Since the dawn of PC gaming, the goal has remained the same: to achieve the best possible image quality while maintaining optimal frame rate. And as you know, it's usually necessary to adjust the graphics settings to find that perfect balance between the two.
Tessellation to improve PC game graphics
Some of these features, such as anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering, are absolutely essential for achieving a high-quality image and should only be disabled as a last resort. However, there are a whole host of other options, some with rather mysterious names, that can nevertheless significantly impact the graphics of a video game .
If you've had the pleasure of playing GTA 5 or Metro: Last Light, you might have noticed the option to enable tessellation . A slight widening of the eyes and a moment of astonishment from the audience: excuse me… tessela-what? This is a technology used by the biggest game development studios for years… and yet its function remains quite difficult to grasp!
That's why we're finally going to clarify what tessellation is for. We'll show you what this option, once enabled, brings to games, and how it will impact image quality and the performance of your gaming PC.
What is tessellation?
In its most basic form, tessellation is a method for breaking down polygons into smaller pieces. For example, if you take a square and cut it diagonally, you have "tesseled" that square into two triangles. These two triangles become eight. Then sixteen. And so on. When used correctly, this technology improves texture smoothness and adds a significant amount of detail.
Tessellation can be implemented in many ways. The simplest is to limit it to the main character. Games like Hitman use this option very effectively to refine Agent 47's facial features, giving them softer, more natural curves. Without tessellation, the outline of the ears, or even the top of the head, appears angular and less believable. However, you have to look closely to notice the difference.
To refine and shape in depth
Tessellation brings a change that can be quite dramatic when displaying scenery . Once enabled, it gives objects a new sense of depth and volume, which can be very effective depending on how developers use it. Take the example of a stone wall: without tessellation, it's simply a flat texture that only half-heartedly imitates the rough, irregular appearance of bricks.
By enabling the tessellation option, the density of the triangles that make up this texture will dramatically increase, and the result is immediate. Developers can manipulate these triangles, pushing them forward or pulling them backward, thus giving the bricks real shapes and textures.
Finally, the addition of lighting and shadow effects allows you to fully utilize these volumes and provides the finishing touch. You get a perfectly modeled wall with strikingly realistic depth details that enhance the player's immersion .
Tessellation will be demanding on your graphics card!
Naturally, you're probably wondering about the impact of this attractive graphics option on display smoothness and your PC's overall performance. Indeed, there's very little point in enabling it if it comes at the expense of framerate and, therefore, the enjoyment of the game.
This option draws directly from your graphics card . Modern Nvidia architectures, such as Maxwell and its successor Pascal, include dedicated tessellation units that allow independent processing of tessellated objects.
Let's be honest, resource demands will heavily depend on the game you choose. A title like Hitman, which makes minimal use of tessellation, will require few resources. Conversely, games in the Metro series, which heavily utilize this feature, will put significantly more strain on your graphics card. If you decide to enable it, it could impact overall performance if your hardware is older. Simply put, it all depends on the game, the engine, and the number of objects the developers have chosen to tessellate.
To maximize your games according to your resources
In conclusion, tessellation is a great addition to your PC games and provides an extra layer of immersion. However, the differences can be difficult to spot depending on the game you're playing. You can safely disable this option to improve display quality. But if your machine is powerful enough and has a high-performance graphics card, why not take advantage of it?
