two months our Electric Bill has been free. We even have an air conditioner running on the hotter days and they keep giving us enough credits to completely cover our bill.

So I highly doubt my Xbox rendering 60 frames a second in Menus will affect that.

WolfieVZ · September 12

Here we are on the 12th of September, nearly 3 months since zos intentionally limited our hardwares capability while playing eso.

And not a single reply begging for forgiveness or telling us they messed up.

CAB_Life · September 13

According to the PS5 Pro presentation and Sony’s internal data, over 75% of players choose a performance mode and play at 60FPS. So, who is this update for? Shareholders and ESG investors? Pleasing them first and foremost will put ZOS on the speedrun to EOS like Ubisoft—food for thought.

ArchMikem · September 13

CAB_Life wrote: »

According to the PS5 Pro presentation and Sony’s internal data, over 75% of players choose a performance mode and play at 60FPS. So, who is this update for? Shareholders and ESG investors? Pleasing them first and foremost will put ZOS on the speedrun to EOS like Ubisoft—food for thought.

Hello from Xbox, I also choose Performance. The option was a no brainer, when I first tried the two, there was absolutely no visual distinction between the two whatsoever for me in quality, except Fidelity mode made the game lag cause it capped the framerate.

aruggie2 · September 13

CAB_Life wrote: »

According to the PS5 Pro presentation and Sony’s internal data, over 75% of players choose a performance mode and play at 60FPS. So, who is this update for? Shareholders and ESG investors? Pleasing them first and foremost will put ZOS on the speedrun to EOS like Ubisoft—food for thought.

My favorite part is dropping $700 on a new console that is 50% more powerful..only to be forced into 30fps menus, all because we need to cOnSeRvE eNeRgY.

Fakeinit · September 13

Xbox user here. Please change it back.

When I tried this game the first time on PS4 I couldn't live with 30fps and didn't play more than a few hours. When I learned Series S/X had a performance mode a few years ago I gave it a 2nd chance and this time the game was enjoyable to play. I've since put over a thousand hours into the game along with ESO+ and Crown Store purchases. Menus should not even be something I have to think about, but this change makes them feel bad which makes the game feel bad.

Currently I'm unsubbed and playing FFXIV

At least make it a toggle

Twohothardware · September 14

Is anyone else getting audio lag and audio just dropping out a few seconds when in grouped content on PS5?

I run Performance mode and it started with the Gold Road update. I’m wondering if it’s not to do with this sustainability “feature”.

ArchMikem · September 14

aruggie2 wrote: »

CAB_Life wrote: »

According to the PS5 Pro presentation and Sony’s internal data, over 75% of players choose a performance mode and play at 60FPS. So, who is this update for? Shareholders and ESG investors? Pleasing them first and foremost will put ZOS on the speedrun to EOS like Ubisoft—food for thought.

My favorite part is dropping $700 on a new console that is 50% more powerful..only to be forced into 30fps menus, all because we need to cOnSeRvE eNeRgY.

Even though I don't appreciate your tone used when talking about energy conservation, I do frankly think it's not the Game Developer's domain to be worrying about this. It's up to the hardware developer, Microsoft and Sony, to be making more energy efficient Consoles.

SkaiFaith · September 14

ArchMikem wrote: »

aruggie2 wrote: »

CAB_Life wrote: »

According to the PS5 Pro presentation and Sony’s internal data, over 75% of players choose a performance mode and play at 60FPS. So, who is this update for? Shareholders and ESG investors? Pleasing them first and foremost will put ZOS on the speedrun to EOS like Ubisoft—food for thought.

My favorite part is dropping $700 on a new console that is 50% more powerful..only to be forced into 30fps menus, all because we need to cOnSeRvE eNeRgY.

Even though I don't appreciate your tone used when talking about energy conservation, I do frankly think it's not the Game Developer's domain to be worrying about this. It's up to the hardware developer, Microsoft and Sony, to be making more energy efficient Consoles.

If you put it this way you kinda give the thumbs up to this feature, since its implementation is highly likely "imposed"/requested exactly by Microsoft. It's their answer to those who demand them to be more "sustainable".

None of us knows who's precisely at fault in these cases. What we can do is be vocal about our issues and hope for a change of direction - maybe someone in charge will fight and change the minds of those who seems to not understand gamers, in multiple ways.

Twohothardware · September 14

There's no bigger Microsoft game on console than Call of Duty and in the soon to release Black Ops 6 they have an "eco friendly" setting that lowers power consumption when in the menus, but you're able to completely toggle it to off and it is not enabled when you're loaded into a match.

This sustainability feature in Elder Scrolls Online not being optional is entirely the choice of Zenimax/Bethesda Studios.

aruggie2 · September 14

ArchMikem wrote: »

aruggie2 wrote: »

CAB_Life wrote: »

According to the PS5 Pro presentation and Sony’s internal data, over 75% of players choose a performance mode and play at 60FPS. So, who is this update for? Shareholders and ESG investors? Pleasing them first and foremost will put ZOS on the speedrun to EOS like Ubisoft—food for thought.

My favorite part is dropping $700 on a new console that is 50% more powerful..only to be forced into 30fps menus, all because we need to cOnSeRvE eNeRgY.

Even though I don't appreciate your tone used when talking about energy conservation, I do frankly think it's not the Game Developer's domain to be worrying about this. It's up to the hardware developer, Microsoft and Sony, to be making more energy efficient Consoles.

My tone has nothing to do with mocking the practice of conserving energy - it has to do with Bethesda, and primarily Microsoft, trying to look good on paper so that they can seem justified in their acquisition of Activision/Blizzard. It's even more ridiculous by the fact that PC players can side-step the setting with little effort.

I'm sure it's also no coincidence that Microsoft used 22 billion liters of water in 2022 just to get an edge in the AI race.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.firstpost.com/tech/big-tech-water-thirsty-for-ai-microsoft-used-22-22-billion-litres-in-2022-google-7-billion-13741850.html/amp

Gotta save face with the FTC.

Twohothardware · September 18

Are we going to get a setting to disable this or not? It should be a choice whether we want forced 30 fps when PC is able to turn this off.

Necrotech_Master · September 18

aruggie2 wrote: »

ArchMikem wrote: »

aruggie2 wrote: »

CAB_Life wrote: »

According to the PS5 Pro presentation and Sony’s internal data, over 75% of players choose a performance mode and play at 60FPS. So, who is this update for? Shareholders and ESG investors? Pleasing them first and foremost will put ZOS on the speedrun to EOS like Ubisoft—food for thought.

My favorite part is dropping $700 on a new console that is 50% more powerful..only to be forced into 30fps menus, all because we need to cOnSeRvE eNeRgY.

Even though I don't appreciate your tone used when talking about energy conservation, I do frankly think it's not the Game Developer's domain to be worrying about this. It's up to the hardware developer, Microsoft and Sony, to be making more energy efficient Consoles.

My tone has nothing to do with mocking the practice of conserving energy - it has to do with Bethesda, and primarily Microsoft, trying to look good on paper so that they can seem justified in their acquisition of Activision/Blizzard. It's even more ridiculous by the fact that PC players can side-step the setting with little effort.

I'm sure it's also no coincidence that Microsoft used 22 billion liters of water in 2022 just to get an edge in the AI race.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.firstpost.com/tech/big-tech-water-thirsty-for-ai-microsoft-used-22-22-billion-litres-in-2022-google-7-billion-13741850.html/amp

Gotta save face with the FTC.

PC actually doesnt deal with all of the sustainability features either

only the screen dimming, and capped FPS when the screen dimming is active or the game is unfocused (minimized/alt-tabbed)

it doesnt dynamically change FPS when in menus that im aware of

i wholly agree though that the settings should be optional, as in changeable in the in game settings instead of needing to do a manual workaround like PC has currently (which is also unavailable to consoles)

Stafford197 · September 18

Twohothardware wrote: »

There's no bigger Microsoft game on console than Call of Duty and in the soon to release Black Ops 6 they have an "eco friendly" setting that lowers power consumption when in the menus, but you're able to completely toggle it to off and it is not enabled when you're loaded into a match.

This sustainability feature in Elder Scrolls Online not being optional is entirely the choice of Zenimax/Bethesda Studios.

Very good point! This was one of the few “reasons” any of us could think of for why it has been a mandatory change.

ArchMikem · September 29

Have i just been under a rock or has anyone else noticed the game runs at a high framerate in menus again?

Stafford197 · September 29

ArchMikem wrote: »

Have i just been under a rock or has anyone else noticed the game runs at a high framerate in menus again?

Nope it’s still the same issue. They made it so the map is not capped at 30FPS though

SkaiFaith · October 2

VRR still flashes after today's patch - have to keep it off.
I can't stop stressing that this issue was not present before Gold Road.

ComboBreaker88 · October 3

Just end support for the old consoles. They're literally holding the game hostage. It's been 10 years. They had a good run.

fizl101 · October 3

ComboBreaker88 wrote: »

Just end support for the old consoles. They're literally holding the game hostage. It's been 10 years. They had a good run.

How does that relate to the newer consoles having their frame rate reduced in menus when in performance mode?

WolfieVZ · October 11

Still not a single word on this thread, that is not only a shame but terrible customer service from zos, so glad I quit.

SkaiFaith · November 5

Is there still anyone here with me hoping to see a fix, finally, with next week patch? Or is this thread going to be removed from sticky ones without seeing the requested toggle added to the game options?

Hrolthar · November 6

SkaiFaith wrote: »

Is there still anyone here with me hoping to see a fix, finally, with next week patch? Or is this thread going to be removed from sticky ones without seeing the requested toggle added to the game options?

I still check in now again to see if they have fixed it, not that often nowadays though.